Local Food Economy
Cleveland chefs are at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement, a culinary approach that puts ingredient quality above all else. So when Chris Hodgson of Dim and Den Sum wanted some pork, he put in an order for a pig and waited -- and waited -- until it was ready for "harvest." In this captivating photo essay, Fresh Water photographer Bob Perkoski documents that pig's tale, from farm to plate.
The I-X Center has launched plans to invest $25 to $30 million in renovations that will enhance its ability to host consumer mega-shows such as the Fabulous Food Show and International Beer Fest. Planned improvements include upgrading food and restroom facilities, adding a third lane to the main access road, and expanding the paved parking areas.
“Our goal is to grow attendance and become even more of a destination venue,” Robert Peterson, President of the I-X Center, said in a release. Peterson noted that the I-X Center has invested more than $75 million over the years.
The I-X Center, which was originally built as a B-29 Bomber plant and later became a tank plant, has become increasingly active in producing its own shows. One example is the Food Show, which draws visitors from as far as New York and Florida to see nationally renowned chefs, including Cleveland's own Michael Symon.
Other successful new shows include the International Beer Fest, Trick or Treat Street, and the Great Big Home and Garden Expo, which returns in February.
The construction of the Medical Mart and Convention Center in downtown Cleveland will only add to the region's ability to draw visitors and generate exciting events, Peterson said. The two facilities serve different market niches.
The I-X Center is one of the largest trade show and exhibition centers in the country, and employs nearly 1,000 people for its shows and events.
Source: Robert Peterson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
“Our goal is to grow attendance and become even more of a destination venue,” Robert Peterson, President of the I-X Center, said in a release. Peterson noted that the I-X Center has invested more than $75 million over the years.
The I-X Center, which was originally built as a B-29 Bomber plant and later became a tank plant, has become increasingly active in producing its own shows. One example is the Food Show, which draws visitors from as far as New York and Florida to see nationally renowned chefs, including Cleveland's own Michael Symon.
Other successful new shows include the International Beer Fest, Trick or Treat Street, and the Great Big Home and Garden Expo, which returns in February.
The construction of the Medical Mart and Convention Center in downtown Cleveland will only add to the region's ability to draw visitors and generate exciting events, Peterson said. The two facilities serve different market niches.
The I-X Center is one of the largest trade show and exhibition centers in the country, and employs nearly 1,000 people for its shows and events.
Source: Robert Peterson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
msnbc calls melt's monster 'crazy gut-buster'
If you were unaware, October 25th is National Greasy Foods Day, a holiday either filled with fatty foods or, more likely, wholly ignored by the entire population. Regardless, our fun-loving fatty foods provider Melt Bar & Grilled was honored with a mention in MSNBC's listicle of "7 Crazy Gut-Busters for National Greasy Foods Day."
Receiving specific mention is the Monster, a grilled cheese "sandwich" that is more test than treat.
"Grilled cheese might be a guilty pleasure, but you could hardly call it a grease-bomb. Unless, of course, you are talking about the grilled cheese at Melt Bar and Grilled in Ohio. There, the Melt Challenge features a grilled cheese sandwich made with 13 types of cheese, 3 slices of grilled bread, french fries and coleslaw. The plate of food comes out to 5 pounds of gooey melted cheese, deep fried potatoes and carbs galore. If you eat the whole thing, you get a T-shirt, a $10 gift certificate, and your name in the Hall of Fame, so your gluttony will be preserved for posterity."
Read about the other entries here.
Receiving specific mention is the Monster, a grilled cheese "sandwich" that is more test than treat.
"Grilled cheese might be a guilty pleasure, but you could hardly call it a grease-bomb. Unless, of course, you are talking about the grilled cheese at Melt Bar and Grilled in Ohio. There, the Melt Challenge features a grilled cheese sandwich made with 13 types of cheese, 3 slices of grilled bread, french fries and coleslaw. The plate of food comes out to 5 pounds of gooey melted cheese, deep fried potatoes and carbs galore. If you eat the whole thing, you get a T-shirt, a $10 gift certificate, and your name in the Hall of Fame, so your gluttony will be preserved for posterity."
Read about the other entries here.
Green City Growers, a for-profit, employee-owned produce company that is part of the nonprofit Evergreen Cooperatives, will break ground next week on a 3.25-acre hydroponic greenhouse. The project, which will cost $17 million and is expected to eventually create about 40 full-time jobs, will be built in an east side neighborhood so wracked by poverty it has been dubbed "The Forgotten Triangle."
