Stock up and save at Ashery Country Store
By Joanne Lehman
Whether it’s the first stop or the last, be sure to stock up on bulk grocery staples at Ashery Country Store. They’re the “Grandma of the Bulk Food Stores,” with more than 1,200 items, including 36 varieties of cheese and more than 90 spices. Owners Curtis and Rhonda Yoder buy almost everything that they sell in bulk quantities. They, along with 17 employees, weigh and package foodstuffs to sell at low prices to local and out-of-town customers.
The business will celebrate its 30th year in March of ‘09. It’s located in the heart of a settlement known as The Ashery - a name that harkens back to pioneer days when a soap factory across the road produced its own ashes to mix with lye for their product. Today, the only trace of that smoky, ashen past is the name that stuck to this neighborhood. Where the soap factory once stood, there is now only a beautiful pond and adjacent blacksmith shop.
Curt Yoder enjoys looking at an aerial photo taken of The Ashery in the 1970s. The Ashery Country Store building, with the home of the owners, can be seen perched above what was once a cheese factory. A smaller building out front has since been torn down. Except for a few improvements over the years, the site looks much the same today as it did when Curt was a youngster living above the commercial space with his parents, Cecil and Freda Yoder.
“My father, Cecil, bought the business from an Amish neighbor who had it in his basement. When the “English” (non-Amish people) discovered it, they got too busy to keep it up in their home,” said Yoder.
Curt Yoder’s parents purchased the original business, which fit nicely into the storefront attached to their (former) cheese factory home. “My dad put a lot of elbow grease into it,” Yoder said. The current owner and his siblings helped their parents keep the shelves stocked in the store. After his father’s death from cancer in 2004, Curt and his wife, Rhonda, bought the business. The couple has four children.
“We are always adding and deleting items,” said Yoder. At times he wishes for more space for both customers and new products. On busy days, Ashery Country Store is filled with loyal customers who come from near and far to stock their pantries. With the quick turnover of foodstuffs, products are always fresh.
“One thing we do is stick with food,” said Yoder. “My dad always said, ‘If you’re going to sell food, then stick with food.’ We specialize in bulk foods.”
“There are a few others who started about when we did but I think we’re the oldest one still going,” said Yoder. The storage area is larger than the storefront itself and has floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with products.
Ashery employees work behind a tall counter at the back of the store, where they weigh and package the stock. Others are kept busy dipping ice cream for cones and slicing meats and cheeses - most produced in the surrounding area.
Spices are sold in small containers neatly organized behind a locally handcrafted spice cupboard. The workers will gladly weigh out regular and natural peanut butter, honey, cooking molasses and marshmallow cream into containers brought from home. Smaller containers to hold these items are also for sale for those who forget to bring their own. Be prepared to wait - but not long - when you go during the busy season between mid-September through November.
“We thank God we have the business we have,” Yoder said. “Our job is to radiate God’s love through our employees and through our relationships. God is good to us,” said Yoder, voicing the kind of values that shaped his parents’ and his own family life.
He’s an advocate for the Character First program. Every month Yoder and his employees focus on a character trait selected from 49 basic character traits. Each employee receives a pamphlet about that trait. A recent trait was Joyfulness. Yoder said these materials are helpful to the employees and build a team spirit among them as they work together to serve customers and recognize the good qualities in each other.
Ashery Country Store is located four miles south of Mt. Eaton, at 8922 State Route 241, Fredericksburg, Ohio. The phone number is 330-359-5615. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. They observe Amish holidays - Good Friday, Epiphany and Ascension Day. They are closed Sunday and on all major holidays. Call to schedule appointments for bus tours for a stop at Ashery Country Store.
