Clusters of community-based food businesses are forming across Ohio. Complementing each other as they grow, they create mutually supportive economic opportunities, build financial resilience, and strengthen the state’s social fabric.

These clusters create jobs but accomplish even more — they build new business ownership opportunities. Emerging business owners who invest in keeping the state strong, and who form supportive business and social networks, will help the state economy cohere, while flexibly adapting for an uncertain future.

Interviews completed for this report have tracked the emergence of hundreds of new businesses, tens of millions of Ohio food sales, and thousands of jobs. It only makes sense to invest in strengthening this emergent sector.