The greenhouse, which is being constructed on a scruffy, 10-acre patch of land at Kinsman and Ensign in the city's Central neighborhood, will grow fresh lettuce and herbs that will then be sold to large University Circle institutions, grocery store chains, and food service companies in Northeast Ohio.
"Cleveland is one of the leaders in the nation in terms of local food initiatives, and this project fits perfectly with where Cleveland is and where it's going," says Mary Donnell, CEO of Green City Growers Cooperative. "This greenhouse project will allow us to provide local food year-round to residents of Northeast Ohio."
A recent study by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition found that while 37 percent of Cleveland residents say it is important that their food is grown locally, only two percent of the food purchased in the region is grown here.
In addition to selling the freshest heads of lettuce and cutting the region's carbon footprint, Green City Growers aims to employ Cleveland residents -- especially those living in Central.
"We're creating good jobs and distributing the profits back to worker-owners," says Donnell. "People are looking at Cleveland and Evergreen Coops from all over the country -- they're calling it 'The Cleveland Model.'"
Source: Mary Donnell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The greenhouse, which is being constructed on a scruffy, 10-acre patch of land at Kinsman and Ensign in the city's Central neighborhood, will grow fresh lettuce and herbs that will then be sold to large University Circle institutions, grocery store chains, and food service companies in Northeast Ohio.
"Cleveland is one of the leaders in the nation in terms of local food initiatives, and this project fits perfectly with where Cleveland is and where it's going," says Mary Donnell, CEO of Green City Growers Cooperative. "This greenhouse project will allow us to provide local food year-round to residents of Northeast Ohio."
A recent study by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition found that while 37 percent of Cleveland residents say it is important that their food is grown locally, only two percent of the food purchased in the region is grown here.
In addition to selling the freshest heads of lettuce and cutting the region's carbon footprint, Green City Growers aims to employ Cleveland residents -- especially those living in Central.
"We're creating good jobs and distributing the profits back to worker-owners," says Donnell. "People are looking at Cleveland and Evergreen Coops from all over the country -- they're calling it 'The Cleveland Model.'"
Source: Mary Donnell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
eater.com runs round-up of can't-miss cleveland restos
Eater.com, a national website that covers restaurants, chefs and food personalities, recently ran an article titled "The Eater Cleveland Heat Map." A regular feature of the publication, the Heat Maps tell readers about "newish locales that have been garnering serious buzz."
For the Cleveland article, Eater's second major heat-check of the 216 in a year, the pub asked local food writer (and Fresh Water managing editor) Douglas Trattner to list 10 new places that have locals talking, drooling and, of course, eating. Singled out for inclusion are Crop Bistro, Flour, Ginko, Market Garden Brewery, Noodlecat, Orale, Barroco Grill, Luna Bakery, Dragonfly and Club Isabella.
Accompanying those listings is an interactive map.
In addition to the national version of Eater, the website features city-specific sites devoted to foodie locales such as New York, Chicago, Portland and Seattle. For now, Cleveland will have to fall under the province of Eater National.
Digest the entire meal here.
For the Cleveland article, Eater's second major heat-check of the 216 in a year, the pub asked local food writer (and Fresh Water managing editor) Douglas Trattner to list 10 new places that have locals talking, drooling and, of course, eating. Singled out for inclusion are Crop Bistro, Flour, Ginko, Market Garden Brewery, Noodlecat, Orale, Barroco Grill, Luna Bakery, Dragonfly and Club Isabella.
Accompanying those listings is an interactive map.
In addition to the national version of Eater, the website features city-specific sites devoted to foodie locales such as New York, Chicago, Portland and Seattle. For now, Cleveland will have to fall under the province of Eater National.
Digest the entire meal here.
For just shy of three years, Crop Bistro & Bar attracted diners to its Warehouse District home, where chef Steve Schimoler wowed them with creative American gems. That all ended last spring when Schimoler decided to transplant his Crop to Ohio City. How could he not, he said, after first laying eyes upon the old bank space that could -- and would -- be his restaurant's new home. After months of construction -- all followed by Fresh Water shooter Bob Perkoski -- Crop Bistro opens its doors tonight and begins the next chapter of its delicious existence.
cleveland's chris hodgson classy to the very end, says usa today
Each week for the past two months, Cleveland food truck fans -- and even those who aren't -- ardently followed Chris Hodgson on the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race." During the show, the local chef competed against other national food truck operators for the grand prize of $100,000.
Hodgson, as we all know by now, made it all the way to the final episode. His truck, Hodge Podge, as we also know by now, was bested by Lime Truck.
