Suszko, Marilou K. Farms & Foods of Ohio: From Garden Gate to Dinner Plate. New York: Hippocrene Books, 2007.
Are you looking for a travel guide/recipe book/local foods manifesto? Then Farms & Foods of Ohio will not satisfy all of your needs, but it may keep you interested. Published by Hippocrene Books, who sells many travel guides and cookbooks, this creation was listed as part of the American State Series. Other than New Jersey, I have been unable to locate another in this series. Ohio’s gain and the rest of the non-Garden State Union’s loss.
Farms & Foods of Ohio is divided about half-way between recipes and profiles of Ohio farmers. The collection of recipes is eclectic, but I would classify it more towards the fine dining experience as opposed to comfort food cuisine. I find this the logical route for this book as the recipes should be driven by the ingredients. (I am sure comfort can still be taken from eating the many dishes.) The recipes are likewise organized by ingredients, so if you are looking for a specific type of dish, I would recommend using the fine index. (Looking for a Pawpaw Lassi recipe: Go to Drinks or Pawpaw).
I found the farm profiles to be the unique resource in Farms & Foods. Suszko has written feature articles on about 40 food business (produce, meat, wine, and seeds) throughout the state. The majority of the businesses discussed are along the major population corridors. This makes sense regarding consumers frequenting the retail outlets and for products going to market. That said, some of the businesses are in somewhat non-ideal locations: Luers Nut Farm (possible the largest nut-farm in Ohio) is outside of Mansfield and Freshwater Farms of Ohio is located near Urbana (referred to as the driest part of the state). But, as you will learn, the proprietors of the business are doing what they want, where they want to live.
Of personal interest, I enjoyed Suszko’s profiles of Ohio wineries. She does the service of selecting 5 wineries from differing regions of Ohio. I am always looking for books on the Ohio wine industry. One can never have enough Ohio wine.
While many of the articles talk about multi-generational farms, there are also quite a few non-native Ohioans and young people running these businesses. Is Farms & Foods of Ohio a motivational guide for the gastronomic entrepreneur? As cited in the Introduction, over 75 percent of Ohio farms are less than 179 acres.
Filed under: Food
