For Farmers, Growers, and Producers: Selling to the Hub
The Oberlin Food Hub helps small and medium-sized farmers and food entrepreneurs access larger markets by aggregating local food at our warehouse in Oberlin, Ohio. We purchase directly from you (the farmer or producer), and offer wholesale buyers a wide array of local food through one access point.
Why sell to the Oberlin Food Hub? We create a marketplace where wholesale customers get access to your products (and you get access to their business). As a small producer or farmer, it might not be practical or even feasible for you to service dozens of wholesale accounts all over Northeastern Ohio — that’s where we come in!
Selling to the Hub allows you to sell more product without spending more time on the phone with customers or out on delivery — meaning you can grow your business AND spend more of your time creating great food!
What requirements do I need to meet to sell to the Hub?
Is my business too small? Too large? No business is too large or too small! We work with backyard market gardeners and home-scale picklers as well as larger, established local growers and value-added producers.
Do I have to be certified organic, or have other certifications? The Oberlin Food Hub doesn’t require specific certifications or farming practices — certification is a complex issue, and we trust farmers and producers to know what makes sense for their business, their land, and their communities. We believe YOU, the farmer, are the expert when it comes to sustainability.
What food safety measures are required? The Oberlin Food Hub has requirements to make sure that all of the products we sell meet food safety guidelines. For farms, these include carrying insurance, having a farm food safety plan, and water quality testing for well water. For both growers and value-added producers, we’ll discuss your food safety measures when we open up a purchasing account.
How local is local? The Hub supports producers in the following counties in Northeast Ohio: Ashland, Cuyahoga, Erie, Huron, Lorain, Medina, and Wayne. While the Hub prioritizes products sourced from these counties, food produced outside of these geographic regions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account product availability more locally and customer demand.