In this item on the USA Today blog Pop Candy, writer Whitney Matheson says that she was particularly moved by Hodgson's class up to and including the very end.
"I thought it was particularly moving when chef Chris Hodge (sic) noted that, because of the competition,'Me and my sister got closer, me and my girlfriend got closer -- (and that's) the greatest win of my life.'"
Read it all here.
Hodgson, as we all know by now, made it all the way to the final episode. His truck, Hodge Podge, as we also know by now, was bested by Lime Truck.
In this item on the USA Today blog Pop Candy, writer Whitney Matheson says that she was particularly moved by Hodgson's class up to and including the very end.
"I thought it was particularly moving when chef Chris Hodge (sic) noted that, because of the competition,'Me and my sister got closer, me and my girlfriend got closer -- (and that's) the greatest win of my life.'"
Read it all here.
Thanks to the volunteers at this year's Cleveland GiveCamp, there is now a downloadable app for local foods information in Northeast Ohio. The free app brings together information on community gardens, orchards, farms, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, U-pick locations, and farmers markets and stands into a single, easy-to-browse format.
Nicole Wright of the Ohio State University Extension Urban Agriculture Program says the Harvest NEO app is available on iTunes and will soon be available to Android users, too.
"It's a simple tool that brings together information on different types of local food locations," she says. "It generates a map based on your current location when it opens, and you can search either using the map or by an alphabetical listing."
The OSU Extension submitted an application for the Harvest NEO app to Cleveland GiveCamp earlier this year. The annual weekend event, whose tag line is "geeks in the home of rock and roll coding for charity," is part of a national effort to connect technology professionals with the needs of local nonprofits.
This year, Cleveland GiveCamp was held on July 29th at the offices of LeanDog and Arras, technology and marketing companies that are investing over $500,000 to renovate the former Hornblower's floating barge into state-of-the-art offices.
Wright says that OSU Extension will soon export a local foods map to its website so that the information is available in one place for web users, too. The nonprofit is also committed to improving the Harvest NEO app's functionality over time. Ideas for improvement include adding the ability to search by category.
"Hopefully, it is a tool that can help people become more involved and engaged with local foods, either by growing it or purchasing it," says Wright.
Source: Nicole Wright
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Nicole Wright of the Ohio State University Extension Urban Agriculture Program says the Harvest NEO app is available on iTunes and will soon be available to Android users, too.
"It's a simple tool that brings together information on different types of local food locations," she says. "It generates a map based on your current location when it opens, and you can search either using the map or by an alphabetical listing."
The OSU Extension submitted an application for the Harvest NEO app to Cleveland GiveCamp earlier this year. The annual weekend event, whose tag line is "geeks in the home of rock and roll coding for charity," is part of a national effort to connect technology professionals with the needs of local nonprofits.
This year, Cleveland GiveCamp was held on July 29th at the offices of LeanDog and Arras, technology and marketing companies that are investing over $500,000 to renovate the former Hornblower's floating barge into state-of-the-art offices.
Wright says that OSU Extension will soon export a local foods map to its website so that the information is available in one place for web users, too. The nonprofit is also committed to improving the Harvest NEO app's functionality over time. Ideas for improvement include adding the ability to search by category.
"Hopefully, it is a tool that can help people become more involved and engaged with local foods, either by growing it or purchasing it," says Wright.
Source: Nicole Wright
Writer: Lee Chilcote
as 'the chew' debut approaches, symon's exposure escalates
With the highly publicized debut of "The Chew" hitting the airwaves next week (September 26 at 1 p.m. on ABC), the hosts are popping up everywhere. That includes Cleveland's Michael Symon, who along with the show's other personalities, is featured in a New York Times article titled, "Throwing Out the Recipe for Daytime TV."
"The Chew," as writer Julia Moskin points out, is the first new daytime show on ABC since the “The View” went on the air in 1997. The show, as we have heard loudly and clearly from diehard soaps fans, is filling the spot of the long-running “All My Children,” which was canceled after one million years.
"As of Monday, Susan Lucci’s cheekbones will be out, bone-in chicken will be in," pens Moskin. "'The Chew' has five full-time hosts: Mr. Batali; Ms. Hall; Michael Symon, the 'Iron Chef' stalwart and Cleveland native; Clinton Kelly, who is also a co-host of the fashion show “What Not to Wear”; and Daphne Oz, the 25-year-old daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz (yes, that Dr. Oz), who plays her role of wide-eyed cooking apprentice beautifully. Together, they will cook, chat, taste and — if rehearsals are any indication -- refer frequently to their own lives and stories.”
