Gather Well, Locally: Why We Partner With Region Roots

When you're intentional about where your food comes from, you start to see the whole ecosystem differently. The small family farms in the Mediterranean regions doing olive oil best. The neighbors in your own region tending their fields. The logistics and values that connect them all. At The Outward Olive, that's what it means to gather well. And that's exactly why we're thrilled to partner with Region Roots of Indiana.

What Region Roots Does (And Why It Matters)

Region Roots is a local food hub that connects Northwest Indiana farmers and producers directly to restaurants, schools, institutions, and now homes across the region. The beauty of their model is simple but powerful: small local farmers who individually don't have enough product to fulfill bulk orders come together through Region Roots, pooling their harvests to meet the region's needs. That means farmers focus on what they do best: farming, instead of juggling logistics, marketing, and distribution. It's a system where everyone gets stronger together.

In their first year alone, Region Roots moved over 20,000 pounds of local produce, meat, cheese and grains, supporting over $45,000 in farm sales. Today, they're serving 75 local producers across all seven counties of Northwest Indiana: Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski.

A Shared Philosophy

Here's what makes this partnership feel right: Region Roots exists to answer the same question we ask every day at The Outward Olive: “How do we build a food system that honors both the producer and the community?”

Region Roots operates on a nonprofit model with a commitment to maintaining strict geographic and production standards, ensuring they serve local farmers first. They're not about scale for scale's sake. They're about relationships, transparency, and trust. The exact values that guide us.

When we founded The Outward Olive six years ago, it started with one daughter who wanted to work with her family. We've grown into something bigger, but that principle hasn't changed. We care about who produces what we sell. We know our farmers. We understand their craft. And we believe you deserve to know them too.

Why Shop The Outward Olive at Region Roots

If you order through Region Roots, you're doing something special. You're supporting a system where:

• Local farmers are prioritized. Region Roots keeps the focus on NW Indiana producers first, expanding access to neighbors who grow and create food in this region.
• Delivery comes to you. Just like a CSA model, Region Roots brings farm-fresh products directly to your door on Thursdays. It's convenient and it's local.
• The middleman is transparent. You know exactly where your money goes and how it supports farmers. No mystery. No markup you can't account for.
• You get a curated selection. We've chosen select items from The Outward Olive's collections of flavor-infused olive oils and balsamics sourced from small family farms in the Mediterranean—the regions doing olive oil best. These are farms that share our values around quality, intention, and care. They'll pair beautifully with what you're discovering from other local NWI producers in your box, creating a bridge between what grows here and what thrives there.

It's a pantry staple. It's a gift. It's an experience. Same bottle. But this time, you're ordering it as part of a movement that honors both local farmers and the Mediterranean family growers we've built relationships with. That's the whole point of gathering well.

Gather Well With Region Roots

Whether you're ordering through Region Roots or visiting us at our tasting room (794 N Main Street in Crown Point), we're honored to be part of a network of people who believe that good food, and good relationships, are worth the effort.

Our partnership with Region Roots brings together two ecosystems: the small family farms of the Mediterranean that we've carefully sourced from, and the farmers and producers of Northwest Indiana who share that same commitment to quality, care, and community. Region Roots serves all of Northwest Indiana and is cultivating a just, thriving and regenerative food system for all in NW Indiana. That mission of building relationships between thoughtful producers and intentional customers is ours too.

Ready to explore? Head to ‘Region Roots' home delivery portal and look for The Outward Olive. Or visit us at the tasting room Tuesday through Saturday, 10a–5p, and Sunday 12p–3p, to experience the full collection and taste your way through what you've ordered.

Keep What Matters. Shop local.
Know your farmers. Gather well.

The Outward Olive partners with Region Roots to expand access to our oils and vinegars across Northwest Indiana. Every order supports local food systems and the people who tend them.