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Singletree Farm Herdshare Provides Local Milk
 ACEnet staff got to know serial entrepreneur Lauren Genter when she operated her first business, Ancient Roots, out of the Food Ventures Center. She recently returned as a midwife, starting Ohio Hills Midwifery and renting space on the Athens incubator campus again in 2019. But, always on the move, Lauren has since purchased property near Village Bakery and has set up shop, graduating once again from ACEnet.
And if that isn't enough to keep one busy, she and Justin Reynolds bought a 91 acres in Northern Athens County in 2015 on Kuhn Road outside of Amesville. Health and wellness has always been a priority for Lauren and her family. So with growing concern over the COVID-19 pandemic, Lauren and Justin recognize that there is increased interest in local foods raised with care on small farms.
 It is not acceptable in the state of Ohio to sell raw milk for human consumption. The acceptable way for a person who desires to obtain and consume raw milk is to purchase a cow and get the milk from the cow they own. Singletree Farm is happy to provide quality local milk during this time as part of a herdshare.
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Community Food Initiatives Veggie Van Rolls Out
ACEnet tenant & local nonprofit Community Food Initiatives has an exciting new venture! The CFI Veggie Van is a donation-based market that carries locally grown fruits & veggies from the Athens Farmers Market and the Chesterhill Produce Auction 10 months out of the year in an effort to increase access to fresh, local produce in Southeast Ohio.
Every week the veggie van puts together a fresh selection, ranging from apples to zucchini (supply varies with the season). Orders are due by 5pm Friday for the following week. If you don't like an item, you can swap it out! CFI will also be sharing their Discovery Kitchen recipes in case there's an item you're unfamiliar with or tired of cooking the same way.
The Veggie Van's Grand Opening was August 7th, and can be found on Fridays at Glouster Memorial Park.
For more information, watch this video from Community Food Initiatives!
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Something's Brewing in the Hocking Hills
The Hocking Hills State Park sees an average of two million visitors per year. That's about the same as Maine's awe-inspiring Acadia National Park. As more and more visitors flock to Ohio's most visited state park, demand for increased services around the Hocking Hills region is also on the rise. Local entrepreneurs Linda and Tim Thomas saw an old farmhouse and garage located just south of Logan on State Route 664 as a great location to launch Hocking Hills Inn and Coffee Emporium.
 "An odd way to explain it is my daughter and I wanted a coffee shop down here because we live here and there was no coffee shop," explained Linda. "My other three partners were interested in being part of the vacation aspect that was going on in the region and when we saw this property on the corner come up -- it was magical. All of my partners bring something different to the table, we all are strong, alpha, independent women."
The Coffee Emporium serves Dirty Girl Coffee, a Glouster-based fair-trade coffee that supports women growers and pay-equity in developing countries in addition to supporting local economic development projects. They also serve hand-crafted, artisan-style cuisine options, and pay their workers a fair-wage that is above Ohio's minimum wage.
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ACEnet FVC Tenant: Butcher's Bites
 As we all get back into our health and fitness routines let's not forget to properly fuel our workouts and recovery. ACEnet Food Ventures tenant Butcher's Bites can help you sync your fitness goals with your meal plan! Butcher's Bites is Athens' own locally-manufactured ready to eat meal preparation service providing freshly prepared and nutritionally balanced meals. 
If you need a little assistance syncing your fitness goals with your meal plan, email info@butchersbites.com for a consult with one of their Nutritionists.
Be sure to check out their website for current menu, ordering instructions, pick-up locations (Athens, Circleville & Pomeroy), FAQs, to meet the owners & more!
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Athens Art Market Returns
Since May, the art vendors have adjusted their layout to maintain social distancing, supplying hand sanitizer, and all the vendors are wearing masks, even prior to the statewide mandate. Another special feature of the Art Market includes providing free disposable gloves for use when handling products to safeguard the well-being of guild members and customers.