Moskin interestingly points out that much of an original cast was discarded in favor of the present one, which apparently sat better with test audiences.
“'The Chew' is not a celebrity gabfest with a food hook, like Rachael Ray’s," adds Moskin. Nor is it the typical “dump and stir” half-hour cooking show, which relies on "precut, premeasured ingredients and swaps – the usual tricks that speed up the cooking process on camera." Rather, she writes, "it’s an attempt to engage daily with Americans about home cooking."
Read the rest of the article here.
With the highly publicized debut of "The Chew" hitting the airwaves next week (September 26 at 1 p.m. on ABC), the hosts are popping up everywhere. That includes Cleveland's Michael Symon, who along with the show's other personalities, is featured in a New York Times article titled, "Throwing Out the Recipe for Daytime TV."
"The Chew," as writer Julia Moskin points out, is the first new daytime show on ABC since the “The View” went on the air in 1997. The show, as we have heard loudly and clearly from diehard soaps fans, is filling the spot of the long-running “All My Children,” which was canceled after one million years.
"As of Monday, Susan Lucci’s cheekbones will be out, bone-in chicken will be in," pens Moskin. "'The Chew' has five full-time hosts: Mr. Batali; Ms. Hall; Michael Symon, the 'Iron Chef' stalwart and Cleveland native; Clinton Kelly, who is also a co-host of the fashion show “What Not to Wear”; and Daphne Oz, the 25-year-old daughter of Dr. Mehmet Oz (yes, that Dr. Oz), who plays her role of wide-eyed cooking apprentice beautifully. Together, they will cook, chat, taste and — if rehearsals are any indication -- refer frequently to their own lives and stories.”
Moskin interestingly points out that much of an original cast was discarded in favor of the present one, which apparently sat better with test audiences.
“'The Chew' is not a celebrity gabfest with a food hook, like Rachael Ray’s," adds Moskin. Nor is it the typical “dump and stir” half-hour cooking show, which relies on "precut, premeasured ingredients and swaps – the usual tricks that speed up the cooking process on camera." Rather, she writes, "it’s an attempt to engage daily with Americans about home cooking."
Read the rest of the article here.
The growing number of urban gardens in the city of East Cleveland prompted the second annual Urban Gardens and Farmers Market Open House. Held last Saturday, the event highlighted the blossoming of urban farms and gardens in a community that lacks even a single major grocery store, says Nicole Wright, Program Coordinator with the Ohio State University Cuyahoga County Extension office, who helped to organize the event in collaboration with local residents.
Wright says the proliferation of local gardens is helping local residents to grow and eat healthier food, save money on food expenses, reuse and beautify vacant land, improve community health outcomes and potentially earn money by selling locally grown produce at the Coit Road Farmers Market.
"We're definitely making an impact," says Wright, citing the presence of nine community gardens in the city. "East Cleveland has an unusually high concentration of gardens for a small city. When you look at Cuyahoga County as a whole, it actually has the second highest number of gardens."
Three years ago, OSU Extension, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission applied for and were awarded a grant from the Center for Disease Control. The resulting program, Creating Healthy Communities, helps to address public health issues in East Cleveland and Euclid by providing better food choices and encouraging healthier lifestyles.
"We chose East Cleveland because it has low access to fresh foods and high rates of chronic, preventable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity," says Wright. "We want to help people to become more self-reliant."
East Cleveland was also selected because of its Coit Road Farmers Market, a local institution that is not frequented often enough by local residents, says Wright. One of the goals of Creating Healthy Communities is to turn that trend around.
In recent years, the farmers market has been encouraging local residents to grow and sell their produce at the market. This fruitful partnership is helping to reengage local residents with this fresh food venue. "This is about promoting the market that's right there in the community," says Wright.
Source: Nicole Wright
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Wright says the proliferation of local gardens is helping local residents to grow and eat healthier food, save money on food expenses, reuse and beautify vacant land, improve community health outcomes and potentially earn money by selling locally grown produce at the Coit Road Farmers Market.
"We're definitely making an impact," says Wright, citing the presence of nine community gardens in the city. "East Cleveland has an unusually high concentration of gardens for a small city. When you look at Cuyahoga County as a whole, it actually has the second highest number of gardens."
Three years ago, OSU Extension, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, and the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission applied for and were awarded a grant from the Center for Disease Control. The resulting program, Creating Healthy Communities, helps to address public health issues in East Cleveland and Euclid by providing better food choices and encouraging healthier lifestyles.
"We chose East Cleveland because it has low access to fresh foods and high rates of chronic, preventable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and obesity," says Wright. "We want to help people to become more self-reliant."
