When Dave and Sara Ring opened The Downtown Farmstand eight years ago on the corner of Main and Mulberry streets in Downtown Muncie, they didn’t know the full impact their store would leave on the community.
With grocery options limited to commercial stores like Meijer, Marsh, Ruler Foods and Walmart, The Rings wanted to introduce fresh and organic options to the Muncie area. The Downtown Farmstand focuses on selling sustainable food options, as well as fair trade items such as chocolate, coffee and tea.
In addition to the Farmstand, Dave is the owner of Ring Family Farms in nearby Albany, Ind. He proudly supports other local Indiana farms. They are major purveyors of the various meat and dairy options in the store.
On a chilly Saturday in March, groups of people walked through the Farmstand’s aisles, browsing their selection.
“They have food from each of the five food groups,” said a young boy shopping with his family.
In addition to providing healthy grocery items, the Farmstand offers an in-between to Muncie chain restaurants and fine dining options like Vera Mae’s Bistro.
Nathanael Gray, a landscape architecture graduate student, said he likes that the Farmstand provides a nice and relaxed atmosphere that he can do his schoolwork in. He enjoys the food too –– especially the Chipotle Pork Belly sandwich.
Black and white pictures of farms line the walls surrounding where customers order and receive their food, a friendly reminder of where the food they're eating comes from.
The Farmstand provides a delivery service and a variety of wine and craft beers with its casual dining. It’s a lot different than the old flower shop turned grocery store it was eight years ago.
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