Hartville Elevator boosts local grain buying

Christian Ramsburg, owner of the Hartville Elevator, is issuing a monthly newsletter this year called “Musings.” The goal is to provide an optimistic outlook and share ways to support local farmers and agricultural efforts in the Hartville area in 2026.

The Hartville Elevator is one of Ohio’s oldest continually operating feed mills and the oldest business in Hartville. While the business is 117 years old, Ramsburg has added modern structures and new capabilities. Many small-town mills and elevators are torn down, left vacant or converted to other uses. In Hartville, however, a new elevator now stands in the downtown skyline.

In December 2025, a new 65-foot elevator and bins were erected. The elevator can fill the new bins and drop grain into the building at a rate of 3,750 bushels per hour. The existing wooden elevator, which uses wooden buckets to move grain, operates at 350-400 bushels per hour. The new system is roughly 10 times faster than the older elevator, which was decades past its useful life.

In 2025, the Hartville Elevator purchased more grain locally than it had in many years, and Ramsburg expects to double that amount in 2026. The expansion required investment in new bins and the modern elevator. In 2025, 100% of the corn, hay and straw purchased came from farmers within 10 miles of Hartville. Approximately 90% of the oats and 60% of the rye were also purchased locally. Ramsburg plans to continue increasing local grain buying. Customers who purchase feed, hay, straw, deer corn, Gervasi whiskey and birdseed help keep dollars in the local economy.

The mention of Gervasi whiskey reflects one of Ramsburg’s recent initiatives. As a member of the Artisan Grain Collaborative, Ramsburg works with distillers who use regionally grown grain and supports efforts to source local grains for spirits production. The collaborative aims to strengthen the Midwest grain economy by promoting regenerative agriculture and connecting farmers, millers and distillers. Much of the grain used in the Gervasi collaboration has been sourced from Swartz Farms, a seventh-generation farm operated by the Swartz and Tournoux families. “I like to think of us as a craft mill. We do not try to compete in the bulk feed business,” Ramsburg said.

Another project at the Hartville Elevator is a warehouse addition. As spring approaches, Ramsburg places large orders for grass seed, fertilizers, weed control products and ball field supplies. This spring will mark the start of a new venture into wholesale lawn care products. Ramsburg has worked in recent months to secure suppliers and lock in lower wholesale pricing so the business can sell grass seed, fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and other commercial-grade products to turf and landscape professionals. Previously, many products were purchased from distributors at prices that limited sales to retail levels.

The expansion into wholesale requires larger inventory purchases, often by full semi loads with direct shipping when possible. The increased inventory is made possible by the warehouse addition, which is expected to be completed by mid-March. While the wholesale lawn supply market is competitive, Ramsburg believes the Elevator’s century of experience selling seed and fertilizer in the agricultural market positions it well for success.

“The future of this business is contingent on being able to make needed pivots and, most importantly, expand,” Ramsburg said. He encourages those in the lawn care and landscaping industry to consider the Hartville Elevator. The business expects to be fully stocked with spring products by early March.