JAM-PACKED GENERAL STORE: Newton’s latest storefront features year-round farmers market goods

The newest addition to Newton’s growing downtown shines a light on Central Iowa vendors and their creations. Nancy’s Canned Creations held a grand opening Oct. 15 to announce its arrival to Newton’s business community. The store is the culmination of years of work from the founder Nancy Woody.

Woody started making jams, jellies, butters and fruit spreads more than 20 years ago, and when she ran out of people in her life who were not yet inundated with her creations, she turned her attention to Newton’s Farmers Market.

“I was making these jams for years before I started selling them. I had given everyone in my life so many jams that I needed to start selling them to have any room in my kitchen,” Woody said.

Woody has been a staple of Central Iowa farmers markets since 1997, and since then she has been working to make her passion project a viable business.

“Opening this store is something I’ve always wanted to do. This space opened up and it was the affordable,” Woody said. “I’ve been working out of the store’s kitchen since May, but once the farmers markets began to wind down it seemed reasonable to open up a permanent retail space.”

But the store doesn’t just sell Woody’s products. Several other local vendors, mostly ones whom Woody met at the various farmers markets, also operate out of the location.

Nancy’s Canned Creations also has everything one could expect to find at a small local market. Jams, jellies, butters, fruit spreads, potholders, tea towels, produce and baked goods are just a few of the products available at the newly opened retail space.

Kim Vore, the owner of Clearly Yummy, a bakery based in Ankeny, was one of Nancy’s first business partners.

“I’ve been doing this for five years now and I think opening a permeant location is a great idea. Nancy is even helping me expand my business. I’ve been looking for a commercial kitchen space to start producing caramel candies for a while and once Nancy opened up her space it seemed like a great idea to begin working here,” Vore said. “I have more than 40 different caramel recipes and I hope to get started on production here in Newton soon.”

The product with the most variety has to be Nancy’s various jams, jellies, butters and fruit spreads. The store sells almost every kind someone could think of. Moonshine, mountain dew, cherry, rhubarb, raspberry tea and orange are just a few of the ones available.

“Business is good right now. People who have been loyal customers for years are coming around because they want these kinds of products year-round. This year was very hot, so it’s nice to work inside,” Woody said

As for her next big step might be, Woody hopes to jump from main street retail to local chain stores.

“My end goal, I guess, is to make it into grocery stores, so opening my own store is a good stepping stone,” Woody said.

Nancy’s Canned Creations is located at 201 1st Ave. W. and is open most days until 6 p.m.

Contact Abby Knipfel at 641-792-4687 ext.6531 or at aknipfel@shawmedia.com