Inside A Missouri Amish Store: Straw Hats, Homemade Noodles & Trail Bologna (27 Photos)

Today Don Burke circles back to tell us more about an Amish business we’ve heard a little bit about before – H&M Country Store – in the Jamesport, Missouri Amish settlement.

As you near Jamesport, about half-a-mile south of town, within eyeshot of Oak Grove (Amish) School…

…and sandwiched between the Fabric Barn and Countryside Bakery…

…is H&M Country Store – an Amish-owned and -operated store which, while maybe somewhat small in size, is big with charm and personality.

First thing upon entering the store I make a beeline for the refrigerated section (presumably powered by a windmill and/or gasoline generator)…

… to make the difficult choice between the selection of Kutztown old-fashioned soda, which I rarely find elsewhere.

According to online sources Kutztown is headquartered in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch (Amish) country, and is at times marketed as a favorite Amish drink.

Row of Kutztown old-fashioned soda bottles including root beer, birch beer, sarsaparilla and orange cream — Image: Kutztownsodaworks.com

The slogan “Nix Besser” on the label is German for “Nothing better.” And with their variety of birch beers, root beers, sarsaparilla and cream sodas, choosing between them isn’t an easy decision.

And right next to the sodas are a couple of other Amish-rooted favorites: Troyer cheeses and Trail bologna. These are brought in from Holmes Co., Ohio. A slice of Troyer cheese on a piece of their Trail bologna sitting on a cracker with a cold Kutztown orange cream soda – you’d be hard-pressed to beat it.

Sliced Troyer's Genuine Trail Bologna with sliced cheese on a wooden board — Image: simplycheese.net

But H&M sports a variety of other tasty categories as well. Several shelves are dedicated to a wide assortment of local-Amish-made jellies and jams as well as noodles…

…plus various spices, confections and other ingredients for all your kitchen fix’ns – available from individual to family-size packaging.

One item for future note: On my recent visit to H&M I was told they are exploring the possibility of making their own line of smoked cheese. Now that’s something I look forward to trying.

Although a bit limited on space, the store does make room for a couple of aisles dedicated to non-food items as well. Large mixing bowls, cooking spoons and spatulas can be found among its many other kitchen and cooking goods.

So, cooking isn’t so much your thing? Well, then, how about a new Amish hat? H&M can meet the needs of even the most discerning, fashion-forward Amish gentleman with their one-style-fits-all selection of straw hats.

And beyond these year-’round staples, the store carries the occasional in-season specialty items as well. Some of the best squeezed-just-this-morning apple cider I’ve ever had came from a stop at H&M. Various freshly picked fruits and other produce can be found from time to time at a table in the back. And spilling over into the area just outside the front door are often other seasonal favorites, such as pumpkins and mums.

And the queen of this beehive of activity, who is herself a powerhouse of endless energy and bubbly personality, is the owner’s wife. And along with all the duties of operating the store, she is an avid animal lover and the unofficial caregiver for all sorts of critters in need.

At one time the family raised deer at their home adjacent to the store.

A Squirrel’s Tale

She has also taken in hurt and stray animals – both domesticated and wild – to care for them and find them a good home (or return them back to the wild). From kittens to possums to even skunks – they have found a friend in her.

One of her most notable befriendings was to a squirrel she named Taz.

I don’t recall the specifics of his circumstances – possibly brought to her as a baby found without a mother – but she took him in and cared for him. During the time he was unable to fend for himself he was kept safely inside in her home, at times given free range of the house.

As he grew he was eventually allowed to come and go indoors or out as he wished. And later, after moving outdoors into the trees of the yard, he would still come over to take food from her hand or sit next to her on a bench in the shade.

He grew up to move from the yard into the nearby woods, but even then she would notice him from time to time venturing back as if to say “Hi, remember me?!”

So, next time you are passing through Jamesport, Missouri, I highly recommend a stop by H&M Country Store. Whether you’re fancying a straw hat, a tasty bite to eat, something a little different to drink, or a good heart-warming animal tale, H&M has got you covered!