After nine months in business, The Downtown Farm Stand wants more Ball State University students to explore the benefits of organic living.
Co-owner Dave Ring, a local organic farmer, estimated Ball State students account for less than five percent of his customer base.
Unlike chain supermarkets, which usually import out-of-season produce, The Downtown Farm Stand focuses on organic, sustainable, seasonal and locally-grown products, Ring said.
"We probably won't carry things like tomatoes, peppers, summer squash and berries in the winter, simply because many of those summer fruits and vegetables just aren't that good this time of year," he said. "Eating in season provides the highest quality produce, with the longest storage times, the most nutrients, the best flavors and the most economical prices."
The store opened in May during a growing season, Ring said, which meant he had to divide his time between his farm and the store.
After two months of operating only one day a week, selling what he grew, Ring said, hours extended to six half-days in July, and the store also began to carry canned goods, spices and organic coffee roasted in Farmland.
Full-time hours began at the end of January, he said, and inventory grew to include environmentally-friendly paper products and cleaning supplies.
Ring said the store also plans to expand its business by advertising in newspapers and on Indiana Public Radio.
The Downtown Farm Stand will also soon boast a deli counter and small dining area, Ring said, as well as an expanded selection of health and beauty products.
Ring said he wants to establish a local food system comparable to that of Bloomington.
"Bloomington has the largest farmer's market in the state," he said.
In addition, Bloomingfoods, a cooperative market and deli, is able to maintain three locations around the city because of the large demand for its products, he said.
Ring said he wants to display photos and short biographies of the farmers whose products he sells, making the process of grocery shopping more familiar and transparent.
Junior French major Katrina Bieker said she was impressed by the store's cheese selection. Most of Ring's cheese comes from The Swiss Connection, a seventh-generation dairy farm in Clay City.
"I think a lot of students try to stay around campus," Bieker said. "They choose stores like Wal-Mart and Marsh because it's one-stop shopping."
Bieker said while some items cost more at The Downtown Farm Stand compared to other stores, the higher price means a higher-quality product.
Ring said prices will continue to decrease as he finds more local sources for items.
"I feel our prices are reasonable in terms of the cost of organic agriculture," he said.
Because the store's selection of locally-raised beef and bison are grass-fed, farmers must use more land and water to raise them than commercial livestock producers would, he said.
Ring eventually wants the majority of products he sells to come from East Central Indiana, he said.
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