Countryside Conservancy is pleased to announce the addition of Spice Acres, a new farm managed by Ben Bebenroth, Chef/Owner of Spice Kitchen + Bar and Spice of Life Catering Co., to its Countryside Initiative program. The farm will become the eleventh working family farm in this Cuyahoga Valley National Park program, and will join the others in their commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Countryside Conservancy launched the Countryside Initiative program in 1999 in partnership with Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) to preserve and protect the rural landscape in the Cuyahoga Valley. In this unique program, Countryside Conservancy identifies old farmsteads suitable for current use which are then rehabilitated by CVNP. After a highly competitive application process, a farmer is awarded a long-term lease of a proposed site only after powerfully articulating his or her plan to manage and farm that site through the entire term of the lease. The farms are expected to be managed with only sustainable farming practices, and the farmers are required to welcome CVNP visitors. This innovative land use program has achieved international attention and is sought as a model for public/private sustainable land use. The Countryside Initiative Farms bring over 100,000 people into the park each year and have an economic impact of millions of dollars.
Ben Bebenroth is no stranger to sustainability or the local food scene. As Executive Chef/Owner of Spice Kitchen + Bar and Spice of Life Catering Co., Bebenroth has long frequented area farmers’ markets to develop deep-seated relationships with local farmers. These relationships are key to The Spice Companies’ commitment to provide seasonally inspired food and cocktails sourced from their own gardens and local small family farms.
