Let’s head over to Backermann’s!

Publisher’s Note: While there aren’t too many real stores in the country left, this one is the epitome of what an ‘old country store’ is and was.  It provides a place for friends to meet, for the kids to explore and always, something good to take home! I always see someone I know when I go in, and we’ve made it a regular place in our ‘explorations’ that we do to find places to tell you about!

Along Highway 64, in Whiteville, Tennessee there is a Country Market that’s open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays. The cafe where they serve deli sandwiches and soups close at 4 pm Monday through Friday and at 3 pm Saturday. This Country Market has all kinds of wonderful homemade and baked goods, along with a deli that serves fresh food, sandwiches, and soup. Every Saturday there’s also a Farmer’s Market where different vendors and members of the community set up booths on the front porch.

Backermann’s Country Market is a Mennonite market that was established as a bakery in the late ’70s by Simon Beachy. In the early 2000s, a Mennonite named Earl Yoder bought Backermann’s, something he wasn’t planning at the time. He operated a dairy here in the community and operated the store on the side.

The country store bakes all of the bread and other bakery goodies, but there is much, much more than that in the store. There are shelves containing all kinds of jar goods. They have jellies, jams, honey and infused jars of honey, pickles, veggies, and so much more! The array of jar goods they have is amazing; they import these goods from other Mennonite communities in the U.S. Jamison Overholt, the manager we interviewed explained, “The majority of the jar goods come from Ohio. There’s another family in Greenwood, Tennessee that does jar goods such as the jams, jellies, just like that, so those are our two jar goods suppliers. Our bulk food comes from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and that area. Birdhouses come from the Amish in Pennsylvania, and the furniture comes out of Ohio. There’s an Amish community up there that does furniture.”  

Each department at Backermann’s has their own best selling item. From the bakery, their best selling item is the Sourdough loaf of bread and from the deli, it’s their amazing Reuben sandwich. Out of all their jar goods, people buy the mild chow the most and candy wise, the Peanut brittle is the clear winner of everyone’s hearts, but Jamison ’s favorite treat that they make and sell are the Cinnamon rolls! These delicious goodies are larger than life and the smell is simply to die for. When you head over to Backermann’s pick one up!

Backermann’s does not only sell edible goods; there’s also the woodworking that they sell and a small petting zoo behind the store. Jamison told us, “Most of the animals were actually given to us. People donate animals that were once pets that they can’t keep or take care of. We have geese, pigs, goats, donkeys, a miniature horse, and chickens. We sell chicken eggs, but because of regulations, we don’t use them in the store.” The woodwork they have can be seen next door to the main building where their first location still is and all along their front porch where they have tables and rocking chairs for people to sit and enjoy.

The community at Backermann’s wants to be an outlet into the community; “We want to welcome everyone, to share our values and be a face in the area.” Jamison really emphasized being able to meet the people that come through and serving the surrounding community; reaching out to them. During the summer, and on most Saturdays,  Backermann’s has lines of people trying to get around the store, ready to buy the different goods and spend the day there. Backermann’s is certainly an asset to the community. The people who work there love what they do and meeting everyone who comes through the door is a special treat. They like how they’re getting to know the surrounding community.

No matter how far away or close you live to Hardeman County and Whiteville, head to Backermann’s Country Market located at 260 US-64, Whiteville, TN 38075. Going to Backermann’s Country Market is an adventure all on its own, but there are so many things to see once you're there! So if you’re in the vicinity, or even if you’re not, head on over and tell them Cypress sent you! We’re sure you'll love it.

And just in case you have a little more time on your hands and want to explore more, go just another couple of miles or so to Pinner’s, a fun garden, feed and seed store that we’ll probably tell you more about in an upcoming issue!