324. Why More Stay-at-Home Moms Are Starting Farm Stands (Is It Worth It?) | Rayla of Farmstand Club

Summary

Podcast Summary: Simple Farmhouse Life

Episode 324: Why More Stay-at-Home Moms Are Starting Farm Stands (Is It Worth It?)

• Host: Lisa Bass
• Guest: Rayla, Founder of Farmstand Club
• Date: January 13, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Lisa Bass explores the emerging trend of stay-at-home moms and families launching roadside farm stands as a means of earning income, building community, and connecting more deeply with their local food system. Lisa is joined by Rayla, founder of the Farmstand Club, who shares her firsthand experience running a successful multi-family farm stand business and guiding others to do the same. Together, they discuss the motivations, logistics, profitability, and community impact of the farm stand movement, with practical advice for anyone interested in starting their own stand.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rise of Roadside Farm Stands

• Back to Basics, Forward to Community:
  Both Lisa and Rayla reflect on how farm stands feel both nostalgic and timely, tapping into a desire for local, additive-free foods and meaningful neighborly connections.
  • Lisa: “It seems like it's almost like going back in time. Like you'd think that that would have been something we did a long time ago and now we no longer do things like that. So why do you think this trend is growing?” (03:31)
• Post-Pandemic Community Needs:
  Rayla highlights that isolation post-COVID has left many people, especially moms, craving a sense of community and purpose at home.
  • Rayla: “There's kind of like, this weird breakdown mentally of like, I need community. How am I supposed to get community? We've been in our home for 28 years, and we didn't know our neighbors until we started Farm Stand.” (06:28 & 06:57)

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2. Getting Started: From Idea to Open Stand

• DIY Approach to Building:
  Rayla describes starting with a recycled TV console as their first stand, then gradually upgrading as needs and regulations shifted.
  • Rayla: “We literally stuck it out in the front yard, we baked, and off to the races we went. And that's how it started.” (04:37)
• Check Local Laws:
  Planning/zoning and cottage food laws differ by state and even county. Rayla stresses the importance of checking regulations before setting up shop.
  • “Most states allow cottage foods laws...But if you're actually looking into the farm stand, its a three sided basic walk up stand is going to be your best bet.” (09:25)
• Location & Accessibility:
  Placement matters. Stands should be visible from the road, with large, bold signage, and safe parking/turnaround spaces.
  • Rayla: “Think big and just bold, not artsy, cutesy. ... We literally have...a piece of plank that literally has the word bread on it written in black.” (13:50)

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3. Business Logistics and Operations

• Baking & Stocking Schedule:
  Simplicity is key. Each member bakes according to preference, and products are packaged/stocked daily or multiple times per week.
  • Rayla: “We chose really simple recipes for that reason...my sister does the chocolate chip cookie, the sourdough chocolate chip cookie, and her entire bake takes two hours. That is baking, packaging, and loading into the farm stand.” (19:38)
• Managing Inventory Among Multiple Families:
  With five contributors, they use simple inventory sheets to track who baked and sold which items for fair profit distribution. (21:01)
• Top-Selling Items:
  Sourdough bread, cookies, scones, and brownies are most popular ("big four"). Basic, well-made baked goods outsell more niche items in most markets. (16:14)
• Packaging:
  Clean, sealed, and visually appealing packaging with a clear window is important for self-serve confidence and aesthetics.
  • “Packaging in general, you want it to be cute and you want it to be clear and you want it to be clean.” (35:35)
• Offering More Than Baked Goods:
  Seasonal produce and other local items (eggs, honey, crafts) can be included, but most stands focus on baked goods for simplicity and freshness. (15:52)

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4. Marketing & Community Building

• The Customer Experience:
  Creating a “Hallmark moment” or memorable visit—through decorations, music, notes, and packaging—is a major traffic driver.
  • Rayla: “We wanted to create like a Hallmark moment. ... We've had so many people pull over and take photos in front of our farm stand.” (22:33)
• Social Media & Privacy Balance:
  Instagram and local Facebook groups are effective, but viral attention can overwhelm. Rayla moved to a text-list system for regular local customers.
  • “Our biggest advertisement local is actually our text list...people, they love to get their bread text.” (28:10; 28:37)
• Collaborative Spirit:
  Farm stands in the same area support each other. Having more stands actually increases public awareness/demand instead of cannibalizing customers.
  • “Your customers [will choose] based on your product versus someone else's. ... It's less competition.” (34:07)
• Events & Discovery:
  An app or farm stand map could help people discover stands, but, as yet, there’s no widely used national platform. (26:28)

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5. Profitability & Scalability

• Income Range:
  Side income potential is strong and flexible. Reported earnings range from $1,500/week up to $15,000/month, depending on scale, consistency, and offerings. (40:15)
  • Rayla: “It's like any other business. The more you build it, the more they'll come. ... It is very profitable if you want it to be.” (40:28)
• Payment Methods:
  Stands use Venmo, cash, and sometimes point-of-sale apps. Each has pros and cons (Venmo forgetfulness/cash limitations, etc.). (40:47)
• Target Market Size:
  Even with populations of tens of thousands, a single stand cannot serve more than a small fraction—so “oversaturation” is not a concern, yet.
  • “Our farm stand can't even supply, I mean, 1% of [our local population], realistically.” (32:53)

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6. Practical & Legal Considerations

