Tucked just off campus and often found at local vendor events, the Little Farmhouse Shop is the kind of place that feels less like a business and more like stepping into someone’s kitchen.
Owned by Dawn and RC Pickering, longtime Grant County residents, the shop offers a mix of homemade and handcrafted goods, from herbal teas and unique jams to redesigned aprons and small-batch honey. More recently, they’ve added a cottage bakery menu featuring artisan breads, focaccia, biscotti, and other sweet treats inspired by Dawn’s Italian heritage.
“Bottom line for us is community,” she said. “I love encouraging people. I love blessing people. I’d rather give somebody a loaf of bread and have them try it. And I feel like God takes care of the rest.”
According to Dawn, what they’re building isn’t just about what’s on the table.
The Little Farmhouse Shop has been around for about a decade, but its current presence in the community is more recent.
“We relaunched back in the community about five, six years ago,” Dawn explained. “I just wanted to get back in and do all the things I love, and teach people along the way.”
These all start at home. The Pickerings operate on less than an acre of land, where they grow, raise, and create as much as they can themselves. Dawn finds joy in stewarding what God has given her family, with chickens and gardens crammed in everywhere.
That resourcefulness spills directly into their products, especially their redesigned clothing and aprons, which give new life to existing materials.
In a community full of talented bakers and makers, standing out isn’t easy, but the Little Farmhouse Shop has found its place.
“I think it’s our gourmet apple butters and our tea-infused jams that make us stand out,” Dawn said. “And then the redesigned aprons. You have to be different, you have to be set apart so that everybody can shine together.”
Those small, distinctive touches are what keep customers coming back, often prompting them to try something they’ve never seen before.
For Dawn, one group in particular has become central to the shop’s story: college students.
“The college students are my favorite customers,” she said. “I feel like they’re my number one customer base.”
Whether it’s a jar of jam that reminds someone of home or a fresh loaf of bread that feels like something they didn’t realize they were missing, Dawn seeks to bless and minister to the students she interacts with.
That same heart has led Dawn to begin teaching bread-making classes, including a recent small group session with students.
“It makes them feel like home, and to them I can be a grandma,” she joked. “I can be a mom to my daughter and I can be that here too.”
Right now, the Little Farmhouse Shop can be found at the Upland Community Market and other local vendor events, including a recent presence at Shop The Loop. While Dawn is temporarily stepping back to recover from surgery, her family will continue running their booth.
Looking ahead, the goal is a permanent location, but for now, the moving setup is part of the place’s charm.
In the meantime, you can follow the shop on Instagram and Facebook, or order directly from their website.
While many small businesses focus first on profit, Dawn sees things a little differently.
“The bottom line is important,” she said. “But for us, that’s not number one.”
Instead, her approach is rooted in faith, generosity, and the belief that success isn’t measured solely by sales.
“When we give God our talents, whether that’s making money or blessing people, we honor Him.”
And if that looks like handing someone a warm loaf of bread and a conversation, they’re more than okay with that.
