Music & Entertainment: Farmers and the Arts

Ohio has borne a plethora of talented people who have contributed to the music, entertainment, and movie industries. Among them are the talented musicians who tune their skills at farmers markets across the state, and a writer-movie-maker-farmer named Louis Bromfield. 

Lights. Camera. Farming! 

Born December 27, 1896, Louis Bromfield was a bestselling, Pulitzer Prize winning author. But he was also a conservationist, and in the late 1930s, he returned to his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio. He went on to become a leading advocate for organic agriculture, founding Malabar Farm which today is part of the Malabar Farm State Park. 

There are books and movies by and about Bromfield, and his legacy lives on through the Malabar Farm Foundation. Bromfield’s bust also welcomes visitors to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Administrative Offices in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 

“As soils are depleted, human health, vitality and intelligence go with them.” Louis Bromfield

Enriching Farmers Markets With Music

On any given day, you’ll find an emerging musician at a farmers market, fine tuning their skills in music and performance. You’ll witness the beginnings of a student trio, learning their instruments. You might also find a retired musician who creates original, ground breaking music that only he can play. Farmers markets across Ohio host musicians of all kinds – emerging, hobbyist, young, old, folksy and rock and roll. 

For more than 1,000 musicians and seven farmers markets, the Ohio Arts Council has been there to support. As Justin Nigro, Ohio Arts Council (OAC) Operations & Public Affairs Director put it, “Ohio’s arts and cultural communities have a lot in common with our state’s farmers markets. Much like Ohio’s farmers and food producers nourish our bodies, Ohio’s artists nourish our souls. Farmers and artists both take an entrepreneurial approach to their livelihoods, and in the process, they benefit many people beyond themselves. Small businesses and nonprofits sit at the heart of how our sectors operate, and our work improves Ohioans’ wellbeing. Just as performances and exhibitions bring people together for a shared experience, farmers markets also provide a great reason for Ohioans to congregate and enjoy the bounty that life has to offer.”

Visit one of Ohio’s many farmers markets and enjoy the sites, sounds and deliciousness produced by your fellow Ohioans.