• Permits & Food Safety:
  Regulations exist for both preparation (pets, kitchen environment) and sales (property placement, signage). Always check local/county rules.
• Wildlife & Pests:
  Outdoor stands face unique challenges—cats for rodent control, sealed packaging for bug prevention, and problem-solving with other owners. (42:12)
• Privacy and Location:
  For privacy on family property, some owners prefer not to widely share their address unless to local customers. Some invest in separate property for their stand. (38:04)

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Memorable Quotes

• On Motivation:
  Rayla (on why farm stands are rising now):
  "They want to be able to bake in their own kitchen. They want to support their neighbors. They want to create community." (06:28)

• On Starting Small:
  Rayla:
  "We literally stuck it out in the front yard, we baked, and off to the races we went. And that's how it started." (04:37)

• On Experience:
  Rayla:
  "We wanted to create like a Hallmark moment...they felt as though they were having a unique experience." (22:33)

• On Profitability:
  Rayla:
  "I've had people who make $1,500 a week. I've had someone who made $15,000 a month. ... It is very profitable if you want it to be." (40:15)

• On Competition:
  Rayla:
  "Even though it's a sourdough loaf of bread, they don't taste the same. ... Your customers [are] based on your product versus someone else's." (34:07)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:49] Rayla’s Introduction & Origin Story
• [06:26] The Drive for Community & Post-COVID Isolation
• [07:32] What Sells Best? (Best Sellers & Profit Margins)
• [09:21] Choosing a Farm Stand Design, Location, and Legalities
• [13:50] Signage Tips for Visibility
• [16:14] Expanding Offerings: Produce, Eggs, and More
• [19:38] Daily/Weekly Operations and Baking Schedule
• [21:01] Managing Multi-Person, Multi-Family Operations
• [22:33] Creating a Unique “Hallmark” Experience
• [28:10] Marketing: From Social Media to Text Lists
• [32:34] Is Oversaturation a Concern?
• [35:01] Packaging for Self-Serve Stands
• [40:15] Profitability and Income Potential
• [41:42] Payment Methods and Customer Convenience
• [42:04] Wildlife, Pets, and Risk Management

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Further Resources & How to Connect

• Farmstand Club:
  • Instagram: @farmstandclub
  • Website: farmstandclub.com
  • Facebook Group: Farmstand Club
  • Live trainings, recipe bundles, and starter guides available through their website.

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Final Thoughts

This episode gives an inspiring, practical look into the homegrown, community-driven farm stand movement. Rayla and Lisa’s discussion is rich in actionable advice, from the business’s nuts and bolts to the heart behind building local connections. Whether you’re seeking side income, searching for local foods, or just want to simplify and slow down, starting a farm stand—no matter how humble—could be a rewarding journey.

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For all links, show notes, and related guides, visit the episode description or www.farmhouseonboone.com

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

K12.Com farmhouse so many people are needing or wanting good homemade food and it's just one of those things that people are tired of all of the additives and just stuff that's in our food system and people want to support local so it's something that a lot of people can start and do.

[C]

I think it's interesting because it seems like it's almost like going back in time. Like you'd think that that would have been something we did a long time ago and now we no longer do things like that. So why do you think this trend is growing at this particular time in history when we can get just about anything from the grocery store? My name is Lisa, mother of nine and creator of the blog and YouTube channel Farmhouse on Boone.

[A]

On this podcast I like to talk about simplifying your life so you can live out your priorities. Help you learn how to cook from scratch and decorate on a budget through this podcast and my courses Simple Sourdough in the Simple Sewing series. I will leave links to these resources in the show notes and description box below.

[C]

Now let's get into the show. Welcome back to the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast. Have you ever wanted to earn some money from home by starting a farm stand? Well, that is a growing movement that is happening all over the world, really. And today's guest, Rayla, is the founder of the Farmstand Club, which is a community created to help families return to slower, more intentional ways of living through homesteading and starting farm stand or cottage baking businesses of their own. So we are going to talk about marketing and strategy and profit margins and timelines and how to start your own farm stand. If that's something that you're interested or just curious to hear about, I think you're going to find this conversation very inspiring and fun. Raela, welcome.

[B]

On.

[C]

I'm really excited to talk about this topic. We've had other guests on who talked about having, like, a small bakery, but the farm stand concept is possibly a little bit different. And I have been seeing them pop up all over where I live within about 30 minutes. There are three that I see regularly on my drives, but I'm sure there's so many more just on roads that I don't go down all the time. So they are super popular. And I'm sure a lot of people are wondering, is it worth it? Is this a good way to earn income from home? Is it a growing trend? What are some of the. The laws and all of that that we need to know? So let's start at first with some introductions. Tell us a bit about yourself and your mission. And you said you have four other people that create content with you when it comes to farm stands.

[D]

So.

[C]

Yeah, give us the intro.

[B]

Okay. You know, my name is Rayla and we are a group of five that started a roadside farm stand as kind of something that we wanted to do for fun. So my sister and I, which are.

[D]

Both part of the farm stand group, we run a business together, and we were kind of at a place in our own business where we were kind of experiencing burnout.

[B]

And so we're like, you know what? We want to do something fun that's a little bit slower. You know, we're, we've been in the hustle culture and we're like, let's do this. I saw a post of someone who had been selling cookies from, I think it was like a construction worker group. So, like, this person would go to this construction worker zone and, like, sell their cookies. And my mom told me about a farm stand, and I was like, you know what?

[D]

We can do that.

[B]

We live on agricultural land.

[D]

Let's Try it.