East Cleveland was also selected because of its Coit Road Farmers Market, a local institution that is not frequented often enough by local residents, says Wright. One of the goals of Creating Healthy Communities is to turn that trend around.
In recent years, the farmers market has been encouraging local residents to grow and sell their produce at the market. This fruitful partnership is helping to reengage local residents with this fresh food venue. "This is about promoting the market that's right there in the community," says Wright.
Source: Nicole Wright
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A new bakery on W. 25th Street is out to prove that dairy-free desserts can be just as addictive as the most decadent slice of chocolate cake -- while also cutting back on the calories, health risks, and guilt associated with many of our favorite vices.
Just ask Margaret Bilyeau, owner of the newly opened Maggie's Vegan Bakery, who boasts of her vegan "chocolate" cupcakes with "cream cheese" icing: "You need to come try them -- they're wonderful."
That shouldn't be too hard; she offers free samples to customers who stop in her store, located at 1830 W. 25th Street in Ohio City's ever-expanding Market District.
Bilyeau first started baking professionally in 1994. She sold her goods at farmers markets and the now-closed Food Co-op on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. Advised by a Co-op employee that she should start baking vegan because few others were serving that market, Bilyeau started doing just that.
But first she had to learn what being vegan actually means. "I said to him, 'What's that? How do you do it?'" she says. "He told me, 'You have to figure it out.' At the time, not very many people were doing it. It's a much bigger market now."
Although Bilyeau prepares her vegan baked goods strictly sans dairy, her customers aren't limited to hardcore vegans or vegetarians. Increasingly, they are also heart patients or elderly people that can't eat dairy for health reasons, or people who aren't consuming dairy products because of religious reasons.
Bilyeau also makes gluten-free baked goods to serve another growing market -- people with Celiac Disease who are allergic to wheat, rye and barley. "It's hard to find fresh gluten-free bread," she says. "It's flying off of the shelves."
Her ultimate goal is to ramp up her distribution business and ensure that more restaurants in Cleveland carry vegan and gluten-free desserts and other baked goods.
Bilyeau chose Ohio City because she shops at the West Side Market and saw new businesses opening up in the area.
"We're right between the new Mexican restaurant, Orale, and Johnnyville Slugger," she says. "I love being here."
Source: Margaret Bilyeau
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Just ask Margaret Bilyeau, owner of the newly opened Maggie's Vegan Bakery, who boasts of her vegan "chocolate" cupcakes with "cream cheese" icing: "You need to come try them -- they're wonderful."
That shouldn't be too hard; she offers free samples to customers who stop in her store, located at 1830 W. 25th Street in Ohio City's ever-expanding Market District.
Bilyeau first started baking professionally in 1994. She sold her goods at farmers markets and the now-closed Food Co-op on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. Advised by a Co-op employee that she should start baking vegan because few others were serving that market, Bilyeau started doing just that.
But first she had to learn what being vegan actually means. "I said to him, 'What's that? How do you do it?'" she says. "He told me, 'You have to figure it out.' At the time, not very many people were doing it. It's a much bigger market now."
Although Bilyeau prepares her vegan baked goods strictly sans dairy, her customers aren't limited to hardcore vegans or vegetarians. Increasingly, they are also heart patients or elderly people that can't eat dairy for health reasons, or people who aren't consuming dairy products because of religious reasons.
Bilyeau also makes gluten-free baked goods to serve another growing market -- people with Celiac Disease who are allergic to wheat, rye and barley. "It's hard to find fresh gluten-free bread," she says. "It's flying off of the shelves."
Her ultimate goal is to ramp up her distribution business and ensure that more restaurants in Cleveland carry vegan and gluten-free desserts and other baked goods.
Bilyeau chose Ohio City because she shops at the West Side Market and saw new businesses opening up in the area.
"We're right between the new Mexican restaurant, Orale, and Johnnyville Slugger," she says. "I love being here."
Source: Margaret Bilyeau
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Coffee aficionados at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport were at a loss when Banjo’s closed its door last year. The coffee shop was the only stop in the C concourse for Phoenix Coffee junkies to get their fill. So when Auntie Anne’s approached the local roaster about supplying their coffee, Phoenix decided to introduce a unique blend that is all Cleveland: CLE Blend.
“It’s a Cleveland pride thing,” says Phoenix CEO and self-described superbarista Sarah Wilson-Jones. “We thought it was time to have a coffee that is uniquely Cleveland.” The name reflects the Cleveland airport code.
