Garden Inspired Ice Cream
Bold Spoon Creamery began from an abundance of mint in Rachel Burns’s garden. In 2017, she started making mint ice cream and sharing it with family and friends. Soon, it transformed into something more. “I became obsessed with making ice cream, so I told my husband I needed to make it a business or just stop doing it,” Rachel says.
They decided to open Bold Spoon Creamery in 2020, operating out of a shared commercial kitchen in St. Louis. They quickly outgrew the space, bought a farm in Park Hills, and have been there ever since.
Rachel Burns in the garden at their farm.
At their farm, they grow fruit, pumpkins, and herbs to mix in or infuse into their product, and they distribute the small-batch ice cream to over 30 grocery stores in Missouri and Illinois. Bold Spoon Creamery lives up to its name, boasting vivid flavors with “more elevated flavor profiles,” such as Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Goat Cheese & Fig, Brown Butter Miso Caramel, and Brie with Spiced Honey. The company is committed to using natural ingredients in its ice cream, with no additives, preservatives, or artificial flavors. “We are really a farm-to-bowl brand, without question,” Rachel says.
• BoldSpoonCreamery.com • 2570 Watson Road, Park Hills
Treats, Treasures, and Togetherness
Despite the setback of losing her job at John Deere in 2013, a role Ashland Bell thought would be her career, she didn’t give up. To make up for lost income, she began baking from home and selling her goods, a testament to her resilience and determination.
By 2019, Ashland opened 121 Farmhouse Kitchen, a self-service shop offering baked goods, out of a 10-by-12-foot shed on her property in Warrensburg. On the honor system, customers could stop by anytime and pick up her homemade baked goods, dropping their payment in a box, and this fostered a sense of community and trust.
Ashland Bell with one of her homemade pies.
“I worked in a two-foot space every day,” she says. “That was all the counter space I had with just a regular oven,” Ashland says. It was an elderly customer who encouraged her to take the next step.
“If you build it, they will come,” she recounts the customer telling her.
So she did. Ashland and her husband expanded the business to a 20-by-40-foot building with 20 feet of retail and commercial space. The new shop showcases not only Ashland’s baked goods but also items from 18 local consignors, further building that sense of community. Today, 121 Farmhouse offers a little bit of everything: cheese, milk, bread, meat, honey, frozen pizza, handmade jewelry, 3-D printed items, fresh flowers, and T-shirts—and Ashland still does all the baking herself.
• 121FarmhouseKitchen.com • 1047 Northeast 121st Road, Warrensburg
Bands, Baristas, and Books
The Reclaimed Stage began as a reclaimed furniture store. Callie and Brad Page ran this successful business, making furniture out of barn wood.
Eventually, Callie and Brad’s aspirations shifted after their favorite country music artist, Rory Feek, performed at their store, inspiring them to transition the property to a music venue and stage—the Reclaimed Stage. The venue features an old brick patio, a walkway constructed from reclaimed brick, and a stage with string lights (which is Callie’s favorite element).
Ron and Callie Page.
“Having reclaimed pieces totally fit our brand,” Brad says. Reclaimed Stage hosts about nine concerts a year from May to October. In September, aspiring vocalists can audition for “Reclaimed Idol,” a free singing competition for all ages.
The couple has also opened a coffee and vintage book shop in Centralia, Reclaimed Book & Bean, decorated with string lights and upcycled items for a comforting and relaxing atmosphere. The shop features a 100 year-old piano and old football lockers from a high school. “The real idea was just to create another space where people can connect,” Callie says.
• ReclaimedPage.com • 304 East Railroad, Centralia
Fuel, Flames, and Fused Glass
Ten years ago, a customer walked into Mutrux Automotive—a full-service garage in Columbia owned by Cindy and Ross Mutrux—and handed Cindy a handmade glass American flag magnet. “Where’d you buy this?” she asked. The woman smiled and said, “I didn’t. I made it.” Cindy instantly knew she had to take a glass fusion class. One class turned into many, and soon, glass fusion became more than a hobby.
“Glass is like people,” Cindy says. “We come in all colors and shapes, but when you put us together, we’re beautiful.”
Cindy Mutrux.
Now, Cindy teaches fused glass classes at Cindy Lou’s Glass Studio, showing attendees how to craft glass creations. Cindy also sells her work at Mutrux Automotive, including colorful magnets, night lights, charcuterie boards, and jewelry.
• Find classes by visiting Cindy Lou’s Glass Studio on Facebook • 2100 West Rollins Road, Columbia
Willows and Weaving
The Bent Tree in Bethany began in 1982, after Marcia Whitt took a basket weaving class and her husband, John Whitt, built a willow chair in their garage, using wild willows from their farm. Soon, their rural hobbies blossomed into a family-run business.
Today, John builds rustic willow furniture, drying each piece in a custom-built kiln and finishing the furniture by hand. Marcia weaves intricate baskets, stitches traditional brooms using broomcorn and curly willow, and carves and paints “thunder gourds”—musical instruments that mimic the sound of rain or thunder.
Marcia and John Whitt.
She also teaches workshops in broom making and gourd art. Their daughter Stacy Leigh, a self-taught leather artist, contributes one-of-a-kind handbags, jewelry, and accessories, also made on-site. The 2,500-square-foot gallery features items made only by the family. Though they sell a few pieces online, most of their work is meant to be seen, touched, and appreciated in person. “It’s like stepping into a fine art gallery, out in the country,” Marcia says.
• TheBentTree.com • 27619 East 340th Street, Bethany
This article was originally printed in the October 2025 issue of Missouri Life.
