By Shelby Danley
An exciting new storefront is set to soft-open this week in the Cressler-Bonner building on Main Street in Cedarville, aiming to make clean, sustainable, and locally-made goods more easily accessible to the community. Anna Odendaal, owner of ALE Sheep Co., has been diligently working on the Valley Farm Store, and soon, Modocers will benefit from her vision coming to life!
“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time” Anna expressed, “I’ve always loved food, so being able to offer better options is important to me.” Her primary focus within Valley Farm Store will be offering as many local products as possible, such as meats, produce and eggs. “The more I can source from Modoc, the better” she shared. “I’ll also be sourcing some regional products, like Alexander Family Farms milk and dairy products for example. Herbal teas from Mountain Song Medicine in Truckee will be available in the store as well”. In addition to food, the store will offer a variety of other goods, including leather products, sustainable home and drink ware, and items from ALE Sheep Co. such as lamb meat, sheep hides, tallow balms, and wool products like dryer balls and felted soaps.
Bringing better quality and more sustainable products to the public’s hands is just the beginning! Within the next few months, Anna hopes to incorporate regionally sourced, clean ice cream, add light lunch menu options for a local café feel, and possibly even offer wine and beer on tap in the future. When asked what made her decide to move forward in opening Valley Farm Store, Anna said, “what made me finally pull the trigger is that we had this beautiful space just sitting vacant, and everytime I’d go in I could envision it being a store. The owners have been amazing to work with, and I want to offer something that will bring our community together.”
The possibilities for Anna and the Valley Farm Store are limitless, and she plans to continue expanding the store as the community grows and more products become available. “I’m excited to be able to add more and more products as time goes on!” she shared.
The grand-opening for the storefront is scheduled for September 7th and everyone is invited to stop by to see the newly done space, get to know Anna and browse the store’s unique selections! To add to the excitement, every purchase made during the grand-opening event will serve as an entry into a special raffle, giving participants a chance to win some fantastic products.
Anna hopes that the Valley Farm Store will not only provide Modocers with high-quality, sustainable goods but also foster a sense of community. Be sure to mark your calendars and join in on the fun and show support for a new business in Cedarville!