The Art Market, operated by the Athens Art Guild provides an additional shopping option to Saturday Farmers Market customers. Guild president, Beth Weingroff shares, "Participating in the Athens Farmers Market Athens is vital to keeping Athens Art Guild members connected to the Athens Community. I treasure my weekly conversations with existing customers and talk up all that special about Athens with new customers and those visiting from elsewhere." Artists, artisans and makers need your support with so many festivals and events being cancelled this year. It is especially important to support our creative economy to preserve the unique flavor of our region.
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Getting Produce to Patients: Rural Action
Rural Action and the Chesterhill Produce Auction (CPA) have forged a new partnership to expand our distribution into West Virginia and to get good food into the hands of people who need it most. Coplin Health Systems (CHS), in partnership with WVU Extension Service, coordinate the FARMacy, a fresh produce prescription program to help patients manage chronic health conditions through diet. The program helps ensure patient have access to healthy fruits and vegetables to improve their nutrition.
To provide the produce for the program, CPA staff and service members bid for a variety of items, put together individual shares in paper bags, and deliver them to Coplin's clinics on FARMacy day. Sarah explained, "The way that Rural Action is able to deliver makes it very easy for us to be able to offer this program at the clinic. We simply unload and then distribute it." At this point, 230 households receive fresh produce bi-weekly.
Do you want to know how many pounds participating patients lost in the first year? Find out here:
Story by Molly Sowash, Rural Action's AmeriCorps member
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Amplify Farmers' Voices with Farm Aid!
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Farm Aid's 35th anniversary comes at a time of unprecedented uncertainty, suffering and upheaval in our nation. The COVID-19 pandemic and the movement for racial justice dominate the headlines and the concerns we all share, in addition to the ever-present reality of climate change.
These issues do not pull Farm Aid from their mission; they ARE essential to their mission. Farm Aid 2020 will have a timely message about the fragility and injustice of our farm and food system, and the urgency of building a democratic, diverse, just and resilient future for farmers, workers and communities.
During this historic time of potential for immense cultural, political and structural change in our country, they cannot imagine a more powerful expression of Farm Aid 2020 than to show the challenges, true diversity and strength of family farmers in this country. That's where you come in!
Farm Aid is creating a montage of farmer faces and voices to be part of their annual festival broadcast. Farm Aid 2020 will be webcast at farmaid.org, YouTube, other online outlets, and likely will be broadcast on national TV. Help showcase how essential family farmers are, not just for our food system but to our democracy, and that we all have a role to play to ensure their success! For full details on what Farm Aid is looking for, click image below or click link: Call for Submissions 
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Relief Resources for Artists, Farmers, Food Service & Retail, Individuals, Nonprofits & Small Businesses
ACenet is maintaining & regularly updating our Relief Resources web page. It includes funding relief resources for artists, farmers, food service & retail businesses, individuals, nonprofits & small businesses in general. If you have any questions or would like assistance applying for any funding packages, please contact LeslieS@acenetworks.org.
 ACEnet facilities, including the Food Ventures Center in Athens & the Food & Farm Enterprise Center in Nelsonville are and will remain open until further notice. ACEnet staff is available (remotely) for our various business counseling services.
Please email your needs to LeslieS@acenetworks.org and you will be connected with a staff member who can assist you.
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Need A Licensed Facility for Processing Meat or Veggies?
Well you're in luck! ACEnet's Food & Farm Enterprise Center in Nelsonville is open for business! Process your meats and/or your veggies for retail, wholesale, etc. in adjacent rooms and take advantage of ACEnet's packaging and labeling space! Contact ACEnet's Food Ventures Coordinator, Adam Kody, for more info! AdamK@acenetworks.org or 740-249-1125
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ACEnet's Meat Processing Room
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So You Want to Start a Business?
The first step is creating a business plan. You can download our free business plan template from our website's home page!
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Did You Know?
Did you know that Kroger has a community rewards program much like Amazon Smile? If you sign up for Kroger Community Rewards & designate ACEnet as your nonprofit of choice they'll donate a percentage of the money you spend on groceries to us!
You may need to renew your choice if it's been a while. Go to Kroger Community Rewards and search for ACE NET (needs to have the space), after you choose us, Kroger donates to us every time you shop!
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94 Columbus Rd, Athens, OH 45701
740-592-3854
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Sincerely
