Family Farms Market expands services

by Beth Kraft

Family Farms Market has offered quality meats, cheeses, gift items, and other foods from its renovated location since 2005, but a recent management switch seeks to put the many other talents of the Eleva-based business in the spotlight.

Chef Michelle Thiede overhauled the restaurant menu when she assumed command of the kitchen at Family Farms last April, and the recent addition of marketing and event coordinator Melissa Christianson on a full-time basis has made for a strong, one-two combination that has local and regional visitors taking notice.

“It’s changed a lot,” said Christianson. “We’re marketing the events more and adding events on our own to bring the traffic in.”

The building has long hosted a 1,200 square-foot banquet room with seating for 70, but owners Chuck and Becky Harper wanted to see Family Farms Market begin hosting more events, like anniversaries and birthday parties, baby showers, meetings, and even small wedding receptions.

Christianson and Thiede have since put their heads together to come up with unique events like monthly live music nights and wine Wednesdays, dubbed Wino Wednesdays with William, in addition to Paint with Vicki—a certified Bob Ross painting instructor.

A recently-added bar serving beer and wine has also been a resounding success, and a bridal fair is slated to take place at the facility this April.

“We just have so much to offer and I don’t think people know that,” Christianson said.

“It’s just such a unique place,” Thiede added, noting customers have often said they would drive by and wonder about Family Farms Market’s unique building, but hadn’t stopped in before.

The food is reason enough alone.

With a seasonal menu and full-service wait staff, Thiede has instilled a new focus on food at Family Farms. From her homemade sandwiches, pizzas, soups, and salads to growing weekly staples like Friday night fish fry and Thirsty Thursday Apps & Taps, Thiede enjoys flexing her culinary creativity in a variety of ways.

The Watertown native got her start working at a local diner, supper club and country club in and around her hometown. She eventually joined up with a brewery in Appleton where she served as chef for 11 of her 13 years there prior to coming to Eleva. Her brother and sister live nearby, helping inspire Thiede to move to the area and respond to the call from Family Farms for a creative chef.

Thiede says she came to love cooking after working under other great chefs over the years to develop her own unique style.

“I think cooking isn’t really something that’s taught,” she said. “You can teach the skills, but you either ‘get it’ or you don’t.”

Family Farms also began offering all-you-can eat buffets for special occasions, with the next one slated to take place on Valentine’s Day. Take-and-bake pizzas are also available for those who want to enjoy the restaurant’s flavors at home.

Given the establishment’s selection of wines, meats, and cheeses for sale, including popular staples like bacon-wrapped stuffed chicken breasts that are made on-site, the restaurant and sales portions that make up Family Farms Market go hand-in-hand and compliment each other nicely, Christianson pointed out.

A local resident, Christianson spent the past 23 years in marketing for Optimum Therapies in Eau Claire and previously operated MBC Sports in Mondovi with her husband, Barry, for 17 years.

Family Farms Market has retained a portion of its formerly-extensive gift shop, such as wine and cheese gift boxes, food-related gifts, and some craft items, but filling the facility’s event schedule has taken on a higher priority.

“It’s a building process—we have a lot of ideas,” said Christianson with a grin.

She and Thiede plan to keep branching out and adding new events to the Family Farms calendar, such as steak and pork nights featuring Thiede on an outdoor grill once the weather warms up.

A focus on consistency is also a high priority aided by a full wait staff in the restaurant led by Stacy Hegranes, who has eight years of experience waitressing at the establishment and an extensive background with the local area.

Family Farms Market is open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. with the restaurant open Tuesday - Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. The restaurant is open later during scheduled events. Special events can be booked by calling (715) 287-3332. 

For more information, please visit www.familyfarmsmarketelevawi.com or check out their Facebook page.