[B]

None of us were bakers, and we decided that we were gonna go to, like, Habitat for Humanity and pick up, like, an old TV console and make it into this cute little farm stand with a really big sign that said bread. And so we literally stuck it out in the front yard, we baked, and off to the races we went. And that's how it started.

[C]

That's how it began. And then when did you transition to helping teach other people about starting farm stands?

[B]

When it blew up. So we were kind of shocked because, like I said, it was kind of one of those things that we were doing for fun.

[D]

And it took off within, like, three months. Like, our social media following.

[B]

Like, we just started it for, like, local, and it just went crazy. And so we're like, oh, my gosh. And so people kept asking. They're like, how are you doing this? And I'm like, well, every state has cottage food. You just have to look it up. And so it kind of transitioned into this thing of us just helping other people start because so many people are needing or wanting, I should say, good homemade food. And it's just one of those things that people are tired of all of the additives and just stuff that's in our food system, and people want to support local. So it's something that a lot of people can start and do. Um, and I just. I don't know, I've kind of developed a passion here for it.

[C]

Yeah, I think it's interesting because it seems like it's almost like going back in time. Like, you'd think that that would have been something we did a long time ago, and now we no longer do things like that. So why do you think this trend is growing at this particular time in history when we can get just about anything from the grocery store now? We can't necessarily get something that somebody baked, you know, today, which is awesome. Especially people who live in, like, rural areas, which is where these are popping up, because we don't have bakeries.

[B]

But.

[A]

Yeah. Why now?

[B]

I think there's a large group of, like, stay at home moms, obviously, who want to help financially, but at the same time, they don't want to leave their kids. They want to be able to bake in their own kitchen. They want to support their neighbors. They want to create community. And I think a lot of people are isolated. Especially after the COVID years, there's kind of like, this weird breakdown mentally of like, I need community. How am I supposed to get community? And so we've really seen that with our Farm Stand. Like, we've been in our home for.

[D]

28 years, and we didn't know our neighbors until we started Farm Stand.

[B]

And so we just have so many notes from people all over just coming and saying, thank you so much. I appreciate your food. I appreciate being able to come here with my family. So, yeah, I think it's come out of need for community and people.

[C]

Yeah. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about profitability and what sells. What's your, like, hot ticket items that maybe don't take as much time or money to make, but actually sell really well. So you end up making a lot of profit. What. What are those?

[B]

I mean, so when we started, it was sourdough bread, and like I said, none of us were bakers, but my mom had decided that during COVID she was going to attempt bread. Now, she had done bread throughout my life growing up, and she just. She hated bread until, I don't know what happened. She started making white bread and sourdough bread, and it was insane, mind you. She also had no taste because she lost it during COVID So she literally created this bread with no taste.

[C]

And she does now, right?

[B]

She does now, yeah.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

But, yeah, so we put the bread out there. Bread and cookies are huge sellers. Scones are a huge seller. Simple, basic recipes that are, like, tried and true. So, I mean, obviously the cost of.

[D]

Creating bread is a lot lower than.

[B]

A lot of other products.

[D]

So, I mean, your return on investment is going to be higher.

[B]

And then cookies, the way that we've kind of set up our cookies, I.

[D]

Mean, you make a really good profit with most of the products that we've put out.

[C]

Okay, so backing up a little bit. We briefly touched on starting a farm stand, but we kind of skimmed over that. You guys went to Habitat for Humanity. You grabbed that TV console, which a couple of the ones in our area have a small building, and then some have, like you said, just a TV console with, like a coffee can and a Venmo QR code. So there's a wide range of what you can offer of how big. You'll go talk to us a bit about that. Like, getting started.

[B]

I mean, getting started in the sense of, like, how you do the build.

[D]

Or the bake portion, let's say.

[C]

Okay, yes. Getting the type of where it should be. Okay. So like, I'm assuming on your property close to the road. So where it should be, what type of infrastructure you need, what type of laws to abide by, or how to figure that out. And then your basic Menu, I guess.

[B]

So for most states you always have to check with your planning and zoning.

[D]

For the actual physical farm stand.

[B]

Most states allow cottage foods laws in the sense of like you can bake.

[D]

And take it to a farmer's market, you can sell directly out of your home.

[B]

But if you're actually looking into the farm stand, its a three sided basic walk up stand is going to be your best bet. You want something that is going to display your food well and it's going to be waterproof. We live in a four seasons climate.

[D]

So we want to make sure that obviously it's snowing this time of year that our product is not going to get wet.

[B]

I mean there are so many different.

[D]

Types of farm stands. Like we have local people on marketplace.

[B]

Who are building them and then people just buy them. It's so cute. But I mean honestly you can have.

[D]

A table if you want with an umbrella and just like again for your.

[B]

Money, whatever honestly fits you. I think as you continue on you'll obviously make upgrades.

[D]

I mean we're on our third farm.

[B]

Stand ourselves so I think that's kind.

[C]

Of part in the same spot. Like do you have three in a row or just. You mean your like third rendition?

[B]

Third rendition, yep. So our first one was obviously that TV console. Our second one we upgraded to like a, like a walk in shed and then we still have the shed but.

[D]

We'Ve made it more of a walk up style versus a walk in just to accommodate some laws that have happened in our local region.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And again you would know this if.

[D]

You call like local planning and zoning they'll kind of tell you what you.

[C]

Need to know for that. Interesting. So with your one that you kind of walk in, is it always open?

[B]

So all of our farm stands are open from between the hours of like seven and I'm sorry, nine o' clock and seven o' clock at night.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

We just choose those hours because you know, that just works for us.