The coffee, which originated as an espresso blend, is a combination of Brazilian, Columbian, Costa Rican and Sumatran coffees and is a medium body blend with floral aromas and touches of vanilla and a chocolate finish. The blend has its own logo – a CLE baggage tag.
Introduced in July, CLE Blend tempts travelers as they enter or leave the airport’s C concourse. It’s also available at Phoenix locations around Northeast Ohio and online. “It was designed to celebrate our relationship with the airport,” says Wilson-Jones. “It’s designed for Clevelanders by Clevelanders.”
Wilson-Jones says Auntie Anne’s approached Phoenix because they wanted a local connection for their coffee products.
“There’s a popular demand for local coffee in the airport,” she says. “And that’s what drove Auntie Anne’s to call us.”
Source: Sarah Wilson-Jones
Writer: Karin Connelly
“It’s a Cleveland pride thing,” says Phoenix CEO and self-described superbarista Sarah Wilson-Jones. “We thought it was time to have a coffee that is uniquely Cleveland.” The name reflects the Cleveland airport code.
The coffee, which originated as an espresso blend, is a combination of Brazilian, Columbian, Costa Rican and Sumatran coffees and is a medium body blend with floral aromas and touches of vanilla and a chocolate finish. The blend has its own logo – a CLE baggage tag.
Introduced in July, CLE Blend tempts travelers as they enter or leave the airport’s C concourse. It’s also available at Phoenix locations around Northeast Ohio and online. “It was designed to celebrate our relationship with the airport,” says Wilson-Jones. “It’s designed for Clevelanders by Clevelanders.”
Wilson-Jones says Auntie Anne’s approached Phoenix because they wanted a local connection for their coffee products.
“There’s a popular demand for local coffee in the airport,” she says. “And that’s what drove Auntie Anne’s to call us.”
Source: Sarah Wilson-Jones
Writer: Karin Connelly
Like many immigrants, Carlos Vergara came to the United States in search of a better life for his family. His dream -- a quality education for his sons -- was foremost on his mind when the Vergaras made the journey from Colombia to Cleveland. In the end, it was a partnership with his oldest son Juan that returned the favor.
rodale institute honors work of garden guru maurice small
It's only fitting that as Cleveland's urban farms continue to attract national attention, so too should Cleveland's pioneering urban farmers.
On September 16, 2011, Maurice Small will receive such an honor when he receives a Rodale Institute Organic Pioneer Awards. Held annually in Kutztown, Penn., the awards recognize the farmers, scientists and activists who lead the organic movement in America.
Honored for work as youth organizer, Maurice Small was co-director and youth program advisor for Cuyahoga County's City Fresh Project.
“The organic movement has come a long way, and it is largely in thanks to pioneers like Dr. Harwood, Drew and Joan Norman, and Maurice Small, who believed in the power of organic from the beginning and weren't afraid to take a stand early on. They are an inspiration for all of us, especially for the next generation of organic leaders," notes Maria Rodale, chairman and CEO of Rodale Inc.
"Regarded as a visionary, a food broker, an educator, and a friend of worms, Maurice Small has more than twenty years of experience in creating excellent soil, growing delicious food and cultivating young leaders in Northeast Ohio. Deservedly distinguished as an “Urban Action Hero,” Maurice saves lives each day through his mission and work."
Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach. It celebrates its 30th anniversary this fall.
Reap the rest of the awards right here.
On September 16, 2011, Maurice Small will receive such an honor when he receives a Rodale Institute Organic Pioneer Awards. Held annually in Kutztown, Penn., the awards recognize the farmers, scientists and activists who lead the organic movement in America.
Honored for work as youth organizer, Maurice Small was co-director and youth program advisor for Cuyahoga County's City Fresh Project.
“The organic movement has come a long way, and it is largely in thanks to pioneers like Dr. Harwood, Drew and Joan Norman, and Maurice Small, who believed in the power of organic from the beginning and weren't afraid to take a stand early on. They are an inspiration for all of us, especially for the next generation of organic leaders," notes Maria Rodale, chairman and CEO of Rodale Inc.
"Regarded as a visionary, a food broker, an educator, and a friend of worms, Maurice Small has more than twenty years of experience in creating excellent soil, growing delicious food and cultivating young leaders in Northeast Ohio. Deservedly distinguished as an “Urban Action Hero,” Maurice saves lives each day through his mission and work."
Rodale Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to pioneering organic farming through research and outreach. It celebrates its 30th anniversary this fall.
Reap the rest of the awards right here.
