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With the recent weather we have been having, I made sure to pack my rain jacket and umbrella for the day’s adventure. Luckily, Mother Nature was smiling down on us and gave us our first true day of summer while we embarked on the Clark County Farm Tour. Our tour included four unique and diverse stops all within Clark County. Each stop had something special to offer, and I truly enjoyed seeing the businesses that call Clark County home.  

Our first stop on the tour was Brandeberry Winery. Brandeberry Winery is a locally owned winery that prides itself on making delicious and Ohio-grown wine. In 2014, the winery was hit by a devastating polar vortex which slaughtered their entire grape crop, causing them to get their grapes from other growers. Brandeberry does its best to source locally and get its grapes from the Ohio region. 

Wine making is something I never really thought about, and I would have never imagined the work and thought process that goes behind a glass of Merlot or any wine for that matter. The chemistry, math and general science used to create your favorite wine is extensive and cannot be understood by just anybody. 

After we toured behind the scenes and learned the process of wine making, we were encouraged to taste the goods themselves. We chose six tastings from their award-winning wine menu, trying the driest of dries all the way to the sweetest of sweets. Overall, Brandeberry was a very warm and inviting experience. 

Our next stop was The Little Miami Flower Company. This operation is one many in Clark County do not know about, but should take the time to experience for themselves. The flower company was started in the late 1980s with a 9,000 square foot greenhouse. Clearly there was a lack for fresh cut flowers in the market because within the next decade, Little Miami grew exponentially making their greenhouse a whopping 60,000 square feet!

While Little Miami grows an array of flowers, they specialize in lilies. I was blown away when they informed us they cut three quarters of a million lilies each year! While Little Miami does sell to locals that swing by, they primarily sell their blooms to Kroger as well as Whole Foods. Next time you are in a pinch for Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day perhaps, I highly suggest getting your bouquets from The Little Miami Flower Company. 

We then ventured toward H.A.R.D. Acre Farms. This farm is a place where individuals with disabilities can go and spend their days working on the farm. The staff refers to them as “the farmers” when speaking about them and showing us what they do in a normal day. 

The farmers each have a personal garden they tend to and nurture. Lucy the cow, has proved to be the farm favorite and helped many farmers combat social anxiety and calmed them down in their time of need. We were told the farmers are so proud of the work they put in and the things they help grow and bring to life. H.A.R.D. Acre was a wonderful stop and truly felt like a magical place. 

Finally, we headed to our last stop which was Mother Stewart’s Brewery located in Springfield. This brewery was very crowded and clearly the people of Clark County enjoy spending their Saturdays there. 

We were taken on a tour and heard about the brewery process that is done at Mother Stewart’s. Each beer they make takes a different amount of time, some even up to a year or more. Mother Stewart’s prides itself on sourcing as much as it can locally. From the hops they use, to the T-shirts they sell, supporting local businesses is of the utmost importance to them. 

After the tour we were allowed to try their flight of beers or pick a pint of your personal favorite to enjoy. With the sun shining and local band playing, it was a very enjoyable experience. 

While I knew Clark County had many things to offer, this farm tour opened my eyes to the diversity this county truly has. I challenge each and everyone of you, no matter where you live, to explore and see what all your county has to offer.