Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Sirna.
Hi Craig, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I worked as a police officer for 34 years. About halfway through my tenure, the department extended the residency requirements. I’ve always felt that land is the best investment for the future, so I used that as an opportunity to move further east from Solon, where my family lived. In scouting for land, I remember stopping by what is now our farm and home and talking to the woman cutting grass. I inquired if they were interested in selling their property, and they said it had just been sold to a developer slated to become a housing developer. I used this as an opportunity to reach out directly to the developer and purchase it at a higher price to purchase the 43-acre property. Upon acquiring the land, I asked local farmers if they wanted to use the land, and they all said no – next thing you know, I turned into a 1st generation farmer who worked full time in public service and felt “tractor time” as a full-time farmer was the relaxing part of the day. Little did I know this was the start of my land stewardship journey.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s a rough road. When you’re a farmer, especially a beginning farmer, a significant reason is that many factors are out of your control. In Northeast Ohio, weather dictates your daily work plan, and it can change on a dime. I was ambitious and eager to learn, and I found local farmers uninterested in sharing their knowledge, tips, and tricks. That is until I met Phil Derthick from Derthick’s Farm in Mantua, about 3 miles from our farm. Their willingness to share wisdom built the foundation for our farm to grow over the years and a long and lasting friendship rooted in collaboration and community. When I had a question or needed to use a piece of equipment I didn’t own yet, Phil was there, and eventually, I could support Phil in the same way.
Along the way, my family opened a restaurant (2013), and everyone thought, “You have time for this?!” Surprisingly, the restaurant was an easy path – it made sense; we had the farm and food, so why not provide prepared food? As our business grew, we expanded, including building a new 1,500 sq. foot facility seating that expanded our take-out-only business to dine-in with 50+. Not even a year later, COVID hit, changing our line out the door excitement to a ghost town. However, we had built a foundation that allowed us to succeed in this moment. Takeout had been our bread and butter for 5+ years, and we didn’t have the learning or growing pains many had during that transitional time in the food industry. The community showed up for us, and we were humbled by the opportunity to provide a familiar ritual in peoples’ days.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We have a farm market that is open from June through October. At the farm market, we sell produce that we grow and meats and other products we make. We raise 100% bred and 100% grass-fed black Angus beef and make my family’s multi-generation recipe Italian Sausage and Polish Kielbasa – both having been in our family for 100+ years and a nitrate-free bacon. We support other local farmers, growers, and producers by stocking their products on our farm to support a diverse offering that compliments other odds and ends that we make, like homemade pickles and nut butter. Our store only stocks Ohio products, and because of that value, it’s allowed us to expand our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, where people get a weekly farm share of vegetables and have access to everything else they need to grocery shop that week.
It was a natural succession in our business values to open an authentic Farm to Table Restaurant. I put more 2-mile mileage runs on the trucking between the farm and the restaurant than anywhere else. We constantly bring the freshest product to the restaurant, highlighting what was harvested that afternoon. And for things we don’t grow, we value heritage methods and slow cooking. For example, our pasta is made daily from a beautiful machine we imported from Italy, allowing us to get the quality we knew from our family dinners.
For me, the concept of local expands beyond food, though – it’s about the local community. We take pride in hiring local students; we donate as much as possible, host fundraisers like the “Bring in the Dough” campaign, and try to give back as much as possible. We know that we need to show up for the community and the relationships we built because that builds trust – and they show up for us.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Anyone in business knows how hard it is to run and maintain a business in these changing times. I have people come to me and ask business questions constantly, and while I share what I know, there’s one thing only a business owner knows – whether their passion is worth their time and money. If you aren’t passionate about the work, there’s no good or bad idea; regardless, that’s a waste of time. I think that’s where I’ve been successful and where being a farmer has taught me to be a better business person – you plan for the worst and hope for the best, ask for help when you need it, and lend a hand where you can – and then after all of that, the weather may take out a field of crops, and you pivot. You have to be passionate to be successful.
Another important lesson is to show up now, not later. People often say, “Aw, that business or restaurant went out of business – that’s too bad.” I would ask them if they’d been there, and they said yes once. You can’t expect businesses to survive in an “I’ll stop there next time” mentality. You have to support local to have local. It’s a privilege to enrich our communities with people and families instead of corporations and nameless transactional relationships.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sirnasfarm.com and www.sirnaspizza.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsirnas/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SirnasPizzeria/ and https://www.facebook.com/sirnasfarm.oh
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-sirna-a3ba103b/
Image Credits
Sirna’s Farm Real Shots Photography
