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Eating Locally on Campus

By: Alex Knutte

Eating locally is a hot topic in the food sustainability realm, but do you know why eating locally is actually beneficial? For one, locally grown foods don’t have to travel as far to arrive in your fridge or on your plate, meaning that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This also means that your food will be fresher, healthier, and of course, have a much better taste since it spends less time in transit. Eating locally also supports sustainability because it produces far less waste than corporately manufactured food, as less food and packaging is wasted in distribution, storage, and merchandising. Not only is local food good for the environment, but it also benefits the local economy by supporting local farmers and other producers. There are so many benefits, and luckily, eating locally here in Oxford is a breeze! 

I ventured out to the Market Street at MacCracken to see what foods are available to students. Surprisingly, there is a whole shelf of local options to buy! 

Market Street on MacCraken options
  1. Chubby Bunny Bakery 

Chubby Bunny Bakery is a vegan and gluten free bakery located in Hamilton, Ohio. They sell items such as donuts, cakes, cookies, and brownies. My personal favorites are the confetti cupcakes and pumpkin bars. For more information on Chubby Bunny, check out this article. In addition to buying their products at McCracken, they also sell at King Cafe, Moon Co-op, and Kofenya. 

  1. Organic Farm at Bear Creek

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Organic Farm atBear Creek is a local family farm located in Felicity, Ohio. They sell produce, herbs, baked goods, kombucha, chips and salsa, soup, jams, and condiments. Although I personally haven’t eaten any of their items, trying them is definitely on my to do list! They sell their soup and jams in Market Street, and this raspberry jam looks delicious! 

  1. Troyer Market 

Are you a huge snack person? Local snacks from Troyer Market can be your new go to! Located in Millersburg, Ohio, this company sells a variety of popcorn and kettle corn, cheese, meat and candy. MacCracken has a huge selection of their popcorns- from cheddar to kettle corn to my personal favorite- Tutti Fruitt. Check them out today!

  1. Windy Acres

Windy Acres farm located in Wilmington, Ohio, sells a plethora of items including, but not limited to, jams and nut butters, honey, syrup, snacks, and candy. The items on sale at MacCracken include the snacks and candy, but a fan favorite are their Buckeyes- delicious peanut butter fudge dipped in chocolate- a perfect sugary study snack! 

  1. Reserve Run Family Farm 

Reserve Run Family Farm is a local farm here in Oxford! They sell high quality and locally raised beef, poultry, pork and lamb . Their items are a newer addition to Market Street, and you can find their ground beef and New York strip steak in the freezer section.

  1. Chickpea Chicks 

Last, but certainly not least, is Chickpea Chicks hummus located in Hamilton, Ohio. Market Street at MacCracken sells all of their hummus flavors including: Toasted Sesame, Lemon Zowie, Smokin!, Cincy Style, Wasabi Green Onion, and their seasonal blends. My personal favorite is the toasted sesame which is especially enjoyable with pita chips or pretzels! 

Eating locally is not only better for the environment but also gives you the chance to support local businesses! Oxford has a huge selection of local foods including meat, jams, candy, hummus, and baked goods! Which of these companies will you try out? 

Photos courtesy of Envato and Alex Knutte.

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