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| Mendy Sellman stocks her store's freezers with naturally raised meats that she and her husband, Russ, raise on their farm in rural Galion |
Mendy is the epitome of a full-time country woman. She is the sixth generation to farm her family's land and has expanded the grain operation into a naturally raised meat business, a community garden, and an on-site farm store. More on that later.
A Pioneer in Establishing Local Farmers Markets
I first met Mendy about ten years ago when Main Street Galion organized a farmers market on Public Square. I was already set up with apples and pears from our orchard when she arrived. I offered to help her unload and set up, and we've been friends ever since. During our first conversation, I realized that her father is a good friend of my husband. That early farmers market failed, as many do; lack of parking being the biggest issue. In the meantime, Mendy was hard at work, offering garden space to friends. That small seed sprouted Hebron Community Garden. The goal of the gardeners is to grow food for their families in a healthy, organic way. They were so successful that they soon had a produce overload, and were looking for a way to share the bounty. Working with a local church, Mendy helped establish God's Little Acre Farmers Market. At this same time, other area families were starting market gardens. God's Little Acre became the place where these families met and got to know each other. With an abundance of produce, a vendor (Toni Norwood, who will be profiled at a later date) came up with the idea to start a mid-week market and approached me to help her. A quick, informal survey of vendors asking if they would like to participate resulted in a resounding "Yes!" so it was that Toni, Mendy, and I put our heads together. I immediately thought of Galion's K.F.C. as an ideal location because I am friends with the owners, who are extremely community minded. Their store is on a main route that comes into town and has a large grassy area in front, as well as ample parking. Jan and Joe, owners, were quick to agree to the market, and so NorthSide Farmers Market was born. By this time, Mendy and her husband, Russ, had established their naturally raised meat business. To show the type of support K.F.C. has for the market, Jan and Joe put up a barn-shaped storage shed and ran electricity to it, to help run freezers for vendors like Mendy and Russ. NorthSide Farmers Market has become the most heavily attended market in Galion. Mendy and Russ currently set up at four markets. The addition of meat has helped these markets to grow.
The Farmers Wife
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| Mendy and Russ Sellman. owners and operators of Rus-Men Farms, welcome customers to their new store, The Farmers Wife |
For several years, Mendy had the desire to have an on-sight farm store. With
the successes of community garden and farmers markets behind her, she set out
to make her dream a reality. In 2012, The Sellmans opened the door to their new
store, aptly named The Farmers Wife. The store sells meats, of course, and also
their own farm-raised eggs and produce when in season. Bringing people together
is something that Mendy does very well. To further help the local economy, Mendy
also stocks items made by local women. A trip to her store for a roast for
dinner might also have the shopper bringing home hand-milled soap, baskets,
aprons, totes recycled from feed bags, hot pads, crocheted dish cloths, spice
mixes, and more. The demand for eggs is so large that Mendy supplements her supply with eggs from Corrine and Matt Gompf, of Heritage Harvest Farm. Corrine is a full-time country woman who I plan to profile on this blog. To encourage healthy eating, Mendy also stocks organic sugar, organic
coconut oil, and locally produced maple syrup. Looking towards the future,
Mendy plans to add more wholesome food products for the health conscious
consumer.
Inspiring a Younger Generation
During my visit with Mendy, a young woman, Carrie Cottrell, and her small
child arrived to run the store while Mendy worked on other duties. My conversations
with Carrie revealed that Carrie and her husband live on eight acres and are
working towards living a sustainable lifestyle. She credits Mendy's mentoring
as her inspiration to follow her dreams. When I questioned Mendy, who is far
from being "over the hill" about it, Mendy's reply was she loves to
teach farm life to others, and that these younger women are a blessing to her
because they remind her why she lives the life that she chose to live.
Family First
Mendy's love of her family is part of what has fueled her desire to provide the same healthy foods that they eat to local families, as well as continuing the grain operation. In all aspects, she has been successful because she has been consistent in making her plans happen, even when they seem to be impossible dreams. To Mendy and other entrepreneurs, I quote Steven Tyler: "Dream on! Dream until your dreams come true!"
My visit to Mendy's farm was pure joy. Shopping at her store is quite the country experience, from seeing the animals that are in the Sellman's care, watching barn cats sun themselves on a roll of straw, smelling lovely hand-milled soaps, and even coming home with a roast for today's dinner. What could be better?
The Farmers Wife is located at
710 Iberia Rd., Galion, Ohio
(419) 462-5295
Hours are Tuesday 10-2
Thursday 4-8
Saturday 9-1
For updates on the Sellmans and their buisnesses, visit Rus-Men Farms Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rus-Men-Farms-Naturally-Raised-Meats/344044869152
Marcheta *dreamin' on
Scenes from Rus-Men Farms
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