Rooted in Collaboration.

Growing Through Service.

Our story began with a simple idea: local food should move in ways that empower everyone to thrive.

Our Promise

Forest City Food Collective helps farms grow and communities access good food by cultivating long-term relationships that are grounded in transparent communication and fair terms.

From Oberlin Hub to a Regional Collective

What began as the Oberlin Food Hub has grown into a regional network working toward a common goal: a fair and resilient local food economy. Today, Forest City Food Collective serves as a nonprofit distributor and systems designer that connects farms, buyers, and communities across Ohio to make local food more accessible, efficient, and equitable.

2016 Food Hub Founded in Oberlin, Ohio

2018 Received USDA Grant & 1st year as awarded OSC Farm to School Distributor

2022 Food Access Partnerships Began

2024 Moved to Cleveland, Ohio

Impact You Can

Taste and Track

Every dollar invested in our work strengthens farms, families, and communities across the REgion.

We measure success by how well the system works for everyone. Each year, Forest City Food Collective channels millions of pounds of local food through a network that multiplies value and impact in Ohio and surrounding states.

"Every dollar invested

in our work generates

$1 = $4

four dollars of economic impact

in our communities."

Our Values

Service & Support

We lead with reliability, empathy,

and partnership

Collective Action

Systems are stronger when built

together.

Transparency

Open communication builds trust

and long-term relationships.

Equitable Access

Everyone deserves the opportunity
to eat (and thrive!) locally.

Meet the People Behind the System

We're the organizers and changemakers who believe in service through action. Our team works hard each day to connect the dots between good food and good outcomes.

Dave Sokoll

Executive Director

Pam Bliss

Bookkeeping Specialist

Ci Ci Hurns

Operations and Logistics Manager

The Power of Partnership

We collaborate with food producers, distributors, funders, and mission-driven

organizations that share our belief in regional resilience. Together, we’re designing systems that feed more people and build stronger communities.

Founding Partner

The Oberlin Project

The Oberlin Project is a completed, multi-year effort by the College and City of Oberlin to transition Oberlin to a prosperous, post-fossil- fuel economy and provide a national model for environmentally responsible community-level redevelopment. Prompted by the 2008 financial crisis, organizers from the City and College collaborated to form a temporary organization with a lifespan of four to six years to build a resilient and sustainable economy that would serve the people of Oberlin. Their efforts have been widely successful to date and have reached intended milestones on schedule. While the Oberlin Project’s work will continue far into the future, it followed its planned timeline and closed its central office in June 2017. The Oberlin Project served as an incubator for the Oberlin Food Hub upon its inception in 2016.

Our Board

Dan Brown

Founder of Rust Belt Riders, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at JumpStart Inc.

Ismail Samad

Co-founder of Loiter

Zac Rheinberger

Vice President at Ohio City Pasta

Patty Ajdukiewicz

Senior Director, Small Business Services & Capital at JumpStart Inc.