Dixie Rose and Madilyn Farneth, owners of Pie Country

I loved visiting the local bakery when I was a kid. The smell alone was enough to lure me in and standing in front of the display case looking at all the goodies was just too much. I couldn’t make my mind up with so many choices. Usually I picked the brownies to buy. There was just something about those old-fashioned bakery brownies that made them so much better than the ones at home (sorry Mom!). The supermarket bakeries of today cannot even come near those bakeries of the past.

Fortunately the old fashioned bakeries have not completely vanished. There are more than several outstanding ones throughout our area and the new Farneth’s Pie Country adds one more outstanding bakery to visit. Recently opened in November of 2005, Madilyn Farneth and Dixie Rose, Owner Partners, have seen their business take off. They not only have found a growing number of repeat customers, but have been continuing to expand with more bakery items.

The business started with pies. Offering the “Mile High Apple Pie” (double crusted), it set the standard for 20 different flavors. These nine inch pies come in Apple Crumb, Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Peach, Cherry, Strawberry Rhubarb to name a few. Then there are the Cream Pies, Apricot, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Banana Cream, Raisin, Pecan, and Coconut Cream. These are Farneth’s signature offering with many other flavors and choices.

And, speaking of old fashioned, here is a nice touch: ice cream with your pie. Blue Bunny Ice Cream is available for you to add to your pie order. Just in case some younger folks don’t recognize that name, Blue Bunny started in 1913 (the brand name was added in 1935) and is the largest family-owned and managed dairy processor in the United States. So, Blue Bunny is old-fashioned ice cream for old-fashioned bakeries!

Dixie Rose with their famous "Mile High Apple Pie"

Another nice touch at Farneth’s Pie Country is ordering your pies before you get there. That way, you can be sure you get the flavor you want and have it fresh. Madilyn tells the story of one customer who called for a Banana Cream pie. With no bananas in sight, she her husband Roger run out to the store for fresh bananas to make the pie. That’s customer service!

In addition to the vast array of pies, Farneth’s offers smaller four-inch pies. I guess you can call these ‘Personal Pies’. It’s a nice offer for those who may not be able to handle the larger nine-inch pies.

Fresh homemade baked pies are not the only fare at Farneth’s. How about homemade soup? I’ve got to admit that finding freshly homemade soup is not something I would expect to find at a bakery! But, sure enough, these shelf ready soups are just the ticket for a nice touch to your dinner or lunch. These are not your run-of-the-mill soups. With flavors such as stuffed pepper, chili, vegetable, wedding, ham and bean, potato cheese and a soon to come pea soup you can’t loose.

Add Jams and Jelly in 25 to 30 flavors and you’ve got a selection you can’t beat. Homemade with flavors such as Strawberry Rhubarb, Peach, Apple, Plum and many more, you are sure to find one to match your tastes. Sugar free jams and jellies are also available.