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Farm Charm: A café with a story to tell

Posted: 09/01/2009 04:00:04 PM EDT

Cook Shauntae Richardson mans the counter as Joyce Chester, dressed as 'Squeaker the Clown,' grabs some breakfast at Farm Charm Cafe in Spring Grove on Aug. 22. (Daily Record/Sunday News - Kate Penn)

The best part about visiting restaurants - other than trying the food, of course - is hearing the stories behind the people running them.

They're first-time business owners, taking a stab at a dream. Or the next generation carrying on a family tradition. Or immigrants bringing a taste of home to America.

The story behind Freedom Path Ministries & Farm Charm Café is quite different - but just as intriguing.

Co-founder Peggy Freed said a "vision from God" inspired her seven years ago to start a cooperative work program to aid women from troubled backgrounds. The plan included a flea market and café to raise money and to teach the women job skills.

The café started last year with only soups and sandwiches. The menu expanded about a month ago, prompting a reader to suggest checking it out.

Rounding a curve on Route 116 just past a set of railroad tracks, I nearly missed this inconspicuous rural eatery. The inside possessed the trappings of a quaint, roadside diner: a lunch counter, cozy booths and a solitary, smiling waitress quick to dispense a cup of coffee.

To start, I ordered a cup of chicken corn soup ($2.75) so thick and hearty you could aptly call it a stew.

My main course was the hot roast beef platter. My sides were stuffing (a bit bland) and yellow squash (somewhat undercooked). The outstanding soup and beef made the meal.

The corn in the soup tasted crisp and fresh, while the beef was cooked perfectly, rare and very tender.

I later learned why these two items stood out. Freed and the women she mentors in the program grew the corn and potatoes on donated land, and local farmers routinely give halves and quarters of beef to the program. Now that's fresh ingredients.

"The farmers are big in this," Freed said. "Most of the people on the board (of directors for the nonprofit) have a farm background."

And the "Farm Charm" portion of the name certainly fits. The prices were terrific, and people seemed exceedingly friendly. During my meal, an old farmer sidled up to me and chatted for a bit, while the waitress frequently refilled my water. Cheap Eats is a biweekly column on local restaurants' meals for less than $10. Suggestions are welcome. Reach Wade Malcolm at 771-2101 or wmalcolm@ydr.com.