Keith Pabley is dedicated to providing a way for people to eat healthy on the go. As CEO of Good Greens, one of Shaker LaunchHouse’s newest investments, Pabley is marketing his nutrition bars around Northeast Ohio with huge success.
“Our bar is unique because it has 100 percent of your daily fruits and vegetables,” says Pabley. “We’ve loaded it with all the stuff you’re supposed to be eating.” The bars are gluten free, vegan and have a low glycemic index. But don’t let the fact that they are healthy scare you; they’re tasty, too.
Pabley first got involved with the product when his family invested with the doctor who created a nutrition powder that is the basis for Good Greens Nutrition Bars. While working on his MBA at Baldwin-Wallace College, Pabley’s family approached him about marketing the doctor’s product.
“It was a good product, but had to be positioned properly,” Pabley recalls. He did just that. In May 2011, he went out on his own, brought the price down from nearly $5 a bar to less than $2, and partnered with Heinen’s, Marc’s and Dave’s Supermarkets to promote and sell his products.
Just four months later, Pabley has three employees and the Good Greens bars are the number-one seller at Heinen’s. The bars are so popular that Pabley has been developing new flavors, such as chocolate mint, chocolate fudge brownie, and Greek yogurt with blueberries. He plans to introduce them later this fall.
“For a small company without a big marketing budget, to put those numbers up is pretty phenomenal,” he says. He hopes to hire additional people soon and do his own manufacturing.
Source: Keith Pabley
Writer: Karen Connelly
“Our bar is unique because it has 100 percent of your daily fruits and vegetables,” says Pabley. “We’ve loaded it with all the stuff you’re supposed to be eating.” The bars are gluten free, vegan and have a low glycemic index. But don’t let the fact that they are healthy scare you; they’re tasty, too.
Pabley first got involved with the product when his family invested with the doctor who created a nutrition powder that is the basis for Good Greens Nutrition Bars. While working on his MBA at Baldwin-Wallace College, Pabley’s family approached him about marketing the doctor’s product.
“It was a good product, but had to be positioned properly,” Pabley recalls. He did just that. In May 2011, he went out on his own, brought the price down from nearly $5 a bar to less than $2, and partnered with Heinen’s, Marc’s and Dave’s Supermarkets to promote and sell his products.
Just four months later, Pabley has three employees and the Good Greens bars are the number-one seller at Heinen’s. The bars are so popular that Pabley has been developing new flavors, such as chocolate mint, chocolate fudge brownie, and Greek yogurt with blueberries. He plans to introduce them later this fall.
“For a small company without a big marketing budget, to put those numbers up is pretty phenomenal,” he says. He hopes to hire additional people soon and do his own manufacturing.
Source: Keith Pabley
Writer: Karen Connelly
Campbell's Popcorn and Sweets has opened a new factory store in Ohio City's Market District, at which customers can watch the production of its signature products as well as sample tasty, unusual flavors such as garlic parmesan, dill pickle and barbeque.
Owner Jeff Campbell says he decided to expand in Ohio City because of the loyal customers he's generated at his West Side Market stand, which has seen 25 percent annual growth since he opened it in 2004.
"Ohio City is already Cleveland's foodie area," says Campbell. "I believe it will become nationally known as a foodie neighborhood."
Before the store opened at the beginning of August, Campbell and his crew made all of their popcorn and sweets in two tiny stands at the West Side Market. "We probably should have been here a year ago," he says with a laugh.
The new store is airy and spacious by comparison. It is playfully decorated with bright orange walls and a creamy brown ceiling that stir up cravings for cheese popcorn and chocolate-covered pretzels as soon as one walks in the door. Large storefront windows allow passersby to watch popcorn pop and other treats being made before being lured inside for a taste. Next month, a large sign with Campbell's new logo will be installed on the exterior of the building.
Campbell says he's encouraged by the new businesses that are opening on West 25th Street. "We're planning on adding sidewalk dining, and the owners are close to signing a deal with a hostel that would occupy the floors above us," he says. "Ohio City's growth will come down West 25th Street."
This is in addition to the recent news that Mitchell's Ice Cream will take over the former Moda space down the street.
Campbell's Popcorn and Sweets is located on West 25th St. south of Lorain, near Chatham Ave.
Source: Jeff Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Owner Jeff Campbell says he decided to expand in Ohio City because of the loyal customers he's generated at his West Side Market stand, which has seen 25 percent annual growth since he opened it in 2004.
"Ohio City is already Cleveland's foodie area," says Campbell. "I believe it will become nationally known as a foodie neighborhood."
Before the store opened at the beginning of August, Campbell and his crew made all of their popcorn and sweets in two tiny stands at the West Side Market. "We probably should have been here a year ago," he says with a laugh.