[B]

There are people who leave their farm stands open overnight. Yeah, I mean it's honestly whatever you'd like to do.

[C]

Yeah. So then how often are you going into the farm stand and checking your inventory and restocking and making sure like everything's fresh.

[B]

So there's five of us. So you know, a lot of farm stands, they're just a single person. But for us we have five different.

[D]

People who are putting into our farm stand from our home.

[B]

So we kind of have a schedule of like who's opening, who's closing, we load out in the morning, we Bring in at night. We don't leave our product outside. And most of the time we don't.

[D]

Have a whole lot of product to bring in. We sell out mostly day one, and if anything is left over, it sells the following morning.

[B]

You know, people, when you're starting your.

[D]

Bakes, you kind of want to know how long a product sits on a shelf that's fresh.

[B]

We know that with all of our products and so we'll pull them, you.

[D]

Know, if there is by chance something that's left over and we won't let it set.

[B]

So I mean, we like to go out to our farm stand just to read the notes that we have on the walls from customers. So, you know, we go out and, you know, visit it a few times a day if you want.

[D]

But that's just fun.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So is yours located on one of your properties of the five of you? Okay.

[D]

Yep, yep.

[C]

Nice.

[D]

It is. And we're agriculture land on our property.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So how far do you have to go to your farm stand? And is it sitting right by the road or like how far from the road is it?

[B]

So when we first started, we had it 30ft from the center line because that's what the laws were at the time. Um, we had some traffic situations. They punched a hole through for our.

[D]

Road, so we had to move it back even further.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Um, so from our property line we had to move it back 30ft and then we decided that we were going.

[D]

To move it 85ft back because we wanted to kind of change how we set it up and whatnot. Okay. So ours actually sits 80ft five or 85ft off the road.

[C]

Now do you need parking or are people able to turn around where once they get there to get.

[B]

Yes, our site, we do have it.

[D]

To where they can turn around.

[B]

We do live on a semi busy road. So it's kind of one of those.

[D]

Things where traffic control wants that.

[B]

Okay. There's a lot of people who do not in our town have that.

[D]

So.

[B]

Yeah, it's kind of per farm stand.

[C]

Yeah, it is.

[A]

Because there's.

[C]

We have one that's right off the highway and she actually stocks meat, eggs, even some little things that like crafts that people make and like beeswax and honey type of items and then also freshly baked goods. And she's actually like, you have to get off the highway and then like an interstate and then there's another one that is off of a road that's like a state divided highway. And with that one you back, back out onto the Road, but it's not busy enough that that's really a problem. And it's very close to the road. So what do you do about visibility? Like, what kind of signage is out by the road to capture as many people as possible?

[B]

Big signs. So this is something we talk about.

[D]

To all of like the people that we're training online.

[B]

Think big and just bold, not artsy, cutesy.

[D]

When to road signs.

[B]

Like we literally have. I think it's like a 6 foot by 4 foot piece of plank that literally has the word bread on it written in black and that is like center. When you're driving by, you can see it, it's 20ft maybe from the road. So like they'd have to actually turn.

[D]

Into our driveway to get to the farm stand. But they can see our signs clearly when driving by.

[C]

Yeah, I guess that's important if you're going to be back from the road, especially.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Whereas if they can see the farm stand, there might be more, you know, they might stop. But what about like, if they have to slow down, where do you put the sign as far as like, how far back from where they have to get off the highway or whatever it is? It's not a highway, but like a. Ours is like a state highway type.

[B]

Of thing, I think. Are you looking from like a legal standpoint or from just like visibility standpoint?

[C]

Let's do both.

[D]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, for me personally, when we first started, I put those signs literally on our fence.

[D]

So I actually screwed it into our fence post.

[B]

So, like people who were coming, you know, east and west, they could see it just sitting on a fence. As we've kind of, you know, gone through the time, we literally have a.

[D]

Sign that like sits upright and it has like. I'm trying to like describe this.

[B]

It's like a standard sign, but you.

[D]

Can see it from both coming and.

[B]

Going, legal wise, depending on where you're at. If you're agricultural or rural, um, you're definitely going to want to ask for signage situations because sometimes they can be finicky about that and then sometimes they don't care. So just kind of be prepared if somebody approaches you and says, hey, your.

[D]

Sign needs to be this far back, blah, blah, blah.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay. So do you do other, like any farm items like eggs or produce in the fall or summer and fall?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Or just bakes?

[B]

We have a garden on the property and when we harvest in, like the fall, we will do produce, obviously. Tomatoes. We normally have a ton of tomatoes.

[D]

So we'll do that.

[B]

And squash, sometimes pumpkins. It's not something that we do outside of like harvest season. For the most part we are scones.

[D]

Bread, cookies and brownies. Like that is the main four.

[C]

Okay, yeah.

[A]

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[C]

Okay, a lot of people are asking about the time investment. So how long does this take you when it comes to your baking, your prep, the timeline leading up to which? This isn't like a market day. This is a constant, ongoing thing, which in some ways sounds a little bit easier to plan for because it's not like you're getting all of your customers at one time, but what does it look like for you?

[B]

So we chose really simple recipes for that reason. Like I said, we weren't bakers when we started, so we wanted recipes that were tried and true and were simple and efficient to make. So, like, my sister does the chocolate chip cookie, the sourdough chocolate chip cookie, and her entire bake takes two hours. That is baking, packaging, and loading into the farm stand.

[C]

She likes like, per day.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

Or, okay, gotcha. Okay.

