by Jillian Netherland | photography by Brewster Burns
Sheila and Charles Foley purchased Attwood Farm in 2011 and, by 2019, had begun selling their own line of salsas and baked goods. Little did they know, the world was about to change and with it, a door opening for the couple’s long-time dream—running their own café, bakery, and general store that would serve as a gathering
place for the community and destination for tourists and locals alike.
A need identified
“Both my husband and I are veterans,” shares Sheila Foley, who owns Poland Provisions with her husband, Charles. “During COVID, I was working per diem as a physician’s assistant, and he was deployed to New York City as a surgeon.”
While the couple’s early days of farm life consisted of selling baked goods, salsa, and meat they had raised, the onset of the pandemic led Foley to think about new ways to support their community.
“A lot of PA offices were closing down on visits, and I was home on my own,” she explains. “People were unable to purchase simple things from the grocery store, like bread and eggs, so I started expanding what we could offer.”
Farm to porch
This idea soon grew into what is known as a farm drop, where farmers combine their food offerings to sell together, with the Foleys’ home serving as a central hub.
“I would collect what the other farmers provided and sell it from my porch along with my food and lotions,” shares Foley. “It became a space where people could pick up everything they needed at once, which helped me decide to open the store.”
As Foley began taking on wholesale accounts as well as selling to individuals, Foley witnessed a huge community boost in people interested in learning what they could purchase from their own neighbors instead of a big chain store. Thus, the idea of Poland Provisions was born.
Female founded, military methodology
In August 2022, Foley retired from the military and focused her efforts on bringing her dream to life. Throughout her farm share experience, Foley recognized the many amazing products created by her neighbors throughout Poland and the lack of a community space to promote them. Seeing this need, Foley recruited her friend Kim Hackett to help run the store and get the space up and running.
“I asked Kim to be my First Sergeant of the store,” Foley recalls. “We have a shared military background of discipline—doing whatever it takes to complete the mission and taking care of our people—these military values have helped us build our incredible team.”
Building the location was a team effort and another example of Foley deploying people she already knew to help get the job done. From the physical construction of the store to management and leadership roles within the store, Foley selected and crafted her team to bring the overall vision to life.
“Time management and delegation have always been a big challenge – it’s something the military makes you so good at, but there’s not enough time to get everything done ourselves,” shares Foley. “Everyone’s patience has really helped us grow – the people around us have all pitched in since day one, and now we have people we didn’t even know wanting to be leaders helping to drive the business! It’s been one of our greatest rewards and we are so thankful for our team.”
Community collaboration
Poland Provisions opened to the public in 2023 and has quickly become the place to go for artisan wares, community gatherings, and entertainment. Perhaps one of the reasons the community has embraced Poland Provisions so warmly is that it is included in the entire process, from inception to experience.
“One of my most memorable early experiences was our first storytelling event,” recounts Foley. “Witnessing the positive reactions from the audience members and seeing everyone so engaged and open – it was exactly the community type building that was the intent, both of the story and event itself.”
This popular event came to fruition organically during a conversation between Foley and a customer who happened to be a locally renowned performer and storyteller, Antonio Rocha. Foley recognized Rocha from a storytelling event she had attended and struck up a conversation.
“He commented that our store would be a great space for events like storytelling,” Foley recalls. “I told him I’d been wanting to host a storytelling event, and it all clicked.”
Following their conversation, Rocha assisted Foley in transforming the upper level of the store into an event space for intimate events such as storytelling. Due to the inaugural event’s success, Rocha and Foley now plan to host storytelling performances periodically throughout the year.
Local connections
Whether seeking something specific or enjoying a leisurely window-shopping experience, Poland Provisions’ eclectic mix of items for sale will surely have something for everyone. Foley’s keen eye for unique wares, combined with her mission of promoting local artisans, has created anything but your standard, run-of-the-mill shopping experience, ensuring consumers and perusers alike will spot something different each time they visit.
“So many of the items we now offer are things I started finding and purchasing during COVID,” Foley explains. “The local products I sell are products I fell in love with myself and now have a personal relationship with every one of my vendors.”
Foley’s early sales had predominantly consisted of local honey and skincare, including body butters, face oils, and soaps. Upon creating an Instagram page to promote her sales, Foley was quickly contacted by local artist and craftsman, Maple Iron Forge.
“It was the first local artisan to reach out to me, and they asked if I had any interest in forged works – it has since become one of my coolest working relationships,” shares Foley. “They are just so talented and wonderful and truly see the value in artisanal, local-made goods.”
This business relationship, which began two years before Poland Provisions’ brick-and-mortar doors officially opened, has grown right along with the store. In addition to selling its forged works, Maple Iron Forge also performs live demonstrations to Poland Provisions’ guests and patrons.
Paying it forward
In a community so rich in diverse talent, how does one select which items to showcase? As the old saying goes, “When you know, you know,” and the sentiment absolutely rings true for Foley, who approaches stocking her store by recognizing what she is instinctively drawn to that is new and different to keep customers coming back. Through this methodology, Foley has also discovered an additional passion: helping other aspiring entrepreneurs jumpstart their own business endeavors.
“We now work with eight businesses who did not exist previously because they did not have a designated place to sell,” Foley explains. “I love helping new business-minded people and get so excited watching others take the same big steps I did several years ago to grow.”
One fundamental goal behind Poland Provisions is to strengthen the community in a place where people can meet and connect with their neighbors – regardless of shopping. In addition to the store, Poland Provisions boasts a large, open space available to anyone, even if they are not purchasing anything.
“The plexiglass between everyone during COVID really wore on me, and I was craving an open plan,” tells Foley. “We never reserve more than a small section at a time because we want the space to always be open for people to come and gather.”
Spice of life
Since opening, the space has been utilized by groups for teachers’ outings, receptions, bingo, trivia, and cribbage. It has also provided a safe location for children to hang out after school and a place for the community to convene during power outages.
“Each time the neighborhood loses electricity, we see a huge influx of guests working from the store or conducting small meetings upstairs,” Foley explains. “Everyone is welcome, regardless of age. Kids are free to run around and be kids – we just want people to meet and be around each other.”
As the weather gets warmer and Poland Provisions’ reputation as a pragmatic venue spreads, Foley and her team have experienced an increasing demand for live events – and just like their first storytelling event, the majority of these live events come to life organically.
“Growing up, my mom made it a point to expose me to as many things as possible outside of school, and that’s what we aim to do here, too,” shares Foley. “The conversations usually begin with, ‘I can do this, are you interested?’ and it’s led to our wide variety of live events.”
Thus far, these live events have included live musicians, games, and class-like demonstrations, following a tip-based approach instead of charging fees. Looking towards the future, Foley and her chef hope to add cooking and barista classes for kids to the entertainment rotation.
“Ultimately, my goals are to create a safe and welcoming space for anyone who walks in the door, no matter your age, while promoting local farms and producers to help grow the community,” Foley shares. “Our community has so many incredible talents and products that deserve to be shared, and people deserve to know about – that’s what we’re doing here.”
Poland Provisions
Poland | polandprovisions.com
