Melvin's Farm to Fork Store

06/23/2026

A year ago today we were also just back from South Dakota.

A year ago today we also fixing pancakes for our birthday girl.

A year ago today, we watched the face of our farm forever change.

June 23rd started like most mornings and ended with us gathered at the table, praying about our next steps. I remember looking at Thad and asking, “What is the Lord trying to show us?” The next morning as I prayed it was very clear as He said…”I’m not doing this to your farm, I’m doing this for your farm.”

A year ago today, we watched in awe as it became clear that Pasture to Pitcher was the direction we were supposed to head in.

Pasture to Pitcher was born at our dining room table, on poster size post-it notes. Over a 19 day period we watched God do what only He can do.

Members joined, jars arrived, a dishwasher and a bottling machine were installed.

More importantly, in the midst of it all, a business owner was born. At the young age of 22, Hayley, took the reins, met with us daily, and took on a responsibility that wasn’t easy. She’s been supported by Thad and I, Hannah, and the gals in the store. We’ve literally celebrated each new sign up. And together, we’ve watched as Pasture to Pitcher has steadily grown.

On July 16th last year we bottled 158 half gallons for the first time and put them into the store fridge for pick up. A little less than a year later we are sending over 630 half gallons out through our store and 10 other pick up locations each week.

The only thing we are looking back on today is the goodness of God! He has provided and we are grateful for so many things:

-The support of our P2P members (your enthusiasm has been contagious)

-Friends and family who have prayed and encouraged us

-Hannah, our store manager and Pasture to Pitcher correspondence manager (without her we could never do what we do)

-Our Pick Up Location Hosts (they are faithful to promote us and to help us grow)

-Heath, Heidi and Eli (they too have put in countless hours each week) *Sometimes Eli naps on the job 😂

-Farmer Thad (Hayley and I are forever thankful for your wisdom, insight and ability to help get P2P off the ground

-To Hayley (Daddy and I are incredibly proud of all that you’ve done and become on this journey). P2P is in very capable hands 🙌

Today we are celebrating! We are pausing to remember the faithfulness that has shaped our first year and we are focusing on looking forward. Here’s to what the Lord has in store for us next ♥️🥛♥️

06/23/2026

Our baby girl is 14 today and that hardly seems possible! When you’re born just ten months after your brother you tend to be fiercely independent and always up for a challenge! Whether she’s sewing up a new skirt, washing milk jars or baking a cake from scratch, she gives it her all. Happy birthday Heidi Paige, we love you more than the number of outfits you wear each day 🥰

06/22/2026

So many yummy things on Oh, Goodness Baking Co. ‘s 🥖 menu this week!

Click the link to preorder and pickup here at Melvin’s, on her Front Porch or at Grandin Farmer’s Market! Ordering closes at 9:00 tonight.

https://www.hotplate.com/ohgoodnessbakingco

06/22/2026

𝐎𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 (𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑊𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑙𝑦 𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙𝑠)

𝙱𝚞𝚢 𝟸 𝙳𝚘𝚣𝚎𝚗 𝙴𝚐𝚐𝚜, 𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝟷 𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚏 𝙾𝚏𝚏
𝙼𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚒𝚗’𝚜 𝙱𝚎𝚎𝚏 𝙷𝚘𝚝𝚍𝚘𝚐𝚜 $𝟿/𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚔
𝙼𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚃𝚞𝚛𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚜 $𝟼.𝟻𝟶/𝚕𝚋
𝚂𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊 𝙲𝚘. 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊 𝚅𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 $𝟽/𝚋𝚘𝚡

𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕡 𝕚𝕟 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕖, 𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖! ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕟𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕖'𝕝𝕝 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕜 𝕦𝕡 𝕕𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕤.

06/21/2026

To the men who have and continue to shape our lives, we are grateful!

Happy Father’s Day!

06/20/2026

We’re open and would love to see you today!

10 am - 2 pm

Stop buy to grab some local goodness!

06/19/2026

Once a year, the vastly different landscape of South Dakota calls our name. Three years ago we stepped off the plane in Rapid City for the first time to attend R-CALF USA’s Annual Convention. Thad had joined this organization years before out of frustration with other groups. He wanted to be a part of something that was for the farmer and that wasn’t sold out to cooperate ag. An organization with principles and the courage to stand up for what was right. At that initial meeting, we watched in awe as the first speaker took the stage with his Bible in one hand and integrity in the other. I leaned over to Thad and said, “we’ve found our people.”

The next year Thad was elected to the board of directors and if you recall, recently had the honor of sitting at the table with his fellow board members and Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in Washington, DC.

What exactly does an organization like R-Calf do? I’m glad you asked. I think it’s easy to believe that farmers do their thing day in and day out. But the truth is that if they don’t get involved on a broader scale, they won’t have farms left to pass to the next generation.

“R-CALF USA is the largest cattle producer-only trade association dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle and sheep industries.”