[B]

And she likes to bake twice, sometimes three times a week. That's like her preference. Whereas, like, okay, I do scones. It takes me like an hour, 20.

[D]

Hour 30 for my full bake. And I like to bake like four times a week.

[B]

My mom, sourdough, obviously sourdough is a little bit more of a process. She has kind of done some really interesting things with how she actually bakes her bread. And she has some really cool ways that are kind of like, more geared towards residential ovens. And hers can take overnight, obviously, because.

[D]

She has to do the proofing portion of it. I actually don't know much about sourdough, but yeah.

[B]

So overnight for her and then however.

[D]

Long it takes for the actual bakery.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So for other people who are interested in possibly doing this with someone else, like, you're doing it with five people total. How do you work out? Like, are you keeping track of what each person sells or are you trying to create like about equal investment so that you can just split it five ways and not have to worry about, like, who sold what or how are you working all that out?

[B]

So we have an inventory sheet, we.

[D]

Have it, we custom made it for us.

[B]

And so everybody just keeps track of which products go out in the morning. So like if I'm opening, I'm going.

[D]

To write down all the products that.

[B]

Go out, whose products are which. At the end of the day, we bring those products in, we just do.

[D]

An inventory count and then we allot out according to whom sold what.

[C]

Yeah, that makes sense. Now some people are asking about fresh milled flour products. And I've been wondering this too, because when I had, I had some, some people from the Flour Barn Bakery on the podcast twice and they were saying that that hasn't really taken off when it comes to sales at like a farm, farmer's market type. Well, they have a little bakery, not really a farm stand. But have you seen any demand for fresh milled flour products or are people still just get something that's been homemade?

[B]

I mean at the basics, they're happy to have homemade.

[D]

I can definitely see though the, the fresh meal being a big niche, especially.

[B]

In wherever like you're at like California.

[D]

I can see that being a huge hit.

[B]

I've had a lot of people who want gluten free products and like, we don't do gluten free.

[D]

But I know like a lot of farm stands that we've been teaching, they're.

[B]

Like, hey, can I do gluten free?

[D]

And I'm like, you will have so many people coming.

[C]

Oh yeah. They'd go either way for it.

[D]

Oh, absolutely.

[C]

Since it's hard to find that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

So yes, I think there's definitely a niche for that.

[C]

Okay, now do you have a lot of people that come because they're coming just to come to your farm stand or is it mostly a lot of traffic that was already going down the road? What would you say is the split on that?

[B]

You know, for our stand, there's a little bit of a novelty. So when we set up our farm stand, we wanted to create like a Hallmark moment. So when like people came, they had an experience.

[D]

Experience.

[B]

So we had music playing. They could leave us a note, put it on a corkboard. Our products were really packaged for like cute factor, I guess, would be the, the best way to put it. And so people, I mean, we've had so many people pull over and take.

[D]

Photos in front of our farm stand.

[B]

Like they felt as though they were having a unique experience. And then once they got there, then they're like, yeah, I love this product. So a little bit of both, I.

[D]

Would have to say.

[C]

I honestly think that's so important because you can get almost anything these days. Like you can order sourdough bread, fresh to bake online and it can be delivered to your door. You can get any organic product shipped right to your door. You can order. There's just a lot of ways to acquire goods these days. And so I'm wondering how important that experience piece is. Like when I interviewed the other bakers that have their stand, that was a huge thing for them is creating like, like a Saturday thing that you go and do and so do you find with other people that you teach that that's actually really important?

[B]

I think it is a piece, absolutely. I mean, I've seen it firsthand from, from our farm stand itself. And then the ones that I've seen that have really gone viral, definitely there's a feel to them. People just want to experience that homegrown feel.

[D]

And if you can create that, they're going to come.

[C]

I really think so. And I don't know that it's that much harder because you have to package anyway. So if up front you devote some hours to designing and thinking through all of that, then you have that process down and you're printing labels anyway. They're just a little cuter. You might have like a little special tie. It doesn't seem like the investment maybe is too much really time wise.

[D]

No, it's not.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[D]

Not at all.

[C]

What all. How have you presented your stand? Like, what kind of work did you do to it? How did you get it? Because I know you're, you're not just doing the TV like entertainment center type thing anymore. You have this shed. So what is it? Like, what all did you put in it and how did you do a lot of work to it or how did you get it to where it is?

[B]

You know, it has had so many different transformations. I think part of like something that I personally enjoy is seeing how the customers interact with the facility itself. And so like I like to change things, I guess would be the best way to put it. I like to, you know, put up a different shelf, add to just like.

[C]

Your house, you know, like kind of cute, you know.

[D]

Exactly.

[B]

Decorate it for the holidays. Yeah, I think that's part of it. I think that's like. I actually think that's a key part.

[D]

To be completely honest.

[B]

So our shed has changed dramatically throughout the last two years.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Shelves. No shelves. New table. No table. Window. No window. Completely different build.

[D]

So. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. And you Decorate it for the season. That's pretty cool.

[D]

Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

[C]

Are there local events also that you could be a part of? Has that been part of your marketing strategy at all? Like, where there's, like. I don't know, like, you can shop around or go to different shops? I've seen those locally in several places I've been where there's, like, a event where you just go around to each shop. Is there anything like that, or have you seen any success with that, kind.

[B]

Of like a farmer's market?

[C]

Well, no, like, where you go. Like, there's, like, sort of several shops that are participating and there might be some kind of game. Like you find a secret ticket. Like, that's. That's something that I've seen done, but maybe.

[B]

Yeah, no, we don't have that here, to be honest.

