Appalachian Country Store opens in Peterstown

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

A community of New Order Amish families has opened a new business in Peterstown. The Appalachian Country Store is a general store which includes baked goods, a deli, a sandwich shop, fresh dairy products, dry goods, and kitchenwares. 

“When we moved here a year and a half ago and were building our barns and houses, people would stop by and welcome us,” Miller remembers. “We asked them what they needed in the community? They said if we could do something with food, the community could really benefit from that.” 

Miller said many of these conversations took place in car rides, which people offered to him and his community since they are limited to horse & buggy transportation. 

“People have been very welcoming,” Miller says. “We live differently in some ways, but people have been very accepting of that.” 

Miller’s family along with four others moved to Peterstown from Holmes County, Ohio, in 2024. 

“Holmes County is the biggest tourist draw in the state of Ohio, so that drives up land prices tremendously,” Miller says. “Our young families have a hard time finding acreage to build and farm.”

Once they were settled in Monroe County, where they were able to afford some land for their farms and families, they focused on opening a business to support themselves. 

“Again, people kept saying, ‘Can you bring us good food?’ So that’s what we did,” Miller says.

Inside the new store

They bought the land and erected the building for the Appalachian Country Store, which is located just outside Peterstown on Rt 219 across from Fountain Springs Golf Course. The store is immaculately clean, well-stocked, fully-staffed, and filled with unique products. 

A steady stream of customers on a Tuesday morning when I visited all remarked on how enjoyable the shopping experience is, saying the staff is polite, the prices are affordable, and the space is inviting. 

“We wanted a large, open front door,” Miller explains, “so that the community would know they are welcome here.” 

Miller says the baked goods, sandwiches, and dairy products are the most popular so far. “The Homestead Creamery products which are A2A2 certified, meaning the product is more easily digestible.” 

As I visited the store and spoke with Miller about his business, I wondered aloud, “How do you balance your religious beliefs with doing business in the modern economy with technology for example?”

“That’s a fair question,” he responds. “The bigger decisions almost always get made on the church level. There is safety in the multitude of counsel. We talk each issue through. That’s how we come to a consensus. For example. So for example, across our circle of churches that I’m a part of, our new order Amish, churches, I did not want internet, but I saw the need for email.” 

So Miller and his church decided that their business would have internet access solely for a business email account and would not be utilized otherwise. However, if one of their members repaired tractors, he said, they may counsel that person to have full internet access to be able to order parts for customers. “We decide together and reach a consensus,” he concludes. 

The Appalachian Country Store is open Tuesday-Friday from 830am-5pm and on Saturday from 830am-3pm. They are located on Rt 219 across from the Fountain Springs Golf Course.