About Us
Michele and Steve met in 2008 in front of the Agness Store. A little spot in the middle of the Siskiyou National Forest in Southern Oregon. Michele was visiting her family in Agness, where the town center consists of one said store, a Post Office, a Library that was once the One Room School House, a Community Building, Offices of the Agness Volunteer Fire Department and Two Rustic Lodges.
Michele, a concert pianist and born in New York City….NEW YORK CITY??… was on a trip visiting her family as she had since she was five years old. She met Steve, an Oregonian jack of all trades and a master at most, who had just finished a hike with a bunch of his friends and were resting in front of the old store. One thing led to another and Michele and Steve continued a long distance relationship until two years after they married in 2013. February was their wedding month and
September was the month they took on the store and renamed it the
Old Agness Store!
Using the store as their platform for their love of Oregon, they established a gift store filled with Oregon Artisan products handcrafted by small companies. To this they added a cafe to support Steve’s love of cooking and baking and completed the picture with a garden for Steve’s Garden to Table Menu. The quietness of Agness Town Center was interrupted as Old Agness Store became a destination place, drawing in tourist who enjoyed the famous Rogue River activities from literally all over the world. After three years however, the couple met with unforeseen challenges and were forced to leave their beloved store. Realizing this was an opportunity to “sink or swim” Steve and Michele chose the latter and decided to begin their transformation with an online store.
The store pages are filled with Oregonian treasures, both Local and Statewide and the list will continue to grow to support and share the creative forces that are found here in this beautiful area.
Michele and Steve will be traveling the state on buying trips and as vendors at area Craft Fairs to share in person.
Please feel free to browse our entire website and store to get a feel for the wonders of our neck of the woods and contact us with any questions or comments you may have. Maybe one day you will have a chance to come up and visit Agness and the wonders of the Rogue River. Our Destination and Directions page will have links to area lodges and activities for you to enjoy your Rogue excursions!
Our Special THANK YOU to Stephen Heppell of Fuel Brothers Media for all his amazing help and guidance with our new store. We look forward to continuing our work together as we grow in this industry!
We look forward to hearing from you!
All our Best,
Steve and Michele Berlant
Old Agness Store
