Hamilton's Local Bodega

Posted on Sep 12

Shop Local at The Farmer's Collective in Hamilton, Ohio

The Farmer's Collective is a public market offering locally-sourced goods, produce, flowers, and more, to make local products more accessible to the community.

Mother & Daughter Duo

Mindy and her mother, Alice, opened Two Little Buds in Hamilton, a boutique floral design studio that specializes in wedding florals, event design, and editorial work. As a flower farmer and co-owner of Morning Sun Flower Farm, Mindy always dreamt of being an entrepreneur and owning her own business.

The Farmer's Collective

One of Mindy's goals was to make local flowers and produce more accessible to the community. During the pandemic, she met with a group of Ohio flower farmers to discuss ways to sell their products. From there, she decided to sell their products out of her retail store, and The Farmer's Collective was born! Mindy filled the Two Little Buds shop with buckets of local blooms and a table full of produce.

The Farmer's Collective quickly grew out of the space and had to expand to a new storefront, which opened in May, 2023 — right next door to its sister store, Two Little Buds.

Mindy loves having her businesses in Hamilton because of the small-town feel.

"Hamilton is a great place to be. The other businesses are so supportive of each other," says Mindy.

The Cafe

In addition to local artisan products, produce, and flowers, The Farmer's Collective has a tasty ready-to-eat menu of wine, sandwiches, small bites, and cheese boards that can be enjoyed on the outside patio of tables and chairs.

"The atmosphere is really good here," Mindy begins, "It's a place for the community; a place to hang out, buy pretty things, and drink some wine."

Mindy's favorite menu item is the pimento cheese, made by In the Curious Kitchen. One of the first artisanal products she put in her store was Prospect Jam, and then it snowballed from there. She was introduced to many local businesses, including some from Findlay Market in Cincinnati.

The Wall Mural

Artist Jenn Acus-Smith of Bright Wall Collective designed and painted the beautiful floral mural that can be seen as you enter The Farmer's Collective.

In addition to Bright Wall Collective, Jenn manages the StreetSpark mural program, which hires professional and student artists to create murals in Hamilton, Ohio.