Rural Missouri - February 2023 - 35

RUSTIC DUCK
Find homecooked food,
wildlife art and a lifetime of
happiness in Appleton City
by Zach Smith | zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
photos by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
T
ake a trip around the lake at Susan Hearting's farm and you'll fi nd a lot of things taking
wing from the nest. Some are molting downy feathers while their wooden doubles watch
from a window-lit shelf. Others aren't in motion, but grow and thrive anyway, if you
count the happiness they bring to visitors. If you're in the mood for a quiet afternoon by
the water, a joyous celebration or a plate of country-style food, the Rustic Duck feels like home
whether you're from Appleton City or American Samoa.
" The weddings bring people in from everywhere, " says Susan, noting her wedding venue barn
has hosted newlyweds from Clinton and El Dorado Springs to Australia and Ecuador. " You wouldn't
think so out here in the middle of nowhere, but they do. "
What would become the Rustic Duck hatched when Susan brought her decorating and wedding
venue business, Vintage View, out to her farm in the custom, Amish-built barn. Next, the Osage Valley
Electric Cooperative member added cabins plus catering and fl oral services along with a wine shop.
In the summer of 2022, a restaurant fl edged. The entire complex rings a 60-acre lake, where Susan's
feathered friends can often be found. Through it all her love for art and wildlife is hard to miss.
The walls of the art gallery-restaurant are lined with more than 400 mostly antique, handcarved duck
and goose decoys. Some were carved by Susan's hand and others by famed carvers such as Elmer Kroll.
Susan's works of beavers, raccoons and white-tailed deer painted onto old barn wood and other pieces
accent rough-hewn framing timbers, while the gallery hallway features stunning paintings by local artists.
When the Rustic Duck opened in the summer of 2022, chef Jamie
Bokern planned a menu of " simple and country-style " food to be
enjoyed in the restaurant's quiet, pastoral setting. The colorful grilled
chicken salad is a lunch favorite among diners.
FEBRUARY 2023 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 35
http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Rural Missouri - February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - February 2023

Contents
Rural Missouri - February 2023 - Cover1
Rural Missouri - February 2023 - Cover2
Rural Missouri - February 2023 - Contents
Rural Missouri - February 2023 - 4
Rural Missouri - February 2023 - 5
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Rural Missouri - February 2023 - Cover3
Rural Missouri - February 2023 - Cover4
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