Illustration by Joel Kimmel
As vice president at Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, John Freeland works to get fresh produce from the farm to doorsteps around the city. But his love of local food goes beyond business. We talked to him about favorite seasons, cooking with his mom, and the future of the local movement.
Why food? When I was young, I worked with my mom to get dinner prepared for a family of six. As I aged a little, I started to focus on where my food comes from and how it’s grown. It’s just in my blood.
Do you have a favorite growing season? Late spring going into summer. When I think of summertime, I think of sweet corn and fresh red tomatoes and cucumber salad.
So how does Green B.E.A.N. work? We go to the farm, walk the fields, and talk to farmers to make sure we’re on the same page in terms of how they grow their food.
And then you buy the food to deliver to customers? The support from the community and our customers gives us buying power. We can get three pallets out of their field instead of half a pallet and drive the direct wholesale price down.
Local is big now. Will it last? I think we’re going to see acceleration. The snowball that’s six or 12 inches big now, I would expect to at least double, if not triple, in size.
Green B.E.A.N. Delivery, (513) 761-BEAN, greenbeanohio.com
Originally published in the August 2012 issue
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