Pick up a Farm Stand Passport at any of the participating stops on the Trail. Complete the passport and be entered to win a prize valued at roughly $300. (Photo submitted by Jen Cutting)

CHENANGO COUNTY - Five women-owned farm stands across the region have teamed up to launch the Farm Stand Trail and Passport, a summer promotion running from June 20 to July 31. A collaboration the owners say is rooted in community, not competition

The trail invites visitors to pick up a paper “passport” at any participating stand, and collect a unique sticker from each location after making any purchase. Once all five stickers are collected, they're entered to win a gift basket valued at roughly $300 filled with products from each business.

The idea came to Jen Cutting, owner of Bella's Hen House & Farm Stand, after seeing countless social media posts joking about renting a bus to visit upstate farm stands. She decided to collaborate with friends and family to make that idea real, creating a trail of places for people to stop. She designed the passports, coordinated the group, and helped bring the stands together all of which are owned and operated by women.

The Five Farm Stands on the Trail

Bella's Hen House and Farm Stand (Masonville) – run by Cutting and her daughter Bella, the stand offers a variety of homemade goods: sourdough bread, pickled items, maple syrup, honeycomb, seasonal baked goods, jams and jellies, and crafts. Bella's jams and jellies can be found at a couple of the other stops as well. They also take pre-orders on Facebook for certain special items and promotions. “We change it up seasonally,” said Cutting, “Who wants to eat the same thing every week?”

The Little Cooler Egg Stand (Oxford) – owned and operated by Diane Beadle, who began selling eggs last summer when she found herself with an abundance of eggs from raising chickens and ducks. Her stand is open Friday through Sunday and she says it typically sells out thanks to a loyal customer base. Her eggs are also sold at a few of the other stops on the trail. “ I actually just got a brand new stand,” Beadle said, excited for the upgrade from her original setup. Her sticker is a simple egg logo,and she is contributing fresh eggs to the prize basket. “Us as women running the stands and our family, we're opening our homes and our talents to everybody. So we just want everybody to be respectful and have a great time,” she said.

The Mix Bakery & Farmstand (Greene) – owned by Ayrica Zimmer, The Mix is a 24/7 self-serve bakery, offering cakes, fresh baked goods, salads, desserts, and shelves filled with local products. “We proudly support local farmers, artisans, and small businesses by filling our shelves with products made right here in our community. I’ve always believed that when one small business succeeds, we all succeed,” Zimmer said. Her personal story is woven into the bakery, she began baking while caring for her grandmother during cancer treatment, and continued as a way to stay connected to her memory, eventually making it her full-time job.

Bigfoot Trading Post (Guilford/Bainbridge) – owned by Megan Taylor, and newly opened on June 1, the shop operates 24/7 with a self-checkout and sells a wide assortment of products. Things like baked goods, tumblers, 3-D printed items, gourmet popcorn, pancake mix, and even Dippin' Dots. Taylor started the stand as a way to get out of a 9 to 5 grind and spend more time with her family. Having four daughters, she says being a woman entrepreneur sends a powerful message. Her sticker features a walking Bigfoot silhouette, matching the shop's logo. “The store is a little cramped because we do have a lot of stuff in it, but people say they love it because it's little and cute,” said Taylor.

Oh My Dough (Walton) – owned and operated by Ashlei Brown, Oh My Dough is open on weekends only, and offers baked goods, and treats. Being a weekend-only stop like like the Little Cooler Egg stand, visitors should plan accordingly to complete the passport. Though Ashlei wasn't interviewed, the other owners described her an integral part of the collaboration.

It's important to note that before going to one of the stands that is not 24/7 check their Facebook page to make sure it is open. They are inviting you to their homes after all, so please be respectful of operating hours.

A Community-Driven Collaboration

The stands became connected through personal rather than business ties, they are family, friends, Facebook connections, and customers of each other. Several owner's sell each other's products, recommend one another online, and visit each other's stands regularly.

“Instead of competing with one another, several local farmstands came together to create an experience that encourages people to explore everything our area has to offer,” said Zimmer, adding, “The response has been amazing. Families have spent weekends exploring local farmstands together, customers have discovered businesses they never knew existed, and the participating owners have formed friendships while supporting one another. It’s become about so much more than a giveaway, it’s a reminder that collaboration can strengthen an entire community.”

The owners hope the initiative becomes and annual event. “I would love it to be a yearly thing,” said Cutting, “ It would be a dream if we could do it annually and it grew more and more momentum.”

Complete the Passport and be entered to win a prize

At the end of the promotion a name will be drawn to decide who wins the prize box valued at around $300 and filled with products from each stand. The first ten people to complete the passport will get their name entered twice. Cutting said one participant completed the trail on the very first day.

“I mapped it out,” said Taylor, “It probably could be a two hour adventure if they planned a day to go and do it.”

It is possible for visitors completing the trail and passport to get it done in one day given all the stands are open, but to ensure there is enough time to allow interested parties to enter, the promotion runs until the end of this month. The stops being spread across different areas, the trail also gives people a chance to explore rural roads and scenery they might not typically get to experience.

Passports can be picked up at any of the participating stands, on it you'll find the address and hours of each stand. You can also find all of the businesses on Facebook by searching their names.