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MILL SPRING—One of the best spots in Polk County for locally sourced farm-fresh groceries is the aptly named Mill Spring Farm Store, owned and operated by Reda Harvey. On Wednesday, the store celebrated its fifth anniversary at its Hwy. 9 location. 

The Farm Store is located at 82 Hwy.9 North, No. 9 Plaza, and has become a go-to for specialty items, locally sourced dairy products, meat, vegetables, and baked desserts. The store, which is ten years old after spending its first five years in the Mill Spring Agriculture Center, has a customer base from all over Polk and Rutherford counties. 

“The response from the community has been so incredible about supporting us here,” Harvey said. “I am very grateful to our customers, especially how they share the word. Word of mouth and that sense of community have made us grow.” 

Reda says the store has expanded its inventory but still values quality over quantity.

“The fact that we’ve been able to add raw milk from Seesaw Hill in Rutherfordton, which comes in fresh every Saturday, and expanded our local cheese selection have been big bonuses,” she adds.

The Farm Store features numerous items from local suppliers, such as honey from Sandy Bee Mine and radishes and green onions from Butter Cup Cottage, both from Saluda. The beef offered at the store is all grass-fed and comes from Caitlyn Farms in Mill Spring. The baked goods come from Martha’s Amish Bakery in Green Creek and the recently added City Bakery in Hendersonville. 

The store also sells Old Mule BBQ sauces made in Columbus and fresh seafood, which can be ordered by 6 p.m. every Tuesday for pick-up on Friday.

Harvey personally makes the pimento cheese and the cookies, having taken over the baking duties from her original cookie maker, Tesha, whose husband gifted her the recipe to continue his wife’s legacy. 

“We’ve got plenty of seasonal items, such as strawberries, radishes, and greens in presently,” Harvey said. “We also have a whole section of gluten-free items for those with special dietary needs. We’re certainly looking forward to the next five years and we encourage anyone interested in farm-fresh products to come see us here in Mill Spring. ” 

The Mill Spring Farm Store is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 11 to 6, and Saturday from 10 to 3. For seafood orders on Tuesday for Friday pick-up, customers can call 828-894-8028.