For the past three years, Troyer's Country Market has worked to provide the freshest produce and best tasting food items available for customers who have come to expect just that.

The retail store was the brain-child of John Troyer, chief operating officer and owner of Troyer Cheese, and his brother James Troyer, chief executive officer of company that their father, Jonas, began 50 years ago.

"We saw an opportunity where we could sell directly to the customer," John Troyer said. "The retail store is an expression of what the company is based on and what we've worked so hard to perfect over the years."

An expression of fresh, delicious high quality foods -- which can be seen in the stores wide-variety of local produce, which store Manager Jonathan Yoder said customers have come to expect from Troyers.

"We also concentrate on local produce raised in Holmes county -- it is one of the most important actually for our store," Yoder said. "We have people coming from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Cleveland just to shop in our store to get those locally grown fruits and vegetables."

Yoder said people flock to pick up the produce because they know it has been "grown right out of a little farm and has been nurtured by a farmer who really takes care of his land because it is his livelihood."

"There was really no great place in our area to purchase locally raised and fresh produce on a consistent basis," Yoder said. "There was a need for that and we have filled that need and we have gotten tremendous customer feedback on that."

Along with fresh produce another Troyer Company line, Amish Wedding Foods, is a customer favorite.

John Troyer said his father came up with the idea for Amish Wedding Foods as a way to set Troyer Cheese apart from competitors.

His father saw the food served at Amish weddings and thought "this is the best food out there," John Troyer said.

"Amish people are very well respected and represent a lot of good things and weddings represent a lot of good things," John Troyer said

So, putting them together as one of their companies brand names made sense, he said.

The line consists of jams, jellies and a wide-variety of pickled vegetables.

Holmes County is known for quality products, John Troyer said, and they make sure what they have in their store represents that fact.

The Troyer Cheese line of meats and cheese can be found at the deli, along with their popular cheese balls, which customers have the opportunity to sample.

"We have a large sampling area in our store," John Troyer said.

Customers like knowing they can taste products before they purchase them, John Troyer said. Once they taste what the store has to offer, they usually come back for more.

Other popular attractions at Troyer's Country Market include an area where customers can freshly grind their own peanut or cashew butter, and a honey tank where customers can fill their own containers with honey.

The store also makes a homemade ice-cream, using seasonal ingredients.

"We have neat things throughout the store," Yoder said.

"It really makes for a pleasant experience," John Troyer added. "And you can find items here that you cannot find everywhere else."

Reporter Christy Johnson can be reached at 330-287-1638 or cjohnson@the-daily-record.com.