[D]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

No, I mean, we've definitely thought of, like, creating some type of.

[D]

Well, we've actually been talking about this for a while. We know that there needs to be, like, some sort of not map, but.

[B]

Like, interaction for people to be able to find each other or find each other's farms.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

So we're kind of in the process of that right now looking into that.

[D]

But, yeah.

[B]

Oh, I can see how that. That would be fun to add that element.

[A]

There should.

[C]

Is there, like, a farm stand app yet where you find, like, all the different farm stands? Because you can imagine, like, going on vacation being like, I want bread, and then you can just go grab it.

[D]

It.

[B]

Exactly.

[D]

That would.

[B]

Yes, that would be nice.

[C]

That'd be cool. Yeah. Too bad I don't know how to make an app, but.

[D]

Right. Yeah.

[B]

It's definitely on our back burner right now.

[D]

We're thinking about it. We're like.

[C]

Yeah. As they pop up, it seems like something that would be really, like, really helpful to have to be able.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Because like I said, I can think of three just close by farm stands right now, and those are just the ones I drive by. So who knows who else has a farm stand just down the road? I never go on.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

That you could go.

[B]

And it's true.

[C]

Get other things from.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[C]

So have you done a lot of social media? I know you teach other people how to start farm stands, too, but what about for your actual farm stand? Are you doing some marketing on social media to get traffic?

[B]

So, like I said, the. We started the Instagram channel for local, and then it went, I mean, worldwide, honestly. And so we kind of, like, backed off a little bit for the farm stand itself because we were like, oh, my gosh, everybody.

[C]

I mean, like, these people are gonna come from.

[B]

Well, no, like, they were like, wanting to. And we're like, okay.

[D]

And so it was kind of a.

[B]

Little scary for a while. And we're like, okay, so maybe we don't have our address.

[C]

That's. That is true.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Yep.

[B]

So we kind of transitioned into like.

[D]

If you're a local DMS and we'll send you the address. And then. So we did that for a while.

[B]

And now. So our biggest advertisement local is actually our text list. So in our farm stand, we have.

[D]

A little sign that says, text bread.

[B]

To this phone number if you want.

[D]

To get daily updates of what's in our farm stand.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And so we've just built that to the point where we send that out every day and.

[D]

Or anytime we open the farm stand, we're not open every day.

[B]

And it.

[D]

I mean, it's a customer base that they come.

[B]

So that's honestly our best.

[A]

That's smart.

[B]

I know people, they love to get their. Their bread text.

[C]

Well, yeah, because you don't want to drive. If it is a drive. You don't want to drive over there. And then there not be something that you. You know, what if you had to close that day or you are out of stock of something? I think that's. That's brilliant. So what platform do you use for that?

[B]

We use good old texting.

[C]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[B]

It is. We have like 40 or 50 group messages and it takes about 10 minutes to send it out every day. But when I first started looking into it, the SMS systems, they were like, hard and expensive. And I'm like, I can just send out a text. It takes 10 minutes. It's not that big a deal. So that's what we're using.

[C]

It's like in your recents. Right. So don't. Do you just text the same group or do you have to, like. I guess you have to add people to it.

[D]

We do, yeah.

[B]

So we have like bread one, bread.

[D]

Two bread three bread four. And those are group chats. So there's a.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Mm. And then we just create new ones.

[D]

As they come in.

[C]

Now, do you tell people, like, don't text back because could you imagine, like.

[D]

Yes, we do.

[B]

Yes. We said we do not respond to this. If you need a question, you can.

[D]

Text us privately or DM us on Instagram.

[C]

Okay. Yeah. Otherwise, people are like, seriously?

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Now, what about, like, partnering with local farms? Like, say there's a raw milk farmer in your area and they want a way to distribute their milk that doesn't require people to come to their house. Are you doing anything like that or have you seen success with.

[B]

With that? So that one's kind of sticky. Depending on your state. Yes. I mean, we actually buy raw milk for ourselves personally to drink. We, I mean, obviously we don't use it in our products, but I, I'm.

[D]

A big believer of raw milk.

[B]

However, in our state, you have to have a license. There's some things that you can and.

[D]

Can'T do with that.

[B]

So I would definitely check into your.

[D]

Laws before doing anything with ramen milk.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You know, now that you mention it, even our state, it's pretty lenient. But I'm pretty sure you have to. I think the stipulation is you have to like pre order. It's something like that. Like, you can't just show up and grab. There's something like that. I, I shouldn't speak because I really don't know, but I know that there's some kind of something. It's probably harder than it sounds to just do that. So.

[D]

Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah.

[B]

The gal that we get our raw.

[D]

Milk from, she drops off at a local store and so like her farm is all, you know, certified and has all the stuff that it needs for our state. But I know certain states are kind of picky about that and others are not, so. Yeah.

[A]

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[C]

Do you build traction or stand out in an oversaturated market? I'm wondering, are you seeing oversaturation anywhere? Because I am in my local area, not seeing that. I feel like there's. There could be a whole lot more depending on how many people know about it.

[B]

I think people have to think about the amount of, like, their population.

[D]

Like.

[B]

Yeah, you know, we live in a population of 60, 000 people. Our farm stand can't even supply, I mean, 1% of that, realistically.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I think people need to have.

[D]

A little bit more of, like, a.

[B]

Reality in the sense of look at how many people you can serve.

[D]

Even if you have a hundred farm stands and they're serving 100 people.

[B]

Like, think about that.

