COLUMBUS, Ohio — Health-conscious consumers are always on the lookout for local farmers, but don’t always know where to look.

Local producers have a healthy product and often have difficulty reaching these same potential buyers.

Thanks to the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Assoc. (OEFFA), with its 68-page Good Earth Guide, the connection that links producer and consumer can be made.

“Since we started publishing the Good Earth Guide in 1990, it’s grown from a list of a dozen or so farms to more than 350 farms and related businesses,” said OEFFA Program Director Renee Hunt.

“This publication reflects the tremendous growth in demand for locally sourced and sustainably produced foods, fibers, products and services. People are looking for local farms and local chefs are looking for fresh ingredients.”

The actual title of this book is Good Earth Guide to Organic and Ecological Farms, Gardens and Related Businesses. It includes information on farms and businesses that sell directly to the public, including 166 certified organic operations and more than 90 community supported agriculture programs.

“The guide doesn’t include all Ohio growers because farmers provide their information voluntarily,” Hunt said.

The directory identifies sources for locally grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, honey, maple syrup, dairy products, grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, free-range chicken and eggs, fiber, flour and grains, cut flowers, plants, hay and straw, seed, feed and other local farm products.

“The purpose of the Good Earth Guide is connecting consumers to local farms and businesses so that their dollars support wholesale food and sustainable products,” Hunt said. “It also helps connect farmers with other farmers so they can network and develop business relationships that support a successful farming community.

“And, connecting businesses and farmers who are building the links in the local food system chain that brings food from the field to a finished product available to consumers.”

Each listing includes name and contact information, products sold, a farm or business description and whether it is certified organic. Both the print and online versions include tools that make it easy to search the listing for a specific product, farm or business contact. Additionally, the online version includes locations and maps for where the many products are sold.

“You can find just about anything you’d want being grown or produced right here in Ohio,” Hunt said. “The Good Earth Guide helps provide a blueprint for consumers interested in eating locally and in-season.

“Eating locally allows consumers to get to know who raises the food they eat, and to find out how it was produced. It keeps produce from traveling far distances, allowing it to be picked and sold ripe and full of flavor and nutrition. Buying locally and directly from the farmer also helps keep our food dollars in the local economy, which in turn helps our rural communities.”

The printed edition of the Good Earth Guide is free to members of OEFFA or $10 for non-members. The online database is free to the public.

For more information about the Good Earth Guide, go to www.oeffa.org or contact Hunt at 614-421-2022.