Keim Family Market Announced in Ohio's Edge of Appalachia

Welcome to Keim Family Market, where autumn shopping comes with a smile and splash of color radiating throughout the edge of Appalachia in Southwest Ohio's Wheat Ridge Amish Country.

Folks gather at the picnic tables or along the benches and chairs sprinkled down two porches that intersect at the giant wooden bear greeting each visitor to the eclectic store. The lunch crowd is eager to bite into Keim's fresh deli sandwiches and warm-from-the-oven baked goods. To wash it all down is an old-fashioned cream soda. Afterward, the kids test the playsets and trampolines. Parents and grandparents watch while they sit back and enjoy a leisurely conversation.

It's a place where shopping is relaxing, and the stay is extended.

The bustling shoppers examine the outdoor and indoor furniture or comb the bulk food aisles full of ingredients not found at the big box stores. It's not even Halloween and folks are planning their Thanksgiving and Christmas menus.

This cherished destination-shopping experience started with a horse and buggy at a roadside stand. Times were tough when Roy Keim set out to sell the delicious pies that his wife made. From there, Keim Family Market grew. Today, this authentic, one-of-a-kind, Amish variety store is a throwback to a more simple and peaceful time, and it combines a unique experience with hard-to-find offerings.

Inside, visitors are treated to everything from fresh-made donuts to handmade dining tables. Feel the warmth and enjoy the aroma coming from the bakers' ovens on one side and wood furniture on the other. Every morning, bakers are seen in plain sight rolling dough and preparing scrumptious baked goods. As soon as the goodies hit the store shelves, they're grabbed up by customers to bring home ...if they make it that far. The bakery is known for its donuts, fruit pies, cookies, bread, and cinnamon rolls just to name several specialties. A little closer to Christmas, Keim's fruitcakes are ordered from around the country. It's no joke. They are that good! It is recommended that orders should be made by Thanksgiving.

For those who arrive midday, there's a full-service deli with a tasty variety of meats and cheeses to cater to any appetite. Look for the weekly special. It's not uncommon to see coolers being packed to bring home a party supply for that football or holiday gathering.

The chef in the family will enjoy a trip to Keim's to tackle that list of special ingredients needed for those cherished recipes. There are aisles of hard-to-find goods with the Keim label. In addition, traditional tin cookie cutters come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Keim's jams and jellies, flour, and so much more fill the shelves along with old-time candies, and a great selection of sugar-free foods. A fall favorite is popcorn you can pop over the fire pit at those autumn gatherings where tall tales and ghost stories are told. And if a new patio set is needed to provide a seat for everyone, Keim's can deliver it.

The rustic warm store also has a wonderful selection of odds and ends from nostalgic wood toys to gorgeous wicker baskets to scented candles. They also carry the ever-popular choices of Christian wall hangings by Ohio's own, P. Graham Dunn.

The indoor furniture selection fills the final third of the main store. If a child needs a new computer desk, look no further. If dad needs an easy chair, you'll find it here. And if mom wants a dining set that is like no other, this is the place. Keim's also has stools, benches, hutches, gliders, bedroom sets, and more. Whatever is bought here is not likely to be bought anywhere else.

A trip to Keim's, nestled in rural Adams County, is also a trip to where the quilt barn trail movement started. Creative quilt patterns were painted in a square representative of the work by traditional Appalachian quilters and hung on picturesque barns throughout the county. Now, the quilt barn phenomenon has spread across the country. If someone wants to add to the clothesline of quilts, Keim's has a selection of painted wood quilt squares. It looks great on a shed.

This Amish outpost at the edge of Appalachia has it all. Folks make pilgrimages to this quaint destination to fill shopping needs year-round from places like Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Portsmouth, Northern Kentucky, and West Virginia. It's right on the Appalachian Highway in Southwestern Ohio located at 2621 Burnt Cabin Road off SR 32 in Seaman, Ohio. They are open Monday - Saturday (Closed on Sunday). Call 937-386-9995 or visit www.KeimFamilyMarket.com to plan your pilgrimage to the lesser-traveled Amish country.

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