It’s a new day of business for Angela Henry. She points to a bottle of elderberry supplements, then directs her attention to a shelf of jams and jellies. She reaches down for a sealed glass jar of butter chicken sauce.
Henry is the owner of First Fruits Farm, a new mercantile on K-Beach Road, across from the Duck Inn. It opened its doors in January.
“We just want to have a sense of community here, where people can come and feel at home," Henry said. "[People] can get products that are good for their bodies and enjoy their experience.”
Henry says it all started nearly a decade ago after her husband was in a life-changing accident. He was told he’d never work again, but defied those odds by purchasing 40 acres of land with the intention of building a farm. Instead, he built a greenhouse, and they envisioned selling the produce in their own mercantile.
But the mercantile offers more than just fruits and veggies. It sells just about everything, from donut mix, to roasted pecans to chicken feed. It’s also the new home of Ang & Jess, a clothing boutique that was less than 100 yards away in a small red cabin.
Henry says the new shop sells locally made and out-of-state products. She says she’s personally tasted or tested most of her store’s offerings.
“They’re family owned small businesses, and so these businesses make their products with natural ingredients," Henry said. "It’s not a bunch of preservatives. I think people are looking for stuff like that.”
Henry is hoping to get more locally made products on the shelves. Currently, most of what she sells are from companies out of state.
Henry says she’s also met many of the small businesses whose products she sells. This not only allows her to try what they’re selling, but network with small business owners around the country.
“I feel like just having a story with the product, meeting the people, just kind of makes it more homey for me,” she said.
Henry says First Fruits Farm isn’t just a mercantile. They’re building a coffee shop and cafe next door. She says it’ll serve breakfast and lunch, like biscuits and gravy and sandwiches. The small addition is set to open in April.
Henry’s overall goal for the new shop isn’t to compete with other local mercantiles. She says it’s to offer more options for customers on the Kenai Peninsula.
“We need to be able to survive and keep this store open," Henry said. "So we want people to come in and shop, but at the end of the day, we want people to come in and just have a good experience.”
First Fruits Farm is open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, although these hours may change in the summer. Henry says the mercantile is getting new products every day.