The new store is airy and spacious by comparison. It is playfully decorated with bright orange walls and a creamy brown ceiling that stir up cravings for cheese popcorn and chocolate-covered pretzels as soon as one walks in the door. Large storefront windows allow passersby to watch popcorn pop and other treats being made before being lured inside for a taste. Next month, a large sign with Campbell's new logo will be installed on the exterior of the building.
Campbell says he's encouraged by the new businesses that are opening on West 25th Street. "We're planning on adding sidewalk dining, and the owners are close to signing a deal with a hostel that would occupy the floors above us," he says. "Ohio City's growth will come down West 25th Street."
This is in addition to the recent news that Mitchell's Ice Cream will take over the former Moda space down the street.
Campbell's Popcorn and Sweets is located on West 25th St. south of Lorain, near Chatham Ave.
Source: Jeff Campbell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
usa today features food truck bash at happy dog
When Happy Dog owner Eric Williams offered up his hot dog bar to food-truck operator Chris Hodgson for a night, he had no idea USA Today would get wind of the bash.
Hodgson, chef and owner of the popular food trucks Hodge Podge and Dim and Den Sum, is currently a participant in Season Two of the Food Network's "Great Food Truck Race." Hosted by Tyler Florence, the series features eight top food trucks competing for a $100,000 grand prize.
For Week One, Williams hosted a viewing party at his Detroit Shoreway venue. Hodgson parked both pig rigs out front to feed insatiable fans.
USA Today reader, and Cleveland local, "Big Business" submitted comments and photos of his visit to the viewing party.
Check them out here.
“Downtown is where the action is,” says Alex Cortes, an attorney who lives in the Warehouse District. Cortes is one of the 10,000 people who call downtown home. But to reach the 20,000-resident figure that boosters say Cleveland needs to truly become a vibrant neighborhood in the city, more retail, green space, and housing options will have to come online.
anglers get a taste of melt bar & grilled in latest issue of field & stream
Just when you think there couldn't possibly be any national media outlets out there that haven't yet praised Matt Fish's grilled cheese empire Melt Bar & Grilled, along comes Field & Stream magazine.
In the Sportsman’s Notebook section of the latest issue of the world's leading outdoor magazine, “Wild Chef” Jonathan Miles mentions Melt's Lake Erie Monster, pronouncing it one of the best ways to enjoy a catch.
“Melt Bar & Grilled, in the Cleveland suburbs,” Miles writes, “has one specialty: grilled cheese sandwiches. The menu of 26 variations on that humble childhood favorite is just one indicator of how far and wide owner Matt Fish is willing to take a grilled cheese. My favorite: the Lake Erie Monster, in which a Guinness-battered walleye fillet is swamped in a gleeful mess of melted American cheese, jammed between thick slices of toast, and served with jalapeño-spiked tartar sauce. This is fish-camp cuisine taken to its belt-loosening outer limits.”
This latest shout-out joins recent mentions in USA Today, Boston Globe, and ESPN The Magazine, which named Melt one of the top 10 best sports bars in the country.
cle's vacant land as ecological research site
Cleveland, like many cities, is in possession of numerous vacant lots -- 20,000 or so, say some estimates. Land banks, which purchase, raze and repurpose some parcels, is one solution. Urban farms are another.
In this lengthy essay in The New York Times, written by Michael Tortorello, another use of vacant land is discussed: ecological research.
"As it happens," reads the piece, "a team of local scientists has designated this accidental landscape an Urban Long-Term Research Area -- that is, Ultra. And having won a $272,000 exploratory award from the National Science Foundation, the researchers call their project Ultra-Ex. There's enough turf here for everybody: Ultra-Ex scientists are studying bird and insect populations, watershed systems, soil nematodes and urban farms.
Their mission? To document the ecological benefits that vacant lots might provide and to redefine the land, from neighborhood blight to community asset.
Read the compelling piece here.
In this lengthy essay in The New York Times, written by Michael Tortorello, another use of vacant land is discussed: ecological research.
"As it happens," reads the piece, "a team of local scientists has designated this accidental landscape an Urban Long-Term Research Area -- that is, Ultra. And having won a $272,000 exploratory award from the National Science Foundation, the researchers call their project Ultra-Ex. There's enough turf here for everybody: Ultra-Ex scientists are studying bird and insect populations, watershed systems, soil nematodes and urban farms.
Their mission? To document the ecological benefits that vacant lots might provide and to redefine the land, from neighborhood blight to community asset.
Read the compelling piece here.