[C]

Yeah, exactly.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

It's not. Honestly, I feel like it would be so cool if more communities could have more farm stands because more people are going to have access to better food. So I don't think.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And this is a situation where the more farm stands there are, the more people are aware of them, thus the more demand. Like, I feel like some things it's, you know, there's comp. There's like competition, but in something like this, I kind of think it's the opposite. I think it creates more of a demand for people just even knowing that they exist.

[B]

And two, like, that was another thing. So, like, we decided one day we were gonna go visit all of our farm stands and make a video about it because, like, we wanted to support.

[D]

Other farm stands locally.

[B]

And we bought sourdough from all these farm stands and we tried them all. And to be honest, I had favorites. Other people in the car had different favorites. And so, like, your. Even though it's a sourdough loaf of bread, they don't taste the same.

[C]

No.

[B]

So, like, you're customers based on your.

[D]

Product versus someone else's.

[C]

Yeah. That's what's so cool about this whole concept is it's hyper local, hyper niche. You're not trying to serve the masses. Like, you don't need 10,000 customers. You cannot have 10,000 customers. Like, you said you could at most have what, like, 50? I don't even know how you could serve a hundred people.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, it's hard like, and I think when you take a step back and you realize that it becomes a lot less intimidating and a lot less competition.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So, okay, over saturation, we're going to go ahead and just say that is 100, not a problem yet. I think there can be a lot more and I think this is one of those rising tide, lift all boats type of situations. What about somebody asked about packaging and what works best for self serve farm stands?

[B]

Sealed packaging is key. So for products like your pastries and your cookies, you want something that has a really big window in it so people can see their product, your product, and you want it to be sealed. So like sticker over the, like the clasp part of it so that you know when people roll up to your stand, they can look at something, they're like, oh, this hasn't been open. This looks great. Bread's a little different just because we like to load out our bread hot.

[D]

And our bread sells really, really quickly.

[B]

So our bread is an open top, but again, it's not in the farm.

[D]

Stand for very long.

[B]

Packaging in general, you want it to be cute and you want it to be clear and you want it to be clean. Okay, into that you're good to go.

[C]

So where are you buying it? The packaging?

[B]

So we buy all of our packaging.

[D]

Right now from Amazon.

[C]

Okay, that's what I figured. Honestly. Yeah, I think that's. They have everything on Amazon they do now. Is that something you teach? Do you have a, what are, what are the, what type of resources do you offer for teaching people? Or is it just like through your Instagram?

[B]

So we have a PDF bundle that includes a, like a, a training guide of how to start. And that also includes 14 of our best selling recipes and our bulk sourdough recipe. And then we have live trainings every Saturday to where people can buy a ticket, they can come hang out with my sister and I and we talk about pretty much starting and running the farm stand and all the things to like, get going. And then we opened up a sourdough course that my mom will be teaching on Saturdays as well, where it's like, come ask your questions about sourdough. Because so many people, like, they kill their mothers and they're just like, I need, I need help. So it's kind of like a Q A session. Yeah. So, yeah, just things all about starting a cottage baking business.

[C]

Yeah. Cause I think there'd be so many more questions that you could specifically ask. That makes a lot of sense. Now, what kind of population, city, town are you seeing the Most success or is it just. There's success in all areas?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

What are you seeing there?

[B]

You know, when I. When we started this, we started this in 2024, it was. It was starting to rise. Farm plans are everywhere at this point.

[D]

Like.

[B]

Like I'm seeing them across the country.

[D]

Across the world, to be honest.

[B]

I. I think as long as you have really good products and you have an experience to come to, that's really all you need to draw in the customer base. I mean. Yeah, I think it's just. It's a fun. It's a fun movement.

[C]

It really is. And one thing I've seen, which not everybody has the opportunity to do this, but I've seen someone who. They have a farm stand on a piece of property they bought, I'm pretty sure, specifically for the farm stand. So they are advertising it on social media because it isn't their physical address. Have you seen a lot of people try that or, you know, like buy sort of like an investment property close to maybe a place where people drive a lot, have success?

[D]

No, that's smart.

[B]

Yeah, that's super smart.

[D]

Like.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, here in our area, we have coffee huts.

[D]

I don't know if you have that where you're friend, but yeah, we have similar things. Okay.

[B]

They're literally on every corner here. So I would see. It's kind of like the same structure a little bit. So I can see how that would be super beneficial, to be honest. Yeah.

[C]

This the one I'm thinking of. It's more of in a rural area. It's not like where. It's not like by Walmart. You know, like the coffee shop thing is by Walmart. This isn't like that. But it's also not their property. So like that could be something smart so that you could. Did not feel as weird about putting it on social. Now, obviously the downside to that is you have to drive to go restock, get the money.

[D]

Yes.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Check in on things.

[B]

I think too, in general, I don't think if our social media would have blown up to the size it blew up as fast as it did. I don't think it would have been an issue if we just had social media with like our local people.

[D]

Yeah. I have no problems with the address being on there.

[B]

It was just kind of one of.

[D]

Those things where it just, you know.

[B]

We were taking it step by step. But yeah, if you have just like.

[D]

Social media for your local area, I think that's actually great.

[C]

Yeah, like in your. Everybody has a local Facebook page for Their city.

[B]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[C]

Putting it on there.

[B]

And we've been on that several times. Not by us. Yeah, People post it.

[C]

And so that's great again, since you're not trying to really get the masses. And of course there's different levels of this. There is like I'm baking bread, putting it at the end of my road in a TV entertainment center. Then there's like one where you're maybe partnering with local farmers and you're stocking it with meat and tallow and honey and eggs. And you do possibly need more customers when you're doing that second one. And so your strategy will depend on what your goal is with all of that.

