Zeb Thomas poses with one of the cows that produces milk sold at FreshStart Farms in Jackson Center. The family farm says it prides itself on being a farm to consumer store.
Megan Lewis | Sidney Daily News
By Megan Lewis
For the Sidney Daily News
JACKSON CENTER — FreshStart Farms began in the late 1970s with sheep. In 1993, current owner Martha Thomas gave birth to a son named Zeb. Shortly after his birth, she learned that the only milk he could digest was goat’s milk.
So, she did what any great mother would do. She went and bought a goat to ensure she could provide him with the freshest milk she possibly could. Over time, she got more and more goats. Eventually, the goats stopped grazing, which led to them to stop producing milk. Thomas made the tough decision to start converting goats into cows. In 2012, she decided to start bottling and selling the milk the cows produced to the public.
Today, the Thomas family sells not only milk through FreshStart Farms, but also homemade yogurt, lard, cheese curds, eggs and meat in a store located at 18120 Pasco-Montra Road. FreshStart Farms picked this location to show people the source of where their products come from. The business says it prides itself on being a farm to consumer store.
Baked goods are made by Zeb Thomas’s wife. The honey comes from Kenneth G. Corwin’s farm in Logan County. FreshStart is the only store that carries Jose Madrid Salsa, which claims to be the most authentic salsa in Ohio.
FreshStart says it is a pro-environment company. It offers a reusable glass bottle program; customers can buy one of their glass bottles and exchange it (empty and clean) for a brand new full bottle. They also have a Herdshare program.
If interested in visiting the store or finding more information, the visit the farm’s website at freshstartfarm.net. The shop is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
