Owned and Operated by Stew and Deb Ritchie since 2002.
Stew graduated from Wilford Laurier University in Ontario with a BA in history. While in university he developed an interest in the connection between diet choices and health. He became conscious of what he was eating, sparking an interest in food production and, in particular, organic practices. Stew spent the next few years working on various organic farms to learn about what it took to run a successful agricultural business. At the time if you wanted to learn about organic farming you had to apprentice on a farm and develop a working knowledge. Deb graduated from SUNY ESF with a degree in Environmental Science. After university and some time spent in Washington State, Deb worked in the environmental education field. Her interest in agriculture was sparked in her mother’s garden and grandfather’s dairy farm. After working in Warren County, NY on a project that was converting an old farm given to the state to an environmental center, Deb interned on an Grindstone farm, an organic vegetable farm. Stew and Deb meet at Grindstone Farm in Pulaski, NY and went on to work and intern on several other organic farms. In 1997, after getting married, they became managers of Arden farm in East Aurora and started Buffalo Organics CSA. The grew certified organic vegetables and raised pigs that were sold directly to customers through their CSA or area co-ops. They built up their CSA from 60 members to 250 and started looking for a farm of their own. In 2002, they bought the Clark farm and moved Buffalo Organics’ operations to Otto. They renamed their business, Native Offerings Farm and transitioned the Clark’s dairy land to vegetable production. Native Offerings Farm (NOF) was Certified Naturally Grown from 2005-2015. In 2015, the land used for vegetable production on Native Offerings Farm was certified organic. They produce vegetables for their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), the Elmwood Bidwell farmers market and various other outlets. The CSA grew to 500 members at its peak and currently is around 350 members for vegetable shares. Their vegetable shares run from June through October for the main growing season and then continue into the fall and through the winter with storage crops. Customers can also buy fruit distributed through the farm from area growers. Native Offerings raises rotational grazed beef that are sold direct to customers by the quarter. While they raised pork for many years, the decision was made to remove pigs from the farm in order to have good agricultural practices and a better food safety plan. In 2018, they started Rural Resurgence LLC as a partner company to NOF for the production of industrial hemp. Rural Resurgence was an affiliate grower under Plant Science Laboratories but now has obtained their own NYS license for the production of hemp grown for CBD.
They currently have 3-5 seasonal employees.
2008 Conservation Farm of the year award Catt. Co. Soil and Water conservation district
2011 edible communities Local Hero award in the farm category for outstanding contribution to the local foods’ movement
2013 Stew becomes a LEAD-NY fellow- completing The Empire State Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute’s leadership program
2014 Deb becomes a LEAD-NY fellow- completing The Empire State Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute’s leadership program
2002-2012 Stew president of Elmwood Bidwell farmers market board
2017 Stew sits on the Otto Fire commissioners board
Farm bureau members
NOFA-NY members
