Shady Acres Market brings plus-size fashion, handmade goods to Merrill

A new shop tucked into one of Merrill’s charming older downtown buildings is making its mark with a mix that’s hard to find anywhere else in town — plus-size clothing, vintage finds, handmade goods from local artisans, and even tabletop role-playing game accessories.
Shady Acres Market LLC, located at 809 E. First St., officially opened its doors on Jan. 10, 2026. Owner Amber Barrows, a northern Indiana native who relocated to Merrill about three years ago, said the dream of owning her own store has been with her for a long time.
“I’ve wanted to own my own store for, I would say, a couple of decades — probably ever since my early twenties,” Barrows said.

A dream decades in the making
Barrows and her partner, Monte Drebenstedt, who grew up in Merrill, moved from their home in Indiana to Merrill to be closer to his family. Not too long after that move, the timing finally aligned and the store went from being a long-held dream for Barrows to reality. Even the building played a role in the decision.

Barrows said she fell in love with the former First Street Coffee Station building, noting the historic details and the vintage shelving unit she now uses to display merchandise. “I fell in love with just the way it was already. I just loved it. I was like, ‘It’s perfect the way it is.’”
Barrows said she had looked at the space two years before opening, when the idea was still mostly a dream. When it became available again, she didn’t hesitate.
“I recently saw it had opened up again and I said, ‘We gotta do it,’” Barrows said.

Plus-size fashion fills a gap
One of the things that sets Shady Acres apart from other shopping options in Merrill is its focus on plus-size clothing, carrying sizes 1X through 4X. For Barrows, the decision was personal.

“I personally am more familiar with plus size, and knowing myself, just the struggle of finding clothing [in plus sizes],” Barrows said.
Judy Blue jeans have already proven to be a standout seller, and Barrows said the store will continue stocking them. Tops, dresses, sweaters, sweatshirts, t-shirts, leggings, casual pants, printed socks, slippers, purses, belts, and accessories currently fill the racks. There is also a small selection of Tommy Hilfiger apparel. Her current focus is primarily on casualwear, some of which is also suitable for the business casual workplace, she said. Summer dresses and shorts are on the way as the season changes, and Barrows said she’s actively learning what her customers want.
“I’m not set on any particular brand,” she said. “We are kind of just in the process right now of learning what the community is looking for.”
Compression socks are a recent addition — the direct result of a customer suggestion. Barrows said she makes a point of asking shoppers at checkout what they wish the store carried.
“If there’s something you wish we had and [we] don’t, please let me know. I’m always looking for suggestions,” Barrows said.
Down the road, Barrows said she could envision expanding the clothing selection to include regular sizes and possibly men’s big and tall as well, if the store grows into a larger space, but for now the focus will remain on plus-size apparel.

Local makers at the heart of the store
Shady Acres currently works with 16 local vendors, carrying an impressive range of handmade goods that Barrows said she hopes will help define the store’s identity.
“I think our handmade goods are going to kind of set us apart,” Barrows said.
The locally crafted offerings span a wide range: wire-wrapped pendants, handmade rings, broken glass art, wood art, handmade greeting cards, kitchen towels and oven mitts, crochet items from Rustic Heritage, and home decor from Rustic Road Designs. Renee Smith’s watercolors have already become a customer favorite, and Haymeadow Honey Farms supplies local honey and honey products. Atlas soap rounds out the body care options, and a resin vendor has recently been added to the mix.

Drebenstedt carves out his own distinct niche in the store’s inventory: a collection of 3D-printed and hand-painted accessories for tabletop role-playing games, along with a selection of vintage books — most over 20 years old — centered around games like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Star Wars role-playing titles.
Of the 3D-printed accessories, “Some of them I’m painting,” he said. “Some of them I leave for other people to paint.”
Also on the shelves: vintage glassware, freeze-dried candy from Avenue 117, old-fashioned stick candy, sunglasses, fun novelty socks from Lazy One, fuzzy slippers, Myra bags, handmade earrings, dried flower bouquets, and seasonal items. Merrill-branded shirts and hats are arriving in time for the tourism season.

A partnership with ODC
Before opening Shady Acres, Barrows spent several years working for the Opportunity Development Center (ODC), managing day services in Merrill. The experience gave her a close-up view of how difficult it can be for people with disabilities to find steady work.

“I just noticed how hard it was for my customers who wanted to work to find employment,” Barrows said.
When the store opened, Barrows reached out to ODC with one particular person in mind. Heather Lippe is currently doing a work-experience placement at Shady Acres through the program, working Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Lippe helps check in clothing, tags items, dusts, and runs the cash register.
“She was kind of my main person,” Barrows said. “I knew she was really struggling to find something, and I knew I would be able to offer her something.”
When asked about her disability, Lippe was straightforward and confident and replied with a smile. “CP, which means cerebral palsy,” she said.
When Barrows asked Lippe what her favorite thing to do at the store was, her first answer was quick and honest.
“Shop,” she said.
Barrows laughed. “Besides that,” she said.
“Ring people up,” Lippe said, referring to working the cash register.
Barrows said she hopes the temporary placement will become a permanent part-time position.
“We’re hoping this temporary experience can become permanent,” Barrows said.
ODC Case Coordinator Linda Grodzinski, who helps connect clients with employment opportunities, was on hand during a recent visit to the store to job coach Lippe. Barrows said she sees the ODC partnership as something that can grow as the business does.
“We’ll see opportunities as it grows,” Barrows said.

Looking ahead
Barrows said she hopes to begin hosting vendor workshops in the near future — events where local makers could come in and teach customers a skill or do a demonstration, such as how to craft a wood ring.
“We just want to be kind of your hometown store,” she said. “We’ve always wanted to have a store in a small town. We want people to feel welcome when they come in.”

The store has a website where customers can browse and order online for pickup or shipping, but Barrows acknowledged she’s still working to get the site exactly where she wants it before pushing it heavily.
“I haven’t pushed it a whole lot yet because I’m waiting for it to be perfect, which I know it’ll never be perfect,” Barrows said. The store’s website is shadyacresmarketllc.com.
The Shady Acres Market retail location is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lippe, it turns out, has a very good sense of humor and is definitely comfortable in her new workplace.
“Thank you for not buying anything,” Lippe quipped as the visit wrapped up.