Yellowbird Foodshed

Yellowbird Foodshed, a Mount Vernon based food distributor created by Benji Ballmer, links residents, restaurants and schools to approximately 30 farms in order to provide the community with fresh food. Although it began just three years ago, Yellowbird now serves over five hundred people through their Community Supported Agriculture program. Every week, they deliver boxes…

Yellowbird Foodshed

  Ten years ago when Benji’s first daughter was about to be born, he began grappling with how to provide the healthiest possible life for her. Since holistic living begins with food, he started growing tomatoes and amaranth, making dairy and sourdough products and visiting nearby farms to purchase the highest quality food. Benji realized…

The Barn Jam

Eight musicians sit in a circle, each with his or her own instrument. Many hold fiddles, others mandolins, guitars and banjos, one an upright bass, and one a hammer dulcimer. Between tunes they banter about the music or their daily lives. They are gathered to carry on a tradition as old as Knox County itself:…

The Barn Jam

Meg Litteral’s barn jam takes place in her living room. A glaring irony to outsiders observing this gathering of community musicians, it is soon eclipsed by the yearning cry of fiddles accompanied by mandolins and guitars. “You can basically jam anywhere,” she says. The point lies in the tradition of the music. The jam works…

The Alden Family Dairy Farm

The Alden family has operated their Dairy in Danville, Ohio since 1997. Located in the northeastern corner of Knox County, the Dairy is nestled around a small hill with its farmhouse, barn, and large pasture home to at least one of every dairy cow breed. As engaged members of the community, the Aldens often give…

The Alden Family Dairy Farm

  Kate and Noel Alden came from Columbus to Knox County in 1997 wanting to re-immerse themselves in the farming traditions of their collective past. Kate’s family were full time farmers who supported themselves by raising dairy cows in Northeast Ohio. Noel’s family, outside of outside work, farmed on the side. The Alden farm features…

Athens Greek Restaurant

Athens Greek Restaurant, located off of High Street on town square, strives to give customers an authentic Greek experience despite the fact that it hasn’t been Greek-owned for several years. In the mid-to-late-20th century, when this building was home to the Greek-owned High Restaurant, it was one of several Greek-owned businesses downtown. Most of these…

Athens Greek Restaurant

Part of the struggle of running this restaurant is appealing to local people who may be suspicious of Greek food, or who are more likely to eat at chain restaurants on Coshocton Avenue. Many local business owners struggle to compete with the low prices, name recognition, and variety that stores on Coshocton can offer. Businesses…

The Dairy

The Dairy is a Knox County ice cream parlor that serves a variety of homemade ice creams and hot foods. The parlor is a favorite meeting spot for many local people year-round, with great conversations between friends defining the atmosphere of the Dairy. Its location on Wooster Road speaks to its rich history. It stands…

The Dairy

The Dairy first opened in 1954 as the milk processing and bottling center for the Round Hill Dairy Farm, owned by the Curtis Family. Dairy farmers came from nearby counties to have their milk processed and delivered. The Curtis family also ran an ice cream parlor in the front of the building, serving homemade ice…

Happy Bean Coffee Shop

Happy Bean Coffee Shop opened October 25, 2015 within Troyer’s Amish Market and Eatery and soon moved to a new location on Main Street in downtown Mount Vernon. On an average day, the shop caters to a mix of college students and community members. They also interact with the community by hosting regular poetry readings, open…

Happy Bean Coffee Shop

Happy Bean Coffee is owned and run by Cassie and Nate Johnson, who both originally came to the area to attend Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU). The idea for Happy Bean came to Cassie in a dream, and she woke up knowing that God wanted her to open a coffee shop. After originally opening the…