Eight Acres & Bakers

When we purchased our 8 acres in 2021 I asked the owners before we signed the final papers if I could plant a garden. There was a perfect little spot that I had already scoped out when we toured the farm. I could envision lots of tomatoes and peppers happily growing on that plot.

Gardening has been a passion in my family for years and years. My parents had a beautifully tended garden when I was growing up. I remember my mom canning green beans, tomato sauce and pepper relish evenings after the supper dishes were cleared. I always wondered why bother? What a lot of work!

My dad helped my with my little spot in the garden for a 4-H project. I think he was more excited to show what I had grown at the local 4-H fair then I was.

After I was married and had kids I fell in love with gardening! The garden was my quiet place to spend an afternoon. I knew the kids would stay far away for fear they might be asked to come and pull weeds with mom.

I have even entered and won quite a few ribbons with my produce at the annual Sandwich Fair.

I knew when I planted the the first tomato plant on the eight acres that I wanted to open a vegetable stand at the end of the lane. Nothing better than sharing what you grow with others.

My husband found a place that built sheds on site and then would deliver to our area. After purchasing a chicken coop from them, I found the perfect little stand, complete with a front porch to add to the charm.

After the shed was delivered in the early spring of 2022, I knew it would be a few months before a vegetable would even be ready to sell at my stand. That would give me some time to paint and decorate the inside. That task took less time then I thought. No veggies ready yet. What could I sell in the meantime to get people interested in stopping by?

I have been making and selling my noodles and breads at area Farmers Markets for years. They would make a nice filler in the stand until the vegetables started coming in. To the list of noodles and breads I decided to add cinnamon rolls, pies, cookies and whatever I decided to bake that week.

I would try to have everything baked and ready to go by 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. The first Saturday I opened up for business everything was gone before 9:30! Wow, talk about overwhelmingly grateful.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how many people in the area know about the little blue shed on the edge of Paw Paw. People tell me they have stopped in to grab a loaf of bread or a box of cinnamon rolls. During the summer I have people run out to grab some tomatoes for a BLT sandwich or hot peppers for a quick salsa dip.

I want to thank each and everyone of you that has supported my little roadside stand! What a blessing to share my passion with others. I am excited to start another season of selling my baked goods and the vegetables when they are ready at the little blue shed. And to think, I just wanted to sell vegetables!