With a background serving the community through Americorps and an extensive career in social services, Melissa has spent years dedicating her time to helping people. In 2021, she took the leap of faith and started her own business. The Urban Farmhouse (TUF) has been gaining popularity in the area, and highlights Melissa’s entrepreneurial spirit and vision.
She plans to bring her love of connection with people, especially the younger generation, into her work within The Urban Farmhouse business. If her work with TUF thus far is any indication of the success of her plans for the future, I believe The Urban Farmhouse will continue to be a great fit for downtown Lancaster.
Melissa has created a place where everyone is welcome to a seat at the table, and I hope you will join me in celebrating her accomplishments as a strong female leader in the community!
Question 1: I’ve seen many of people in culinary industries say that food has played a major role throughout their lives, no matter what jobs they had they were always pulled back to food/cooking. Did you have a similar experience? Was there a turning point for you starting TUF?
“Baking was always a hobby of mine. Both of my grandmothers were self-taught bakers and I grew up watching them and well, EATING all their homemade goodies. It wasn’t until my early 30’s that I began dreaming about what it would be like to combine my two loves…sharing my own homemade goodies with people and staying connected to my work with youth.
During Covid my employment situation changed and while I initially assumed I would maintain positioning in the social service sector, I started thinking more seriously about that “dream”. After a whole lot of prayer, self-reflection and game planning, I decided I was going to take a chance on myself and go for it.”
Question 2: Is there a specific story behind the significance of cheesecake to you? Maybe from your childhood or recipes you tasted when you were younger – or the details behind how cheesecake came to be the main focus of TUF.
“Cheesecake was always my favorite dessert. Ironically, as much as my grandmothers baked, they never made cheesecake. That was something “fancy” that someone would buy from the store/restaurant for a special occasion. One of the things I learned, while obtaining my Masters Degree in Strategic Leadership, was that businesses need a “differential” – something that sets them apart from other businesses. Accordingly, as I was considering this idea, I knew I couldn’t just be another Lancaster County bakery offering all the Pennsylvania Dutch delights my grandmothers made, there were already plenty of those. So I began doing some research and discovered there was not one single cheesecake speciality shop in Lancaster, Dauphin, York or Lebanon Counties. There were certainly bakeries who made cheesecake, but none that solely focused on them, nor did they have such a widespread flavor menu. That’s when I knew cheesecake was the answer.
Funny truth: I made two cheesecakes (both failed) before deciding I was going to open a cheesecake speciality shop. TUF’s classic cheesecake recipe is my own recipe. I did a lot of research to understand the role of the ingredients. I prefer a creamy, yet dense cheesecake and wanted to figure out how to capture that…so I did. We have over 100 flavors at this point and they all stem from experiences, memories and/or Grandma’s recipes.”
Question 3: TUF has some pretty great values at its core, do you have a favorite way to give back to the community? You mention partnerships within the community (youth related) in your story and I would love to be able to give them a shout out.
“The TUF Project is still in the development phase. It is critical that I create a solid foundation for the cheesecake part of business before I incorporate another layer. I certainly look forward to making it happen when the time is right.”
Question 4: Do you have a favorite female owned business (or multiple) you would like to shout out or that you admire?
“I have a few amazing female business owner friends, however, they aren’t in the food industry. My best friend owns Sweet Serenity Haven and a dear childhood friend owns Prevo Cabinetry. Because I am so new to the food scene, I am working on cultivating and developing new relationships within this industry. I have met some pretty cool ladies along the way (some that you have already highlighted). Blayre from flourettasweet (instagram) has been one of those women I have gotten to know a bit since opening TUF. She is a pretty terrific soul from what I can see. I appreciate and value her perspective.”
Question 5: Does your upbringing within the Lancaster county area affect your recipe ideas? Do you have any favorite PA Dutch ingredients/flavors?
“I was born and raised in Lebanon. I moved to Lancaster about 8 years ago. Like Lancaster, Lebanon has a lot of Pa Dutch influence. My flavors stem from many desserts I had as a child. A flavor quickly growing in popularity is our Apple Butter Cheesecake. It is made with my Grandmother’s apple butter recipe. TUF is all about homemade, so while shortcuts and store bought alternatives would make my life sooooo much easier, it’s just not how we do things.”
Question 6: You mentioned in your story that TUF would have been your “if I ever won the lottery” dream. Do you have any advice for people looking to make the jump to becoming a business owner or making a big career change? (Whichever one you identify with more)
“A professor of mine once said, whatever you lay in bed thinking about…not life’s stressors or your to-do list, but that thing that makes you happy, that you wish you had more time for…that’s what you should be doing.
To unwind at night, I used to lay in bed scrolling through Pinterest for recipes or watch The Food Network. Food has a special way of bringing people together-especially good food. It’s a talking point, it’s an opportunity to find common ground, it’s nourishment not only for the body, but also the soul.
My advice would be (for either part), do your homework, but also, go after that thing that was laid in your heart. It was put there for a reason.”
Check out The Urban Farmhouse’s location in person on Queen Street. Or on Instagram to see their latest flavor options and hours!
Don’t forget – TUF’s cheesecake would be the perfect addition to any Valentine’s Day plans too!
https://www.instagram.com/theurbanfarmhousepa?igsh=MWhxc29lMXBsZGFtZw==
Femme Foodie - Lancaster, PA 
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