Market serves a need in Somerset for bulk and discounted foods; SPEDA mini-grant helps expand freezer space

Editor’s note: This is the final part in a four-part series highlighting the 2025 recipients of SPEDA’s mini-grant program. The program awards four $2,500 grants annually to businesses that aspire to innovate and grow.

Tammy Sinkhorn and Debbie Hall, owners of From the Vine Produce, didn’t set out to build a traditional discount food market when they purchased the building for their business in 2019. 

In fact, they barely knew each other. 

What they did share, though, was an almost identical vision. Each had been talking with realtor and friend Tammy Anger about the idea of a peddlers-mall-style business. Each felt pulled toward something that blended creativity, bargains, and community connection. And at the same moment, an existing produce company in Somerset was preparing to close its doors and Sinkhorn, Hall, and Anger jumped on the opportunity.

Sinkhorn and her daughter visited the building and felt a nudge they couldn’t ignore. 

“I felt like the Spirit was telling me to do it — to keep the produce part,” Sinkhorn said. “It was a God thing from the very beginning.” 

The three women purchased the business in October 2019 with the simple plan of learning the produce world first, then slowly expanding into other grocery items.

Only months later, COVID arrived, shutting down the world and rewriting every plan they had. The peddler’s mall concept they originally dreamed of would not have been considered essential and therefore would not have been allowed to continue operating, but the produce business was. That distinction became the reason From the Vine kept its doors open while many others were forced to close. The real estate market also took off, allowing Anger to focus more on that, while Sinkhorn and Hall became co-owners of From the Vine. 

The early months were challenging. Commercial produce orders slowed, and the two faced a learning curve. They invested in chest freezers and began bringing in frozen foods — working out of pure necessity and prayer. When their supplier for No. 2 produce closed at the end of 2020, the pair pivoted again, moving deeper into bulk and discounted foods. The response was immediate and encouraging.

“The first thing we brought in was grilled chicken,” Hall said. “People were lined out the door. That told us we were on the right track.” 

The expected learning curve had turned into a crash course in logistics, community needs, and faith-based decision-making. 

“God strategically placed people in our lives,” Sinkhorn said. “Now, it feels like we’re becoming what we were meant to be all along.”

Their partnership, too, materialized stronger than either could have predicted. Debbie brought years of experience in customer service, merchandising, and entrepreneurial ventures — from peddler’s booths to children’s consignment stores. Her gift for display, relationships, and seeing potential in ordinary things became central to the store’s feel. Tammy brought her background in inventory management from her years at General Electric, along with the financial and operational experience of co-owning Big Blue Septic Service with her husband. Together, the two learned how well they complement each other. 

“God knew our strengths and shortcomings,” Debbie said. “We mirror each other. It feels like we’ve known each other forever.”

As the store grew, something else did too. From the Vine began attracting people who weren’t just looking for groceries, but for connection, prayer, and support. The business evolved into what Sinkhorn and Hall describe as “a ministry disguised as a market.” Their name comes from John 15:5, which reads “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The pair sees their work as an extension of that scripture.

“We see generous people walk in, and we see broken people walk in,” Sinkhorn said. “It’s been so natural to pray with people or for people.”

“You can get produce anywhere,” Hall added. “But here we want you to feel seen — like you’ve stepped into a different time, where people know you and value you.”

This commitment led to their quietly-run “God Fund,” a resource used when someone clearly needs groceries but can’t afford them. Staff are encouraged to listen closely to those moments. The phrase they often use is: “Just be blessed. We’ll cover the rest.” Many of the same customers later return to give to the fund when they can. Some of the support goes to local food pantries; some goes directly to families who come through the door. 

As the store continued to grow post-COVID, another challenge arose: freezer space. Their first walk-in freezer, purchased used in 2022, quickly filled up as they secured more suppliers and deeper discounted buys. When SPEDA opened its 2025 mini-grant cycle, From the Vine applied to purchase two additional on-floor freezer units.

“We had a freezer go down around that time, too,” Sinkhorn said. “So, when we received the grant, it felt like a God wink. The support came exactly when we needed it.” 

That funding allowed them to replace the unit and add more space for the deeply discounted food items their customers rely on. 

“With the economy being tight, the ability to offer more — and offer better deals — has really mattered,” Hall said. 

Beyond the equipment itself, the grant carried some authentication for the pair, they said. 

“SPEDA choosing us was validation,” Tammy explained. “It told us we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing … that we are worthy of support. That meant so much.”

Today, From the Vine employs eight people — six part-time and two full-time (Hall and Sinkhorn) — and the owners continue to look ahead. New suppliers are bringing in fresh options, including toys and tools for the Christmas season, which they expect to make a big impact for families seeking affordable gifts. They’re still dreaming, still evolving, still honoring the unexpected journey that began with a shared vision and a step of faith.

“What we thought we were coming into has been so different from what it’s become,” Hall said. “We started thinking we were building a peddler’s mall. Instead, we’ve built a market — and a ministry — where people come for food, but also for hope. We’re just along for the ride.”