From a passion for all things locally grown, Little Miami Farms was founded with the mission to help preserve farmland while producing high quality regional products. Located near the Little Miami River in Spring Valley, Ohio, we’ve been farming traditional crops – including corn, soybeans and hay – on 75 acres since 2002.
Though we respect tradition, we consider ourselves progressive…so after researching alternative crops that would meet local market needs, in 2014 we expanded into growing hops to supply local craft brewers as well as home brewers. We expanded again in 2017 to grow other types of specialty crops after discovering there was an opportunity to provide locally-grown products to brewers in addition to hops.
Although we no longer grow hops for commercial use, we now annually grow and offer seasonal produce, plants – including flowers, perennials and garden seedlings – and a wide variety of pumpkins and winter squash. You can find our products at local markets as well as enjoy them as ingredients in craft brews and baked goods.
Little Miami Farms sells locally grown products and understands the value of purchasing from people you trust.
Our commitment is to provide our local community with high quality, fresh crops harvested at their peak flavor. We believe you should know about our cultivating practices; we are always willing to honestly answer any question about how we grow our products.
- We grow heirloom and open pollinated varieties whenever possible. We do not grow GMO produce.
- We are focused on growing in the most sustainable way. We extend our growing season through the use of high and low tunnels and plasticulture (biodegradable plastic mulch), and use barley straw to manage algae in our irrigation pond instead of using chemicals or dyes.
- We promote soil health by producing over 100 cubic yards of compost annually from food waste, shredded leaves, wood chips and biochar. And we minimize soil erosion through the use of cover crops, drip irrigation and buffer zones.
- Our products are locally grown, which means short “food miles” to markets and producers to ensure our offerings are as fresh as possible.
Little Miami Farms is committed to supporting our community.
- We support education on agriculture in our schools and host educational events on our farm to support The Ohio State University Extension
- We support The Ohio State University, the University of Dayton and Central State University research programs on our farm
- We are proud members and are actively involved with the Greene County Farm Bureau, the Greene County Local Food Council, the Greene County Farm Forum, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association and the Ohio Hop Growers Guild
- We donate surplus in-season produce to the local Xenia FISH Food Pantry and Miami Valley Meals
Little Miami Farms is a first-generation specialty farm.
After decades in the corporate world and knowing we preferred the great outdoors to the office, we decided to apply all our classical business training and experience to our small farming operation. We quit our corporate jobs and have been farming for the last decade. We’ve had a lot of on-the-job training and have certainly learned a few lessons through the school of hard knocks! But we love what we do, and are eager to continue educating ourselves on the newest farming tools and practices in order to bring you the highest-quality offerings.
- Jamie Arthur – manages the farm operations. Give him a call to schedule a visit to the farm or ask about this year’s open house dates: 937-532-9569.
- Krista Arthur – supports the growing operations and manages sales, marketing and special events. Contact her if you’re looking for a unique venue for your next event or would like to spend time relaxing at the farmhouse: 937-367-1077.
And be sure to stay current and connected with us on Facebook!