[D]

Absolutely. Very much so, yes.

[C]

So as far as side income, how profitable is the venture? And I mean, obviously it's worth your time. So it's, it's helping. It's, it's like it's selling out every single day. But for someone who wants to start something like this, hours invested versus profit, like, how is that shaping up?

[B]

I think it's like any other small business. So in our farmstaying group, I've had people who make $1,500 a week. I've had someone who made $15,000 a month. Month doing this.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

Yes.

[B]

And that's, I mean, it's very doable if you're consistent. Like I said, it's like any other business. The more you build it, the more they'll come. If you build, you know, a dedicated customer base, it's honestly open ended, whatever you want to do. So. But I will say it is very.

[D]

Profitable if you want it to be.

[C]

Now are you guys doing Venmo so that way people don't have to put like money in a can.

[B]

We've done both, like, we like testing and that, that, that realm. We've done cash only for a while and then we did cash and Venmo. The only thing with Venmo sometimes is people will forget to pay on Venmo.

[C]

I could see that.

[B]

Yeah. So sometimes the cash is a better route to go. There's people who've done, you know, different.

[D]

Types of like square. I don't know if you know what square is or like clover, different types of point of sales. But yeah, absolutely.

[C]

Yeah, I could see that being really great because how often do you come across something like that and you're like, this is great, but I don't have any cash on me right now and, or even the right change or whatever. And so you could very easily do it with Venmo. Probably another reason why this is taking off, because you have social media to market it locally, you have Venmo. It's just, it's really easy to get started. I would assume with all of this.

[D]

Yes, very much so, yeah.

[C]

Now, are there any, some people ask, like some of the logistics and risk management type of thing, like pets, livestock, wild wildlife, like, are there any things that you feel are a risk when it comes to having people come onto your property?

[B]

So as far as like pets go, certain states have certain cottage foods laws.

[D]

Where you can't have pets in the house, others don't.

[B]

So that's something you want to check.

[D]

Into right off the bat if you.

[B]

Do have pets on the property itself. A lot of people have asked, well.

[D]

What do you do with like squirrels?

[B]

We have five outdoor cats, so it's not an issue for us. And we've never deal with that. Yep. Having prevention cats and then obviously depending.

[D]

On where you live.

[B]

Like we live in the four season cl.

[D]

We don't deal with really a whole lot of bugs, whereas someone in Texas might.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Just taking those precautions, being aware that.

[D]

You could deal with it. There's a lot of people in our Facebook group who have dealt with ants.

[B]

And so the ladies who have farm stands with, you know that problem, they'll.

[D]

Go on and they'll help those. So okay.

[B]

Yeah, it's problem solving, to be honest with you.

[C]

It is, yeah.

[D]

Yeah. Well.

[C]

And you can't predict what kind of problem you're going to have. And once you have it, you'll find that somebody else had it too and they can help you figure out how they solved it. But I think the pharmacy movement is just so cool because you don't have to go pack up and go to a market. You can just harness the power of people driving by local social media. And it's just a neat opportunity that while you're home, if you're home with children or whatever, you can be still having a business that's hands on, that's serving your community. So I think it's really neat.

[B]

Yeah, it honestly, it fits all those things and it honestly, it's been a.

[D]

Great blessing for us.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay, well tell everybody where they can go to find more. And of course we'll be linking all of this below as well. But like your group and your live chats and your PDFs and all that kind of stuff.

[B]

Yeah, everything is farm stand club. So if you go to Instagram, it's going to be farm stand club.

[D]

If you go to our website, it's.

[B]

Farmstandclub.Com we have a tick tock. It's also Farm Stand Club Club. We've tried to keep it simple so that, you know, people can remember it and pretty much everything's linked there. If you want to join one of our live trainings, you can just go to farmstandclub.com and click that if you want to try one of our bundles.

[D]

Same things are on there. Yeah.

[B]

And we also have a private group on Facebook if you want to look into that.

[D]

It's also Farm Stand Club that seems.

[C]

Like such, like probably the best resource to, you know, bounce ideas off each other. Ask, you know, who, who tried this recipe? What did people love it? You know, what, what's your top seller? What's like the highest profit margin or, you know, what do you do when you have ants? I think that seems like such a.

[B]

Yes, great. Very much so.

[C]

A great place.

[A]

All right.

[C]

Well, Rayla, thank you so much again. We'll link all of that below. I think this is inspiring. I think so many people are wanting to go to these types of farm stands and then a lot of you out there also want to earn a little bit of income at home as well. Well, depending on how far you take it, a little or a lot. And I think it's just an interesting topic. So thank you so much for joining us.

[B]

Thank you for having us.

[D]

It was great. I enjoyed it so much.

[C]

And yeah, thanks as always for listening.

[A]

To the Simple Farmhouse Life podcast.

[C]

My husband Luke and I and our.

[A]

Kids work together side by side on our farm in Missouri and use our blog, podcast and YouTube channel to reach other homemakers, home cooks and homesteaders with practical recipes in daily family life. For everyday sourdough recipes, make sure to check out our blog, farmhouseonboon.com and to dig deeper, we do also offer a course called Simple Sourdough over at Bit ly Farmhouses. All one word. We also teach people how to ferment vegetables and mill their own grains through our courses, Fresh Ferments and Freshly Milled Grains. We will leave liquid links for all of that down in the show notes below.