Village Growers sits in Cedarville, Ohio, a town rich with Native American history, home to Indian Mound Reserve, Cedarville University (founded in 1887), and the birthplace of Senator James H. Kyle, who sponsored the bill making Labor Day a federal holiday in 1884. Laura Carroll and her husband built the farm from scratch over the past six years on 10 acres, after years of raising their family in a suburban neighborhood and dreaming of having land of their own. With little farming experience going in, Laura enrolled in the Greene County Master Gardener program to learn the ropes and once she'd grown her first successful crop, she was hooked.
The farm now grows lemon balm, catnip, spearmint, self-heal, calendula, chamomile, nettle, and yarrow. While not certified organic, Laura avoids non-organic fertilizers, relying instead on a fall layering system of carbon and nitrogen materials with winter cover, and she's working to incorporate cover crops as well. The farm also participates in a federal conservation program in partnership with a local university, reflecting an ongoing commitment to soil health. Laura and her husband have done all the work themselves (he handles infrastructure, she handles planting) building the operation together with no outside help.
Each spring, Village Growers hosts a small market featuring local artisan vendors, a food truck, and local meat farmers, a lively event that's become a favorite way for Laura to connect with her community. What began as a leap into the unknown has grown into both a working farm and a neighborhood gathering place.
