Blog 6: Knead, Snowville, and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

    Like many of the Appalachians I've met, I sincerely care about my food. Here, in and around Appalachian Ohio, we're constantly discussing our local food options. Athenians, Columbusites, and Pittsburghers alike have taken to local produce, meats, and dairy products with a fervor. "Buy Local" and other green font bumper stickers are abundant, and seemingly quite effective, it least on me. The more you can tell me about my meal, the more inclined I am to come back. One restaurant in Columbus' downtown area, "Knead," has a beautiful map of Ohio featuring all of the ingredients used in their restaurant. Now, ordering from a menu anywhere else is, by comparison, a lackluster affair. I believe there's also a similar map in Athens' organic pizza shop, "Avalanche," my go-to place for quality 'za.

    Snowville Creamery, another favorite of mine, may play an even bigger role (beyond just their delicious milk) in the future of the local movement. This is due to the fact that Jeni's, another Columbus establishment, uses only Snowville Creamery cream to make their phenomenal ice creams. Now, when I say, "phenomenal," I do mean, "phenomenal." If you haven't already tried it, head on over to Jackie O's, Fluff, or Kroger's to pick up a pint. Go ahead, I'll wait - I worked for Jeni's for almost two years, and it's still the best ice cream I've ever had. With eleven locations across central Ohio and Tennessee, Jeni's has become a beacon of local, organic excellence, and they will no doubt continue to make us proud. Their headquarters may be outside the realm of "Appalachia," but without Snowville, and other Appalachian family farms, there would be no delicious ice cream.