Family & Farm
“Jesus responds, ‘…. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.’”
— Matthew 17:20
The Mustard Seed Natural Market is family owned and independently operated. No big corporation here. Owners Jim and Katie see the store as a blessing from the Lord and want to steward, guide and grow it well into the future, planted on the firm foundation of their faith in and love for Jesus Christ. Along with their children, they hope to grow the market into a destination for the discriminating food shopper and health conscious consumer, all the while offering excellent customer service, value and that old fashioned country store experience. We love getting to know our customers. We may not know your name yet but we hope to have the opportunity. Come on in and say "hi".
“We’d love Mustard Seed to become a thriving part of the community in terms of providing great food and products but, also, in terms of serving and giving back. To whom much is given, much is expected...”
“The mind of man plans his way,
but the Lord directs his steps.”
As a family, we have often taken the road less traveled, and have a tendency to step off the beaten path. We aren't afraid to try new things, as God calls us, and hope we have instilled that faith in our children. Years ago, when we hosted a group of Ugandan orphans and later traveled to Ethiopia to meet and bring home two of our sons, we were struck by how much joy could be found in people and places that had so little, materially speaking. They had a love for Jesus, though! We had already been feeling led to get back to some of the simpler things in life and were all the more convinced once we returned from Africa. God was, indeed, calling us to make a change. Not long after, we sold our house in a suburb of Chicago and moved to St. Louis to set up a little farm. At the time, friends and family thought we had lost our minds. We sometimes wondered, too, but over the last decade that decision has been confirmed countless times over as being the right one. The little farm has grown, moved cross country and continues to expand. And we are always learning and being stretched by the Lord along the way. Farm life, with all it’s animals and ensuing chores and projects that can at times seem never ending, brings such amazing joy and thankfulness. A short time after that initial farm move, we sensed the Lord calling us to another leap of faith with Him and embarked on our first natural food store adventure. Mustard Seed Natural Market is the next step in that ongoing journey and born out of our continued desire to go wherever God leads. He is a faithful Father.
We have more recently welcomed another member to the family through adoption, our beautiful little daughter, who happens to have Down Syndrome. What an amazing gift she is! The adventure, indeed, continues.
“‘Come follow Me,’ Jesus said, .…” — Matthew 4:19a
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.’” — John 14:6
“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” — Matt 7:14
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
- I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”