Area businesses offer unique products, unexpected treasures
By LUELLA DOW
Contributor
You never know where a jaunt down the road might lead you. My granddaughter, McKindsay, and I, encouraged by a phone call to Tom's Custom Cuts (meat, not hair), travelled a few miles further and stopped at the Country Market. There, Tom and Sammy Turnbough operate a fresh produce market and animal farm.
They have six milking shorthorn cows. Sammy said, “It's a Grade A micro-dairy. We sell the milk to Fresh Abundance in Spokane and Settlers at Ephrata.”
Their classy little market shop holds an amazing variety of vegetables displayed in baskets at eye level. No stooping, folks. We saw organic asparagus grown on a Hermiston farm for $1.19 a pound. Down the line were zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes apples and jicama. “What's this?” I asked. Sammy said, “It's a Mexican vegetable, like a potato.”
Browsing, we saw white and brown rice, pearl barley, organic wheat, split peas, lentils and oranges. Turning the corner, we came face to face with “Hog in a Box,” an assortment of meats, including pork, beef, and chicken. Want variety for dinner? There you have it. Sammy emphasizes, “Everything is fresh and local.”
Tucked into a corner are crafts made by folks in the neighborhood. And don't forget the popcorn just waiting for tonight's movie session at home. You must stop to touch and admire the bamboo ducks. They are carved from strong bamboo roots which show the grain as if it were wood.
As we strolled toward the barn built in 1914, Sammy commented they sometimes find items hidden by the passing of the years. I wonder what surprises might lie just under the surface.
Sammy and Tom raise pigeons. She told me how they train them. “We put them on a roost belt and shut them in for two weeks,” she said. “We make sure they're comfortable, then open the door for two hours. They fly out, then return. Next we open the door all day. After four weeks we know when we open the door they will come home.”
Tom and Sammy have Leghorn and Buff Orpington chickens. And yes, they sell eggs. Their 3-year-old son Dylan sometimes throws bread crumbs to the chickens and watches them scramble for the prize. Dylan is big brother to 8-month-old Sarah.
We haven't told you about the rabbits. Sammy placed a baby rabbit in McKindsay's hand. It's just big enough to cover her palm. Snow white, the little rabbit cuddles in the warmth of her hands and closes his eyes for a nap. Back to the nest he goes.
We leave the Country Market, which is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. and aim the car toward Tom's Custom Cuts. There, a family of Jacob sheep peer at us through the fence. These special sheep are noted for their quality fleece. Jacob sheep have long pointed horns and white bodies with black spots. Even the lambs are sprouting horns several inches long. Kindsay says something to them and one of the lambs answers. They are friendly and curious.
At the building “Dandy Randy”, the manager, is waiting for us. He has promised us a taste of jerky. We receive more than a taste, a whole package. And is it ever good! Thanks, Randy.
And thank you, Tom and Sammy Turnbough. What an interesting and hard working couple. We've enjoyed our tour immensely.
Luella Dow is a Cheney-area author who can be reached at [email protected].
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