They devote themselves to issues like Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (MCOOL), property rights, breaking up cooperative monopolies, protection from disease that is brought in from imported meats and live animals, and the economic viability of rural America. If I had to sum it all up, they fight to keep American produced food on your table.

It’s refreshing to be surrounded by men and women who are fighting the good fight. Who desire to protect our freedoms and rights. Others who recognize what’s at stake. Who see what’s happening in rural America for what it is.

Our cups are overflowing as we head back to the airport. We’ve been prayed over, encouraged and educated more on the many issues we are facing. Things that the average consumer is uninformed about…Narco-ranching (the use of cattle to bring illegal drugs across the border), the New World Screw Worm, Big Packer Collusion. There’s far more to farming than producing cattle and crops. We literally go to battle each day.

We invite you to learn more. To ask questions. To explore the R-Calf USA website. To become members of an organization that stands for us (and ultimately for the consumer as well). We believe that food security in the US is as imperative now as it was at our founding, 250 years ago.

We appreciate your partnership in our journey to serve the community and your heart for learning.

Go to https://www.r-calfusa.com/ to learn more about how to support the hands that feed you.

06/18/2026

If you’re not following Smoke In Chimneys on social media, you should!

Their dedication to doing trout right is unparalleled and you can taste the difference. Everytime I watch a Smoke in Chimneys clip I learn something new!

One of our most asked questions is about preparation and we like to do it like the experts, so we’re pointing you towards their website! If you’re looking for something that requires little to no effort, check out their trout cakes, smoked trout filet or whole smoked trout!

Stop buy and pick up some of this local (but nationally recognized) happiness for your family this weekend!

Recipes Whether you are a beginner home chef or a seasoned cook, preparing trout is both easy and rewarding. With its mild, buttery flavor and delicate texture, trout adapts beautifully to a variety of cooking methods.In the recipes below, you’ll find simple ways to showcase trout’s natural flav...

06/17/2026

We’ve asked for it…

And sometimes we don’t know what we are asking for.

Worse, we don’t understand the ramifications that come with our demands.

If we look at scripture, we see that there is nothing new under the sun. The Israelites begged for a king, and God gave them what they asked for, King Saul. He was the first king of Israel and his disobedience to God led to tragedy and destruction. The people simply didn’t understand what they were asking to have. He was a cheap substitute for a holy God. Don’t let it be lost on you that the name “Saul” is derived from a Hebrew word that means “asked for”.

If we move forward in history we see other times when we’ve asked for cheap imitations.

The American sheep industry has experienced a long, slow decline. It’s shrunk to a fraction of its World War II peak. Now, it makes up less than 1% of the U.S. livestock industry. This downturn came about due to a demand for cheaper imported clothing and a demand for cheaper imported lamb. But we got what we asked for.

Looking at the American steel industry, we see that the majority of steel production shifted to Asia. We were looking for cheaper steel. Japan's Nippon Steel deal was a $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel which led to the delisting of the iconic American company from the NYSE and turning it into a wholly-owned subsidiary. This politically charged buyout, had many consequences including an inability for domestic companies to acquire U.S. Steel, which would have allowed them to consolidate more of the domestic market. But we got what we asked for.

If we look in our own backyard or talk to our neighbors, a story about the American furniture market would show us another example of our own short-sightedness.
Martinsville’s furniture industry, once known as the "wood furniture capital of the world", became extinct in the late 1990s and 2000s due to globalization. The companies we know like Lane, Bassett, Stanley, Ho**er, and American of Martinsville shifted production offshore to cheaper markets, leading to thousands of local job losses. We began to buy imposter furniture from Walmart and IKEA. We gave away our jobs for a cheaper nightstand. But we got what we asked for.

Today we stand at a crossroads in the beef industry. How long we will continue to import and buy foreign beef? Looking for our “Saul” hamburger? But that beef is not grown with the same quality and ethics that American producers strive for. It can be labeled with a “USA” stamp even if it arrived from another country (for a cheaper price) the day before. The American beef industry is undergoing severe supply shortages, record-high retail prices, and intense trade and antitrust scrutiny. These factors have created a challenging environment that has implications for both producers and consumers.

Each time you choose to buy real American beef straight from the farms in your area, you are voting for the survival of this industry. Let’s stop asking for a cheap substitute. For imposter beef. Your purchase is a vote for the economic protection of American beef producers, higher health and safety standards,and a lessoning of biosecurity risks.

My question today is,

“Will we repeat history and continue asking for cheap substitutes?”

06/17/2026

Don’t miss out!

These pre-order bundles are almost sold out 🙌

We know you're just as excited as we are that it's almost time for a beef restock (expected by July 1st).

Here's a chance to purchase a bundle, BEFORE it's even in the freezer! Limited quantities available, so don't wait on this one.

Place your order online, and we will reach out when beef returns from the processor and is ready for pick up!

https://melvins-farm-to-fork.localline.ca/storefront/product/746196