07/31/2026
🌳 Why a Tree?
Over the last few weeks, many of you have noticed the new tree in the Ellis Farm Store logo. It isn’t there because it’s pretty.
It’s there because of my grandmother, Margaret Brockman.
She was the one who taught me how to fish. But more importantly, she taught me how to live.
She taught me that life is a lot like a tree.
In the spring, new buds appear, reminding us that every season brings new opportunities and new beginnings.
In the summer, a tree provides shade—a place where people gather, laugh, rest, and simply enjoy being together.
In the fall, the leaves turn beautiful shades of gold, orange, yellow, and red. Even as the tree lets them go, it gives something beautiful back to the world.
And in the winter, even when everything looks quiet, the roots are still growing, preparing for another season.
I didn’t realize it at first, but that’s exactly what has been happening here at Ellis Farm Store.
I’ve watched kids stop in on their way to the swimming pool, splitting a sub sandwich because it’s bigger than they expected.
I’ve watched little ones sit around the table with an ice cream cup and one of those little wooden spoons, laughing together while the adults continue their conversations.
I’ve watched neighbors come in for breakfast and stay long after the plates were empty because the conversation was too good to leave.
I’ve watched customers finish shopping, then pull up a chair and continue talking as if they’d known each other forever.
Those moments weren’t planned.
They weren’t part of a marketing strategy.
They happened because you made them happen.
Somewhere along the way, this little farm store became more than a place to shop.
It became a place where people gather.
A place where stories are shared.
A place where strangers become neighbors.
A place where everyone has a seat at the table.
That is why the tree became our symbol.
Not because it’s a logo…
…but because it reminds me of the woman who taught me that the greatest blessings in life are found in the people we gather around.
This isn’t a memorial.
It’s a tribute.
A tribute to someone whose roots are still growing through me.
Thank you, Grandma, for planting those roots in me.
And thank you, Belle Plaine, for helping those roots grow into something I never imagined.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making Ellis Farm Store more than a business.
You’ve made it A Community Gathering Place. 🌳💚
— Michelle Ellis
