Cindi Krepky frosts cinnamon buns at Dormouse Farm Shoppe in Jacksonville last Saturday morning.

A family farm operation that was reincarnated when the pandemic struck has moved its market from its tiny downtown location to the historic Bigham Knoll 1908 Jacksonville schoolhouse building.

Dormouse Farm Shoppe began operations at the new location at 525 Bigham Knoll Dr. last month. The site offers a bakery, farm products, a gathering space, grab-and-go food options, coffee and products from local artisans.

Cindy and David Krepky and their daughter, Morgan, had run a farm and operated a market east of Seattle for 17 years until 2017. When the pandemic arose, they decided it would be really nice to do a family farm again.

They were living in Roseburg but moved to Jacksonville in May 2021, bringing 200 hothouse-raised pepper starts with them.

“It was hard to find something that would really meet our needs. We knew we wanted to come to Jacksonville,” Morgan Krepky said.

Schoolhaus Brewhaus had operated in the basement space at Bigham Knoll. The Krepkys will move some of their farming to Bigham Knoll. There already are raised beds on the campus where they plan do garden vegetables and herbs.

“We are getting a lot of dog walkers and hikers. We want it to be a community space as well as a market and bakery,” Morgan said. Neighbors from nearby Hueners Lane are frequenting the shop.

Including outdoor patio space, Dormouse is leasing almost 5,000 square feet. The Bar at Bigham Knoll continues as a separate entity. Cindi Krepky, a licensed server, can provide beer, wine and cider for guests who want to consume fare they purchase in the Dormouse.

Soups and salads are available, but there is no restaurant service.

“The owners had a lot of things and gave us a turnkey operation for the most part,” Morgan said. The business has had to purchase a few items, including a reach-in freezer.

Along with the dormouse, specific areas in the shop are named for characters in “Alice in Wonderland.” Dormice are nocturnal natives of Africa, Europe and Asia and hibernate for six months or more.

“We just started have fun with naming our new space. We just added the Cheshire Cat meeting room, a rentable space,” said Morgan. They refer to the bar informally as “The Mad Hatter,” although technically it is the Bar at Bigham Knoll. The coffee and tea bar is the Tortoise Lounge.

Products available include meat, eggs and dairy, flower and plant starts, vegetables and herbs. Twelve local artists produce items ranging from baskets and soaps to candles, jewelry and pottery.

Cinnamon rolls are a specialty at the bakery, but they are only produced for Saturdays and Sundays due to the intensive work involved, Cindi said.

The farm is located in a canyon east of city limits and south of South Stage Road. The family is only using about one-quarter of an acre for crops and the rest of the farmland is used for raising goats. Farm tours are available and details can be found on the website.

The goats are the Kinder breed developed in Washington. They are a cross between Nubians and American Pygmies, and are raised for the milk they produce, which is smoother compared to other breeds, Cindi said.

Jacksonville’s weekly farmers market on the New City Hall grounds was the farm’s first outlet. In the fall of 2022, the Krepkys moved into a 200-square-foot space downtown. The location at 4th and California streets was good, but lacked adequate space.

“We were doing baked goods under the cottage food laws,” Cindi said. “We were doing so much, we needed to find a commercial kitchen.”

While mother and daughter run the market and bakery, Dave takes care of the irrigation, a lot of the farm maintenance and does all the shopping for supplies.

For now, the Krepkys are planning to operate as a family business with no employees. In addition to the market, Cindi also books events and oversees maintenance at Bigham Knoll.

“We are trying to keep it a family operation, to just be able to do what we want to do ourselves,” Morgan said.

Bigham Knoll was restored by Mel and Brooke Ashland beginning in 2007; the upper levels of the school building house firms that the couple runs. The campus has been used for a variety of events since the restoration.

World of Wine, later the Oregon Wine Experience, was held at Bigham Knoll for a number of years starting in 2011. Earlier this year, the Asante Foundation announced it will no longer hold the event.

“It’s going to be beautiful in the summer,” Cindi said. Some of the outdoor space may be used for a farmers’ market and events will be coming.

Dormouse hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. More information can be found at dormousefarm.com.