Work
Town & Country Farms
TOWN & COUNTRY FARMS
Fresh, Healthful, Locally Grown Lettuce & Herbs
Town & Country Farms hydroponically grows butterhead lettuce, romaine lettuce and culinary herbs for local chefs, restaurateurs and schools under the "Spring Field Fresh" brand.
The following fine dining establishments serve Spring Field Fresh produce:
- Cafe Paradiso, Urbana
- Cecil & Lime, Springfield
- Seasons Bistro & Grille, Springfield
- Simon Kenton Inn, Springfield
Town & Country Farms was formed to create sustainable and meaningful jobs for people with disabilities. We are committed to locally growing superior quality produce which is always fresh, clean and handled in a safe manner.
High quality specialty crops - fancy lettuces and culinary herbs - are grown in a controlled environment greenhouse using the most recent technology in soilless, or hydroponic, growing systems.
What is hydroponics?
Hydroponics is growing plants in soilless, inert media, and adding water soluble nutrients containing all the essential elements needed by the plant for optimum growth and development.
Hydroponic growing methods use no harmful chemicals including pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides. Insect and disease control are accomplished by using all-natural control methods which are safe to the environment.
The hydroponic methods used by Town & Country Farms also conserve our precious water resources, using only about one tenth of the water that is normally used in open field agriculture. Fertilizer needs are reduced as well, keeping costs lower and waste materials to a minimum.
Ask for Spring Field Fresh at your favorite local restaurant!
TAC ENTERPRISES AND SPRINGFIELD CITY SCHOOLS PARTNER TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY
TAC Enterprises’ Town & County Farms will supply Springfield City Schools’ lunch program with fresh romaine lettuce starting the fall of 2011.
Town & Country Farms, formed to create sustainable and meaningful jobs for people with disabilities, will supply 400 pounds of hydroponically grown romaine lettuce weekly for Springfield City Schools’ lunch program serving 6,000 students at 17 different locations. This is an expansion of a successful cooperative pilot project started in 2010 between TAC and Springfield Schools.
This unique program meets the healthy food in schools objectives of the national Let’s Move! initiative, USDA’s Farm to School Program and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 by:
· Offering a dual social dividend in two critical areas – facilitating access to healthy food choices for school age children while creating meaningful jobs and business opportunities for people with disabilities.
· Substituting a more nutrient-dense lettuce, romaine, for the less nutritious iceberg variety and changing the school diner’s “choice architecture” to support and foster healthier food choices.
· Improving the quality of food served and fostering a “farm to school” relationship through connecting a school meal program to a local grower and incorporating more fresh, appealing food in school meals.
Hydroponic greenhouse growing allows for producing the lettuce year-round and closer to the point of consumption, using far fewer energy-based inputs, significantly reducing the product’s carbon footprint. This soilless growing method uses 10% of the water needed for traditionally grown lettuce and also does not use harmful chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides.
ODODD PIPELINE Article #2: They're Growing More Than Lettuce In Clark County
TAC FARMS "SPROUTS" A GREENHOUSE!
Representatives from the TAC Board of Directors, the City of Springfield, Springfield City Schools, the Springfield Foundation, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Healthy Living Coalition, Tecumseh Land Trust, OSU Extension, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Link Construction gathered with TAC individuals and associates to plant basil and lettuce sprouts to commemorate the occasion.
After the ceremony attendees enjoyed several "basilicious" treats to include Tomato Basil Salsa, Bow Tie Pesto Pasta by Café Paradiso, and Basil Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!