The Country Cupboard Farm Store
Address: 44106 Hwy 869
Ph: 780-385-8774
Email: tccfstore@gmail.com
thecountrycupboardfarmstore.ca
On the south side of Sedgewick, The Country Cupboard Farm Store has become much more than a place to pick up farm fresh eggs.
It is a place where customers linger a little longer, children meet goats and lambs, and visitors are reminded of a slower, simpler way of life. For co-owner Trisha Muirhead, who operates the farm store with her husband, Michael, that feeling is exactly what she hoped to create, even if she never expected this would become her life.
“We opened our farm store one year ago,” Trisha said. “It all started with six little chickens.”
Two years ago, the Muirheads had six laying hens and a garden where Trisha grew cut flowers.
The original idea was simple: maybe, one day, they could start a small farm stand. But as the chicken flock grew and the eggs became more plentiful, the idea quickly grew with it.
What began as a few extra eggs and flowers became a physical farm store filled with locally made products, Alberta goods and items Trisha personally believes in.
“We don’t sell anything in our store that I don’t eat, use or love myself,” she said. “All our products are quality and handmade.”
Today, The Country Cupboard carries a wide variety of products, including the Muirheads’ own free-range eggs, Salted caramels, Prairie Soap Shack soap, Sylvan Star cheese, Rosewood Meats, West Coast Seeds and other products that fit the store’s growing vision.
Charcuterie items are especially popular, with cheese, meats and other locally loved goods bringing customers through the door.
There is usually something new coming in, which has helped make the store a regular stop for customers who enjoy discovering unique items and supporting small businesses.
But the heart of The Country Cupboard is still the farm itself.
When the store opened, the Muirheads had two baby sheep, 18 chickens and three ducklings. In just one year, the farm has grown to include roughly 90 chickens, two goats, pigs, a small, registered Baby Doll sheep flock, and two baby lambs born on the farm this spring.
For Trisha, the growth has come with a steep learning curve, but also a deep sense of joy.
“I did not grow up farming. I didn’t ever have a farming goal,” she said. “I never, ever planned for this to be my life, and I love my life so much.”
That love is easy to see in the way she talks about the animals, especially the chickens. The Muirheads’ birds spend their days free ranging, scratching, dust bathing and living what Trisha calls a wholesome life.
“This is natural chicken behaviour. This is what they’re meant to do,” she said. “I’m really, really proud of how we raise our chickens.”
The free-range lifestyle matters to Trisha as an egg customer herself, and she knows it matters to the people who buy from the store.
Many customers enjoy pulling into the yard and seeing exactly where their eggs come from.
The flock has grown in part because demand remains steady, especially in winter when smaller flocks slow down production. Recently, the Muirheads added a dozen new chickens to lay blue eggs.
“We got our first blue egg yesterday,” Trisha said.
This year, The Country Cupboard has added another reason to visit, farm tours.
The tours can be booked through the store’s website and are offered during store hours at three available times. Pre-booking helps ensure someone is available in the store while Trisha guides visitors around the farm.
Tours begin with a short safety introduction and waiver, then continue through the yard and barn. Guests meet many varieties of chickens, visit the goats and pigs, feed peanuts to the Baby Doll sheep, collect farm fresh eggs and, when timing allows, snuggle the lambs.
“It’s just a really great opportunity to experience the farm as a whole without anyone feeling rushed,” Trisha said.
That unhurried experience is central to what makes The Country Cupboard special.
Trisha has noticed that many visitors feel a spark of nostalgia when they arrive. Some grew up on farms. Others had parents or grandparents who did. The animals, antiques and farm setting often lead to stories, memories and conversations.
“To see people light up and smile when they see the animals and the store, that makes me so happy,” she said.
For Trisha, creating the farm store has also been a way to bring a piece of her childhood to Alberta.
She grew up in Nova Scotia and misses the lifestyle there. The Country Cupboard has become a way to honour that slower pace, where people make memories, spend time together and enjoy the simple things.
“Our world has become so busy and so crazy,” she said. “I think it is amazing to just come and slow down and have a look around.”
The store has also created a community Trisha did not expect. Customers follow along on Instagram and Facebook, learn the animals’ names, bring treats and supplies, and become part of the farm’s story. Some have become close friends.
“It really is a community, and I didn’t expect that,” she said. “But I love it so much.”
Looking ahead, the Muirheads hope The Country Cupboard will continue to grow into a destination. Future dreams include selling vegetables from their garden, continuing with cut flowers, adding a pumpkin patch, hosting community events, offering barnyard yoga, flower arranging workshops and other unique farm experiences.
“We just want to be a place where people come together and make memories with their families,” Trisha said.
The Country Cupboard Farm Store is open year-round, with current hours Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hours may change seasonally, and updates are posted on Google, the store’s website, Instagram and Facebook.
For families camping at Sedgewick Lake Campground, locals looking for quality Alberta products, or anyone wanting to slow down and enjoy a farm experience, The Country Cupboard offers a warm welcome, fresh eggs and a little piece of country life.
