“It’s a small, little mom-and-pop kind of place, and everything that you get, you know it’s coming from someone and helping someone else out,” O’Neal said before going to the counter to order. “Also, owning a small business, you want to help other small businesses.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The Farmer’s Collective in Hamilton started out selling mainly flowers and charcuterie boards, and now the shop offers breakfast sandwiches, fresh produce, weekly sandwiches, pastries and English muffins with a goal to expand the menu even more.
Some of it’s top selling items are:
- Bread from Blue Oven Bakery in the Findlay Market in Cincinnati
- Milk from Hartzler Dairy in Wooster, Ohio
- Regional and local wines
- Eggs
- Produce
Mindy Staton mentioned two other top sellers: frozen pizzas from St. Francis Apizza out of Hyde Park and pimento cheese from Kentucky.
“Since Josh and I have a flower farm. We had a meet up with the local flower farms around us during COVID who were having difficulty having an outlet to sell their flowers,” Staton said. “So my brain was like, OK, I own Two Little Buds. You could sell them through us. And then it just kind of grew from there.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Staton and her husband Josh Staton have owned the family run business for two years. Her sister-in-law helps out during the summer as well as her mom.
“It’s so quaint and unique and Mindy is just so sweet,” O’Neal said. “... This little block of Main Street is just full of nice people and cool businesses, and we all help each other out with like, if we need flowers, then we come over and get flowers [or wine].”
On July 31, The Farmer’s Collective will be hosting a supper club. A 3-course dinner and wine pairing from a private chef using all local producers.
Staton said the goal is to do it every month. Tickets cost $110.
“It’s been a long road,” Staton said, “but I think we’re quite proud of our concept and making sure that someone who lives a block away can come get a fresh bag of lettuce, or fresh milk and eggs.”
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