It was 2019 when friends and holistic-health aficionados Melanie Mason and Gina Ledford decided to team up and bring natural health remedies to Cañon City.
By October, Mel’s Mill was up and running — just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdowns to rear their ugly head.
If it were any other industry, Mason and Ledford may have had an incredibly difficult fight on their hands but, because of the nature of their business, were able to provide critical products to the community.
Ledford, a lifelong herbalist with an undergraduate degree in pre-med biology, finds true fulfillment in exploring the world of natural remedies. Similarly, Mason, whose connection with holistic products stems from her witness of sickness and how it affects individuals and families, also eagerly searches for new, organic products to feature.
Both ladies grew up in Colorado, with Mason attending Cañon City High School and Ledford having close family in the area, and discovered that their business found home roots in Fremont County.
“Cañon’s a great place to live, I’ve been all over the country and parts of the world and I think this is a good spot to be…I really enjoy the people here,” Mason said.
Their success was marked by a continued desire to expand and find more local products to feature amongst those made in-house. They spent time on Ninth Street and East Main Street before settling into a new location at 414 Main St.
“We’re trying to support the community through using healthy products,” Ledford said.
Mel’s Mill has a large variety of products available, including natural beauty products, essential oils, herbs, teas, tinctures, honey and organic grains and flours.
“It gives the power back to people, which I think a big problem with COVID is we were losing any control of our own health,” Ledford said. “If we can help somebody take some of that power back — some of that fear away — it makes us healthier.”
In addition to providing natural and organic products, Ledford and Mason found it pertinent to give classes, as well. They regularly run classes straight out of the shop to teach people how to make natural lotions, salves, and essential oils and enjoy the prospect of facilitating a healthier community.
In addition to providing an outlet for many local products, the ladies both enjoy the opportunity to support other fledgling businesses. So far, they can count two local businesses, where they played a pivotal role in the inspiration or founding of the new business — a vital aspect of small-town America.
“It’s really important that we find ways to contribute,” Mason said. “If we can find ways to help people to launch a new business, we’ll always be the first to take their product on board and see if it does any good.”
Mel’s Mill has partaken in the local Cañon City Co-Op, where supporting local growers to change global ideas on food is paramount and has also hosted garden clubs and other health-oriented organizations.
Like many locally-owned businesses, Mel’s Mill also regularly donates to local causes.
“We will never say no. We will always try to help in any way we can,” Mason said.
The will to make their little corner of the world a better place resounds loudly in Ledford and Mason’s efforts both in their shop and in the larger community.
To learn more about the wide range of products available at Mel’s Mill, visit https://melsmill.com/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/canoncitymill/.