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Farm Bureau didn't start the "Buying Local" food trend, but it is helping to grow it while helping to grow farm businesses and serving the consumer.

"'Buying Local' is the new buzzword in the retail food business," said Mike Pullins, OFBF director of outreach. "This is evident from the March 2 eight-page article in Time magazine entitled 'Eating Better Than Organic.'"

In the article, writer John Cloud does describes the retail food landscape using his own experience to validate that locally grown food is fresher and tastier. When your local farm market or farmer's market is promoted by Time magazine, you know that consumers are responding, Pullins said.

According to the Time article, people want fresh food and also want to connect with the people who grow their food. This is what Farm Bureau is promoting through the Our Ohio magazine and Web site, particularly the Buying Local directory that is part of the Web site -- helping consumers and producers connect.

Our Ohio's Buying Local directory now lists more than 500 producers selling directly to the public and the search function enables consumers to easily find the product or market they are looking for. The directory includes the traditional fruit and vegetable listing, but also lists producers selling milk and cheese, fresh and frozen meat products, wool products, aquaculture products and agritourism events and entertainment.

Recent research indicates that 70 percent of U.S. households now use the Internet to find or source products.

"In other words if you are selling directly to the public, you had better be on the Internet," Pullins said. "Today, an Internet presence is more important than having your business located on the state highway.

Nancy Bentley of the Kinkead Ridge Estate Vineyard can validate the value of Internet and media exposure through Farm Bureau.

"The recent article in the Our Ohio magazine and listing in the Buying Local directory has generated inquiries and orders from all over the state," Bentley said.

"If you are selling a farm product directly to the public, you should have an Internet presence," Pullins said.

"You should have a farm Web site and be listed in the Our Ohio Buying Local directory and other direct marketing Web sites in Ohio operated by Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Department of Agriculture."

Farm Bureau members can be listed free in the Buying Local directory by going to www.ourohio.org and filling out an application online in the Find a Market section or by contacting your county Farm Bureau.

Consumers can check out the Our Ohio Web site and use the Buying Local directory to find the freshest and best tasting food in their area.