Introducing: Just Farmin’
2021 Snail of Approval Awardee
By Sarah Schonauer, Design Intern
In 2012, Steve Willis had a change of heart and decided to dedicate his time to farming. With the help of his wife Barbara, Just Farmin’ was born. They purchased land at J.J. Farms and worked from there for 4 years, then relocated to Liberty Township behind the Liberty Farm Market where they remain today.
Steve believes strongly that locally grown produce can make positive change in the community, a value that we at Slow Food promote. Just Farmin’ follows several farming techniques that Steve and many farmers commit to in order to bring out the best in their fruits and vegetables. This means using practices like drip irrigation and hydroponics to reduce water usage, tilling the soil as minimally as possible to improve growing conditions, using waste from their chickens along with leaf mold and calcium to create a strong fertilizer blend, and avoiding pesticides and herbicides. These environmentally-conscious practices contributed to our decision to award Just Farmin’ with a Snail of Approval award.
Just Farmin’ participates in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a system that allows farms to directly provide products to the customer through paid memberships. CSA is an amazing way for farms to have consistent support and this has been extremely beneficial for Just Farmin’ in the past year especially. Just Farmin’s CSA members reap the benefits of high-quality produce and eggs weekly while helping the farm to have a secure customer base. The season is typically from April to December with weekly pick-ups around Cincinnati. Visit Just Farmin’s CSA page for more details about the membership and how to sign up.
Just Farmin’ can also be found at various farmers’ markets and produce can be purchased through their online store even without a CSA membership. Visit their Facebook and Instagram for more up-to-date information about markets and seasonal produce.
