Editor's note: Muncie Origins is a Ball State Daily News series profiling various businesses that originated in Muncie.
At first glance, it can look like any other convenience mart: shelves stocked with cans and boxes, refrigerators pushed up against the wall, a freezer stocked with beer and wine lining the back by the deli, and tables and chairs throughout the space.
But while you might recognize some brands from a traditional supermarket, like Newman’s Own, Ezekiel Bread and Nature’s Path, a closer look reveals some unfamiliar brands of meat and produce. That’s because the Downtown Farm Stand only stocks organic food, mostly from local farms.
The Downtown Farm Stand is a product of owner Dave Ring’s environmentalism.
After graduating from Ball State, Ring became an organic farmer, and in 1999 he started the Ring Family Farm in Albany, Ind.
But it was difficult to get the produce to market.
“Farmers markets are unreliable, restaurants come and go and chain stores won’t buy from you,” Ring said.
His solution was to create the Downtown Farm Stand, a reliable location where the community could purchase quality food.
Opened in May of 2007 and managed by Ring and his wife, it has since expanded from being a grocery store to include a deli, catering and a home delivery route.
The Farm Stand has organic food from all over Indiana — some from as close as Yorktown.
Behind the all-organic, occasionally sulfite-free alcohol in the back, the deli makes many of its items in house, from the bread to the Balsamic Italian chicken to the chipotle sauce.
There is also a selection of environmentally conscious body care products, from shampoo to toilet paper.
“We carefully research the brands that we stock to make sure that they are environmentally sustainable,” Ring said.
He specifically chose the location at the corner of Main Street and Mulberry Street to give the inner city residents of Muncie access to a grocery store. It's currently the only one in Downtown Muncie.
Chelsea Smith, a senior community activism and development major, has been working at the Downtown Farm Stand for almost a year.
“I enjoy being involved in the only local grocery in town. You get to meet people in the community,” she said.
Part of how the Downtown Farm Stand reaches downtown residents is its delivery system.
Subscribers can choose from a variety of fresh produce online and even add items from the store. The produce is delivered to their doorstop, and charges are automatically deducted from their credit card. This delivery system has over 70 stops.
In addition to delivery, the owners also focus on affordability for their customers.
“The Downtown Farm Stand provides healthy delicious food to residents of East Central Indiana at prices that are affordable for everyone,” Ring said.
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