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 Hill 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. As Lauren explains “I was born and raised a city girl. But I think I knew somehow I’d end up on a farm. I used to visit my grandparents on their homestead in Northwest Ohio. There was something in me that responded to that farm with its fruit trees, out-buildings filled with interesting things, and dirt lane leading to the woods between the fields of corn.”
Their farm is named Singletree Farm after a piece of farming equipment called a singletree, which is used to attach a work animal, such as a horse or ox, to the farm implement the animal pulls. The family found one after purchasing the property. It signified a good omen bringing back memories of the singletree Lauren had saved from her grandparent’s barn years ago.
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. Our robust food economy welcomes new family farmers and locally produced products. If you are unfamiliar with herdshare agreements, it is a simple contract between a farmer and customer to enable community members to buy a share or portion of an animal.
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. If you are interested in learning more or becoming a herdshare customer, visit their web site at https://www.singletreefarmohio.com/ or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Like most of Appalachia Ohio Lauren describes Singletree Farm as a “really a beautiful place with plenty of woods to explore and green open pastures for the animals, and I’m so grateful we are its stewards.” Singletree Farm cows are rotationally grazed, which is good for the land and provides the cows with optimum nutrition. Farming seem perfect for this young family. “I’m pretty sure Justin was born to work with cows. He could just stand there and admire them eating grass peacefully in the pasture for hours.”
Community Update by ACEnet Director of Programs, Leslie Schaller
