Have You Met The Feed Mill Guy?
When Darin Scheff transitioned from a Hollywood setup to Tennessee 20 years back, he set out to invest in real estate. The last thing he was thinking was owning an old historic “Feed Mill”. As a matter of fact, the former professional hairdresser and makeup artist from Los Angeles didn’t even know what a feed mill was. The mill had fine lines and historical appeal, and as a result of that investment, Amish Market and Deli evolved.
In between some challenges and uncertainties, one thing was unwavering — his “winning attitude.”
“I just fell in love with the agriculture here in Tennessee, the openness and southern hospitality. I raised my family out here, and I’m proud to be where I am,” says Darin, who owns Nolensville Feed Mill, Amish Country Market, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Williamson County.
Nolensville Feed Mill is the longest-standing business in the county. The business’s success proves that the decision made two decades back was one of Scheff’s best.
A Hollywood guy who worked with celebrities like Stevie Nicks is now famous as The Feed Mill guy, who is recognized not only in Tennessee, but in many other states as well.
“I fell in love with life more when I built my business here. The Feed Mill is actually a monument of Nolensville, which makes me proud of what I do. Seeing people hanging out with their family and friends taking fall photos than I’ve ever seen before, makes me happy.”
The Mill has DNA dating back to 1890. Darin has preserved the old buildings while creating one of the most popular food destinations in the state. The historic old Mill was renovated and turned into an Amish County Market.
“We make 400 to 600 pounds of chicken salad a week, depending on the time of year. It’s all handmade, small batch, and people love it. Our chicken salad accounts for 97% of the sales through our store. Our potato salad is also trendy. We make an amazing macaroni salad as well. Oh yeah, we’re famous for everything dip. It’s like a loaded baked potato in one dip. You can put it on everything. That’s why it’s called ‘everything dip.’ Great for vegetables, great for veggie chips, even a baked potato,” Scheff mentioned.
Not to forget, The Feed Mill Guy is a son of Jerry Scheff, an American bassist best known for his work with Elvis Presley from 1969 til he died as a member of his TCB Band and on the Doors’ L.A. Woman.
“I used to sit up on stage in Las Vegas at the Hilton with the percussion player, looking down as Elvis would come out and perform the shows. So yes, I played with Elvis Presley,” Darin smiles in joy every time he recalls those days.
