By SUSAN MYKRANTZ
Ohio Correspondent

WOOSTER, Ohio — The first time Robert Boggs, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), was in Local Roots Market and Cafe was in early October to challenge Wayne County residents to eat locally. During that visit, he had a first look at what the cooperative is doing to bring local farmers together with consumers.
The second time Boggs visited the market, he came with a check for $29,500 provided by the ODA’s Rural Rehabilitation Fund and the governor’s Neighborhood Harvest Initiative (NHI). The NHI was created to give residents access to Ohio-grown products and ensure they can get affordable, healthy food – at the same time, providing an economic boost to rural and urban economies.

“Local Roots is an exceptional local food co-op that supports its neighborhood and connects the community back to agriculture, providing fresh, local affordable foods,” said Boggs.

According to Jessica Barkheimer, market manager for the co-op, funds from the grant will be used to buy a cooler and more freezer space and expand café services to provide ready-to-eat meals for both café customers and those who wish to take the food home.
“We are excited,” said Bob Brenneman, mayor of Wooster. “We are a small community with agricultural roots. Local Roots is a piece of the whole puzzle of the mosaic in what we hope our downtown will become.”

Marlene Barkheimer, a member of the board of directors for the co-op, explained its goal is to provide fresh food in a hurry for area residents. Another goal is to add fresh meat to the items carried by the co-op; currently, it only sells frozen meat.

Barkheimer said they buy their meat locally and having a butcher available would allow them to offer specialty cuts of meat, and also provide customers with information on how to prepare that meat.