By JENNIFER MAIER/Community Columnist

“Waste not, want not,” is a familiar phrase to many people. But for the owners of a new store in Columbiana, the idea of repurposing old discarded items has become their business model.

Robin Robinson and Shannon Hobbs recently opened The Farm Company in the Shops of Columbiana in historic downtown Columbiana.

“We sell items that you would not expect,” said Robinson. “We take old things no one wants anymore or thinks they can’t use anymore and we repurpose them. All of our items are hand made in Shelby County by amazing artisans.”

Robinson has a piece of advice to anyone who comes into the shop.  “We sell what we create and if you see something you like you better get it because a lot of our inventory is one of a kind and it may not be there tomorrow.”

They chose the name The Farm Company because both she and Hobbs grew up on farms. That is where the motto of “Waste not, want not” stems from.

“We chose the name The Farm Company because anyone that has ever lived on a farm knows that you never throw anything away, you always try to find a new use for things,” she explained.

Neither Robinson nor Hobbs imagined they would ever be shop owners. But much to their surprise, what started as a casual idea while eating lunch with friends turned into a reality in less than a week.

“Shannon and I were eating lunch with our Teaching Director, Marsha Parsons, and Youth and Children Director, Cindy Milner, from Community Bible Study at the Coconut Girl Café,” said Robinson.  She asked Parson what the little shops were and was surprised to find out that they were small, individual storefronts.

Parsons suggested that Robinson open a shop.

“I laughed and said that I had no interest in opening a store. Shannon was sitting across from me and her eyes lit up and she said that it would be fun,” Robinson said. “So in less than a week we had a lease and were working on inventory. We opened in a month from signing our lease. We trust God to lead us and direct us in the path He wants us to take. God is so good.”

Robinson describes the shop’s inventory as unique and handmade. Originality is what attracts Robinson and Hobbs to a particular item. A dose of prayer goes into the decision-making process, too.

“We don’t want to be like any other store, originality is what we love and look for,” she explained. “Also, we pray about everything we put into our store because we want to make sure we are glorifying God in all things.”

From the beginning, their belief in God has played a part in every aspect of their shop.

“We love Jesus and we love to talk about Him, share Him, and encourage others through Him,” Robinson explained. “He is our everything and we want that to be evident in the atmosphere in our store. Everything about The Farm Company is God’s provision. It is our mission field. We will pray with anyone that needs it, we want our store to be a place of love and encouragement.”

The owners plan to expand their offerings in the future to include items such as coffee tables, end tables, farm tables as well as custom built furniture.

The shop is located at 104 S. Main St. and is open Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.