Soapbox is diving into how to source regionally raised food. Buying local has become a mantra for many Cincinnatians, as the environmental and economic costs of purchasing goods produced across the country and beyond have become increasingly disquieting. Concerns about the current administration’s enacted tariffs, with threats of still-higher rates looming, have turned concerns of buying foreign-made materials from a low din to an earsplitting clamor.
Buying some products from abroad is practically inevitable. However, it’s much more viable to think and act locally when it comes to what we eat. This paradigm shift will require looking beyond the supermarket and the “Big Ag” ecosystem, but options exist, and the benefits of buying food from your neighbors are many.
It always fascinating how history comes full circle. A century ago, people purchased food from farmers and providers in their communities, they knew where what they were buying came from, and that it was naturally produced. Fifty years ago, we were a society enamored of convenience and consolidation, with supermarkets and big-box retailers holding near-monolithic control over our purchasing power.
Kroger and Target clearly aren’t endangered, but many consumers have rekindled interest in locally produced foods. Whether it’s a passion for supporting small business, an inclination to buy more nutritious ingredients, or a curiosity to unearth unique products, the locavore movement continues to gain steam.
Milk might be considered unglamorous, labor-intensive, and utilitarian, but these producers navigate the uphill battle of withstanding agricultural conglomerates to profitably provide nutritious products.
Mullen Dairy and Creamery, Okeana, Ohio
The Mullen Dairy and Creamery has been in operation since 1898 in Okeana, nestled in the southwest corner of Butler County. Emily Mullen represents the fourth generation of the family to helm the approximately 250-acre farm, which includes both dairy and beef cattle. She appreciated how the experience of growing up prepared her to earn a bachelor’s degree in dairy management from Ohio State.
“Working on a family farm from childhood makes you a jack-of-all-trades,” she said. “Many of the other students had trained on a specific aspect of dairy-farm operation, but I’m fortunate to have had great on-the-job training.”
Also different from her fellow Buckeyes was having a farm to return to. Mullen said her parents didn’t expect any of their four daughters to return home to assume the farm’s leadership, but she surprised them by returning. But the status quo wasn’t an option.
Mullen noted the importance of diversifying to keep up with escalating expenses of livestock, equipment, land, and crops. To appeal to a broader swath of customers, the farm began offering milk soaps and lotion (“Products without an expiration date help with profitability,” notes Emily.) She opened a creamery, eventually growing its product repertoire to 35 varieties of milk, completing standard white and chocolate milk with varieties such as cotton candy and chocolate peanut butter-flavored moo juice.
“People thought we were crazy to open a creamery, and the COVID-19 pandemic was definitely a challenge. But if there was any positive outcome from the pandemic, it made people more mindful about where their food comes from. When Kroger was running out of milk, word of mouth and social media circulated that we were an option, and many of those new customers continue to shop with us.”
The farm’s retail shop represents the bulk of its creamery sales, but the company sells its milk at six regional Crumbl locations, and revenue has been significant. Another thrust of the growth is the store’s meal kits, which include farm-raised beef products and a variety of regionally produced foods. The July kit includes Philly cheesesteak ingredients, including Swiss steak, mozzarella cheese from Walnut Creek in northern Ohio, veggies from Frog Pond Farm, and hoagie buns from Sweet & Sourdough.
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Cow’s milk soaps and lotions became a staple of Mullen’s efforts to more effectively market and modernize the family business.However, more is required for Mullen Dairy & Creamery to thrive than creative marketing. Mullen noted that she and her staff still care for more than 200 head of cattle, with around 60 lactating at any given time. When we spoke, she was awaiting a calf’s birth at any moment. She also oversees the growth of the cattle’s feed crops, including alfalfa, wheat, and grain corn. She said alfalfa is a valuable crop because it’s a good protein source that grows prolifically.
“Our management process helps us minimize the use of chemicals in running our farm, which helps us produce a healthier, fresher product,” according to Mullen.
As with many family farms, local tourism is a boon for financial viability. The Mullen farm hosts a few monthly tours during the school year, and corn mazes and pumpkin patches create heavy traffic every autumn. She’s also partnered with a local 4-H chapter to help educate farming’s next generation. Twenty-five high-school students gain the opportunity to care for livestock, ultimately entering them in the Butler County Fair.
She values her connection with the community: “Buying food at a grocery store is emotionless, and our nation has lost the story behind it, and the respect that should come with a farmers’ commitment to their work and their community.”
Her favorite flavor? “I’m mostly a white-milk gal, but if I had to pick a flavor, I’d go with blueberry or chocolate peanut butter.”
Ed-Mar Dairy, Walton, Kentucky
The Gibson family's Ed-Mar Dairy has operated near Walton for more than 100 years. Ed and Marcy Gibson currently operate the 250-acre farm with 50 dairy cattle.
“That’s a tiny farm today,” Ed Gibson said. “The margins have gotten smaller because, as farms continue to grow, those with more cattle can produce and ship a gallon of milk more cheaply than I can.”
Gibson has been farming for 43 years after graduating from college at the University of Kentucky. He migrated the farm to its current location in 2006 after his father retired. The farm raises Holstein cattle, which are more prolific milk producer than other bovine species. The farm produces five tons of milk every three days, but he noted that it is still a modest quantity compared to a large agribusiness operation. He said an average dairy cow lactates for approximately five years, which applies considerable pressure to keep them producing calves and making milk.
He said one of the most important innovations to help dairy farmers is the robotic milker, an automated piece of equipment to which the cows are conditioned to release their milk several times daily. There’s still no shortage of the ongoing care that a herd of cattle requires, but the romanticized image of a farm worker rhythmically and firmly squeezing udders is as obsolete as horse-drawn plows.
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The Gibsons maintain the farm’s operation as a family business, with some help from friends and neighbors.
Currently, Ed-Mar Dairy ships all its product to a Borden dairy-processing plant in London, Ky. A decade ago, they sold cheese using their milk, a product made by a Louisville-based cheese processor. But the businesses were “just trading dollars” and failed to reach profitability. Ed and Marcy do nearly all the farm’s work, with some support with chores from conscientious neighbors, and their daughter when she’s home from college.
School tours are an important part of the farm’s ability to stay afloat, and the farm’s barn has been opened to the public, which they’ve named the Becky Ann Barn in honor of Ed’s late sister. The barn is a particularly popular choice for weddings and special events throughout the spring and fall.
Some facets of the business might have changed, but farming remains a 24/7 enterprise. “Visitors will say they understand the amount of commitment required to farm, but you can’t understand that until you do it,” Gibson says. “I know there are a lot of young farmers who have embraced farming, and there’s part of the population willing to pay more for local food. But that requires marketing skill, and I’m just not a marketer. Marcy and I are committed to running this farm and milking dairy cows for as long as our health holds up.”