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Misty Sims: Celebrate With Sweet Feed Company

by | Jul 2024

THE GRAZING table before you is no ordinary feed trough. It’s a feast for the senses — a vibrant patchwork of colors, textures, and flavors that beckons you to dive in and start sampling. Wedges of creamy brie and sharp cheddar, the surfaces glistening with golden drizzles of honey, sit nestled alongside slices of prosciutto and salami fanned out in a rainbow of reds and pinks. Artful piles of crisp green apple slices and plump purple grapes cluster together, the bright hues a perfect complement to the darker, richer tones of the cured meats. Crackers and crusty baguette slices stand ready to serve as edible canvases, the golden surfaces begging to be topped with an array of delectable ingredients.

The spread offers more than an alternative to fast food; it’s a casual, interactive way to sample a variety of foods at your leisure and spark conversation around the shared experience. You can catch up, celebrate, and connect over the grazing tables at The Sweet Feed Co. Cafe (formerly The Boardroom) at 806 Washington St. W. in Fayetteville. There are individual or shareable grazing boards and a selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. The bakery case is stocked on Fridays and Saturdays with the perfect desserts to end your dining adventure. 

This is Misty Sims’ element. She understands the love language of food. 

“My earliest memories are baking at home in my mom’s kitchen. She loved cinnamon rolls, so I remember going through some of her cookbooks until I found just the right recipe and made those for her,” she recalled.

Her mom was an excellent cook, so Sims cooked very little until moving out on her own. Then she quickly realized her mom’s cooking skills hadn’t magically transferred to her kitchen.

“You can imagine my surprise when I moved out on my own and realized my mom didn’t move into my kitchen with me, but I still needed to eat!” she laughed.

She took matters into her own hands. 

“I always loved the Food Network, so I bought myself a Rachel Ray cookbook and made almost every recipe in it. From there, I was hooked and started making anything and everything I could.”

That early experimentation laid the foundation for Sims’ lifelong love of cooking and baking. She began putting her own creative spin on family recipes, blending the comforting flavors of her childhood with a modern twist.

“I love to experiment with food and make some of my favorites from my mom and my grandmother but put a twist on them and make them my own,” she shared.

Sims’ passion for food and connection expanded into a full-fledged business, Sweet Feed Company. She offers a trio of food services, including catering, custom-baked items, and The Sweet Feed Co. Cafe, a charcuterie bar. A dessert trailer and a cafe-style food bus bring Sims’ creative culinary talents to you. 

“Our catering side is so special to me. I get to take part in someone’s special event and take the worry of feeding their guests off them,” Sims explained. 

She works with clients to craft the perfect menu.

“I provide tried and true menus to select from, or they can request that I tailor a menu just for them. I can do large, grandiose grazing tables, taco bars, or steak. Just name it!”

But for Sims, it’s not just about the food. It’s about the connections made and memories shared around the table. Whether catering a wedding, baking a birthday cake, or serving up a grazing board at The Sweet Feed Co. Cafe, she understands the weight of pushing to do it all. Saying “no” isn’t easy, but it’s necessary.

“Learning that it is OK to say “no” is such a hard concept in the service industry. You love serving others, but you have to recognize your limits. If you spread yourself too thin, you won’t deliver a product you’re happy with, regardless of what your business is,” Sims said.

The key to balance, she said, is setting limits and staying within them. 

The fact that Sims is the acquisition functional career manager with the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal increases the need for balance. 

“Balancing two careers was certainly challenging in the beginning and caused a lot of sleepless nights. But as I grew my business, I have been able to hire more help, which has made a world of difference,” she recalled. “Not only do the ladies who work with me do an amazing job, they are family and treat my business like it’s theirs. They’re just wonderful.”

It’s not just her job at the arsenal she’s juggling.

Sims said, “Family life was obviously hard to balance because I have two little kids. My husband, Michael, is my partner and has been nothing short of supportive. He’s the maintenance man, the extra cook, the financial advisor — just all the things. And rather than lose time with my kids, I incorporated them into the team. They’ve learned to make change, help with cleaning and washing dishes, and have even taken orders at the tables.”

Sims wants to tell those hesitating to pursue their dreams, “Go for it. You have to be your own cheerleader in the beginning, but if you put your head down and work hard, God will see you through to the other side. Success will come if you maintain a servant’s heart, trust yourself, and trust the Lord. If you need a question answered, ask Him and then listen to the answer — even if it isn’t what you want to hear, He will take you down the path you need to be on.”

Like the patchwork of the grazing table, Sims works to provide the space and inspiration for us to catch up, celebrate, and connect. Whether savoring a bite from the charcuterie board, indulging in a decadent dessert, or enjoying your guests while she handles the food, her culinary creations are a delicious invitation to come together and make memories around the table. GN 

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