The Farmer's Market-Where it all began!

This is a photo I have hanging in my office here at the bakery. It is just a little 4 x 6 snapshot of me with my girls at the Farmer's Market. That is where I first started selling my decorated cookies and some small cakes. I decided that was a way I could make money for the family after my husband was laid off and had to take another job at a much reduced salary. I would bake all day Friday and get things packaged, then get up early Saturday morning to pack up the Bronco. I first started with just one table, just a card table that we had at home. I set it all out and waited on my first customers. I was very nervous, and looked so silly among all the veteran sellers with their multiple tables and tents. But I sold everything and was thrilled. The next week, I took my money and bought an 8 foot table and did it again. You can see by this photo that I learned (after getting rained on) I needed a tent also. But I did this all summer of 2000, testing out my cookies and cake recipes. It was a great experience and gave me the encouragement and drive that I wanted to do more that a table at a local farmer's market.
So here I sit, 9 years later, looking at my little girls in the photo and seeing how much they have grown and wishing I could still fit into those jeans. I now have a wonderful team of people helping me produce these great tasting and artistic cakes & cookies in this 3800 sq. ft. bakery. Some days I miss that tent and table, not a lot of worries then. If it rained, I could pack up and go home. If there was some event that I wanted to attend on a Saturday, I would just not do the market that week. I was free to do my own thing. Yet, I know that would not have been enough for me. I have learned a great deal, mostly by the "school of hard knocks", but I guess that is what owning your business is about. I still have people tell me "I remember seeing you at the farmer's market". That's so fun to hear. Thank you for supporting me then and for your continued support. But most of all, thank you Farmer's Market!