Zac and Jina Lauer are first generation market farmers, growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers. Their farm, The City and Field Co. is located in Columbia City. They are using their experience of growing in small spaces and expanding with those methods on their new homestead. This year, they will add egg laying chickens and bees to begin diversifying their mix of food offered to add to their holistic design.  Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Zac and Jina Lauer of The City and Field Co. to learn more about their new homestead.   What makes your farm special? We started a ..read more

What’s the first image that comes to mind when you hear “local food”? Tomatoes from the farmer’s market? Sweet corn at a roadside stand? A grass-fed burger from your favorite food truck? These tasty images likely have a couple of things in common: clear skies and warm weather. So what local food image comes to mind on a chilly Groundhog Day in Northeast Indiana? After spending an amazing morning with Gary Stroh, Shane Christ, Kirk Etheridge and Jason Satek, I’ll forever pair Groundhog Day with pears and delicious local pear wine! Groundhog Day at Satek Winery Shane Christ of Satek Winery and ..read more

Ten years ago, my son asked if we could buy a local, pasture-raised turkey for Thanksgiving. Always a Butterball shopper, I had no idea where to begin to look for such a bird or why it mattered. But wanting to be a supportive mom, I set out across Northeast Indiana in search of a locally raised turkey.   After numerous false leads, I heard about Hawkins Family Farm in North Manchester and soon found myself driving west on a country road toward their farm. On that very chilly November morning, I found Jeff Hawkins cheerfully chatting with folks who’d lined up to buy his fresh, pasture-rai ..read more