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Urban farming bug bites long-time garden store owners in Cleveland
A view inside Grace Brothers Urban Farm, Garden and Pet, located off W. 65th street in Cleveland, OH
“When I went to Ohio State for landscaping and horticulture, I never dreamed I’d be selling chickens and chicken feed one day,”
By Marcia Pledger,
The Plain Dealer
July 13, 2015
Excerpt:
Until three years ago, Grace had never been around a live chicken. Now he finds himself doing things like clipping chickens wings, so they can’t get away. He’s made new relations with all sorts of vendors ranging from Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs who sell him fresh eggs, butter, cheese, bacon, and pickles to gourmet items like bloody Mary mix and soaps. He also works with about 20 farmers who participate in the store’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
Sales for the store’s CSA program are up 50 percent this year from last year, and with about 300 customers, account for about 25 percent of the store’s revenue.
“The retention rate with customers from the previous year is pretty good,” said store manager, Kevin Kubovcik. “We did not expect this part of the business to grow so fast. But it was a real nice surprise.”
Grace said the program has spread primarily by word of mouth from people in the membership club who are trying vegetables that range from collard greens and pickles to Swiss chard and golden beets.
Read the complete article here.
Source: http://www.cityfarmer.info/2015/07/23/urban-farming-bug-bites-long-time-garden-store-owners-in-cleveland/
