If you find yourself wondering what to do on a rainy, summer day, head to downtown Landrum and wander into Dutch Country Foods. You can spend the cloudy afternoon exploring all the unusual, and often hard to find, foods featured throughout the shop. Today it’s pouring outside and I’m enjoying a visit with Dave and Nettie Musselman, learning about the many products they offer and learning a bit of history.

Dave and Nettie moved to the area eight years ago from Pennsylvania. They came from a traditional Mennonite community in search of a warmer climate. They missed the Pennsylvania Dutch style foods they were used to, so five and a half years ago, decided to open a store offering things that they couldn’t find here.

Nettie tells me, “We specialize in non GMO products and everything comes from Pennsylvania and Ohio except for our honey, which is local.”

She shows me the wheat flour. “We carry some whole grain, white wheat, red wheat, rye, and spelt, and will grind it fresh right here for a slight extra charge,” she continues. “We also have some gluten free and some high gluten flour that is wonderful for baking bread. There are no chemicals in this flour.”

She gives me a tip to preserve the nutrients after grinding, “Once the grain has been ground, freeze it to preserve the nutrients in the flour.”

I mention that I’m not a bread baker. Yeast intimidates me. Nettie shows me an instant yeast called Saf-In that she uses and has never had it fail. Dave chimes in, “She has been baking bread for many years and it’s always delicious,” he assures me.

I notice a jar of coconut oil on the shelf. “It’s wonderful to cook with. It doesn’t add any coconut flavor and it’s great for sautéing as it doesn’t smoke easily. And you can even make soap with it,” she laughs.

Dutch Country Foods carries 70 different spices. The shelves are neatly lined up alphabetically, with see through containers. I notice star anise, cardamom, and turmeric, which can be hard to find.

Nettie points out the cinnamon. “We carry two cinnamons, one is a two percent strength and the other is a four and half percent. The stronger one is especially good for baking.” Since I like to bake cookies that call for cinnamon, I pick up a container for my next baking day.

I notice a coleslaw mix. It comes with a recipe for two different types of coleslaw. A creamy Italian dressing mix looks interesting, as does a raspberry smoothie mix. A cucumber dill mix would be perfect for a summer gathering.

I ask Nettie about hemp seeds that are labeled as a new product. “Hemp seeds are a complete protein. We can grind them and they are good in granola,” Nettie explains. “Also flax seeds can be added to granola.” Many customers asked about making granola so Nettie printed up a recipe for Maple Nut Granola, which she has available in the store.

The deli area, featuring chemical free and hormone free cheeses and cold cuts is another popular section of the store. The listing shows a full selection of both the cheeses and the meats.

Old fashioned candies are tempting. Goetz’s Caramel Creams, root beer drops, horehound drops, malt balls, all bring back memories of days gone bye. One of the shop’s best sellers are spicy, crunchy ginger snaps. Ginger snaps are a favorite of mine so I add a bag for purchase, along with my package of cinnamon spice.

Nettie and Dave have four children. The girls, Tiffany and Chelsea help out in the store working at the register and are computer savvy, which helps with the bookkeeping. The boys, Bradley and Zachary, sold lemonade on Saturdays in the summer until recently, when they decided to raise pet Lionshead rabbits.

Dave and Nettie fill me in on some history of the Mennonites dating back to Germany before migration to other parts of the world.

“They started in Germany,” Dave says. ‘It really was ‘Deutch’, but people here had trouble saying that, so in this country they became known as Pennsylvania ‘Dutch.’” Dave’s family came to America from Switzerland in the 1700s, settling in Pennsylvania where Mennonites continue to live today.

Nettie’s family emigrated to Russia when Catherine the Great offered them land. Nettie enjoys history and shares her story. “During WWII, the Mennonites in Russia, having originated from Germany, were thought to be spies and many were murdered. Others escaped to Bolivia, Saskatchewan, Kansas and Mexico. My parents were actually born in Mexico,” she smiles. She grew up in Canada before coming to the United States.

I learn that Mennonites migrating to Kansas brought seeds of winter wheat from Russia. Farmers in Kansas were growing spring wheat and during the dust bowl, crops were failing. Winter wheat was able to thrive, growing during a cooler time of year. The US is now the breadbasket of the world thanks to the farmers introducing the winter wheat crop to this country.

It’s been an interesting afternoon. I gather my purchases and head home to enjoy some ginger snaps and a cup of tea.

Learn more on Facebook at dutchcountryfoods@windstream.net or stop in the shop at 104 E. Rutherford St., Landrum.