Behind the Pocket Protector: Phil Wischmeyer

For this edition of BTPP, we’d like to introduce mechanical designer and the most interesting man in the world, Phil Wischmeyer. Phil has a passion for promoting local food producers. He is the founder and current treasurer of the Logan County Food System Initiative, through which he has offered educational resources on becoming a market gardener and taught mushroom cultivation workshops. Phil grew up on a farm and continues to grow his own crops; he has always had a personal relationship with food production and sees room for improvement in production and cultivation. His mission in his community is to help local growers scale up their operations and grow their distribution avenues. To Phil, supporting local growers isn’t just about caring where food comes from but about building a community, learning about who is around you, whom you can support, and who is working to sustain the people in the area. When Phil isn’t saving the world by promoting community building and healthy nutrition, he is helping his wife with their family bakery, Rise Bakehouse, in Bellefontaine. He and his wife also have three kids whom they raise on their homestead. This past weekend Phil organized our first HAWA mushroom-foraging outing. For your homework, and in the spirit of community, take a trip to your local farmers market or see if there are any producers in your area that you can support directly.