The Produce Stand is Open for 2020
The produce stand is open for 2020! I’m amazed that I already have enough of anything to put in the stand. It’s really not all that much… a few bags of beans, peas, cucumbers, and herbs. We’ll be adding more as the summer wears on and more things become harvestable.
The stand is open! 
Come on over!
For now, I am intending to just leave the “OPEN” sign at the end of the driveway when I have the stand filled, and I will take it down if there is nothing in it. I am hoping to make better signage this summer for the end of the road, the end of the driveway, and for the stand itself. And I will probably post on Instagram when we have something new being added to the stand or we are refilling it. I still have to figure out a good way to have what is in the stand listed on the site so that it’s easy to reference.
Price list 
Sprigs of mint and a bouquet of oregano 
Shelling peas 
Green beans 
Purple beans 
Snacking cucumbers
We are currently only accepting cash payments on the honor system. If you come to the stand and there is no change in the jar, please, let me know! We might work out a cashless payment system as well, but I haven’t decided to do that for sure, as I have some issues with that.
I was able to pick a bucket full of peas in one day! 
The pole beans are growing quickly now. Such a delicious bean!
We have not been selling eggs recently, because we were having issues with the chickens going broody, but I have sorted that out, and if you would like eggs, please contact me a day ahead of time so that I can be sure I have some and that they are ready for you. We had purchased a new cooler in hopes that I could leave eggs out there for longer periods of time, but that didn’t work like I had hoped, so we won’t be doing that again.
Sunflowers will be for sale in the stand very soon. I need your opinions, though… by the stem, or by bouquet? Single stem is easier for me, but I am willing to do bouquet if there is interest.
“Autumn Beauty” sunflowers will be in the stand. 
We will also have the “traditional” yellow sunflower. This is actually one of the sunflowers our friends are growing on our land, but we’ll have some just like it very soon.
There will likely not be a ton of variety when it comes to what produce will be in the stand this summer, since my original plans for the stand this year were somewhat different then what they have turned into recently. My biggest goal for the year was to have lots of sunflowers and pumpkins and beans and peas, and it looks like we should be successful in being able to do that.
I am considering potentially adding some baked goods to the stand, but I need to know that there is enough interest to make that worth my time. We are somewhat limited in what we are able to sell because of state laws, and the fact that we are not an actual bakery. Certain types of cookies, breads, and muffins would be acceptable, but it’s not as cut and dry as one might think.
We are hoping to put some craft items into the stand, and currently there are some potholders for sale. ($5 ea.) The kids are working on making some walking sticks that they hope to put in the stand this summer to sell as well, and it would mean the world to them if anybody who would potentially use one would purchase one when they are ready!
Our goals for the stand have now shifted slightly. I still intend to do all of the things I had wanted to before, but we’ll be adding to those goals. We have hikers coming past our place on a fairly regular basis. It’s not a steady stream, but more like a steady trickle of people. They are hiking the Ice Age Trail that runs through the state of Wisconsin. Some are on day hikes, others are out for a weekend or a week to do a segment of the trail, and others are out there doing the whole thing. Seeing as Scott has hiked parts of the trail with some of our kids, it’s exciting to think that we might be able to do something for the hikers who are doing longer trips.
The maps arrived in the mail the other day! (I don’t feel funny showing our address since it’s the location of the produce stand.) 
I drew the little x, but that’s roughly where we are along the trail. 
The Ice Age Trail is over 1000 miles long from one terminus to the other.
We will soon be adding some paper maps of the trail to the stand for folks to take for free. (These are not an atlas of the whole trail.) The hope is to get a map up somewhere that says “You Are Here,” and to have either a picnic table or a bench, as well as a trash can available to the hikers. And in doing so, we can share the trail with those who are unfamiliar with it, as well as make our little stand a fun little pit stop for those picking up pumpkins in the fall. There are a few other ideas of things we might add for sale in the stand, but I’m still working on that as there is a lot to consider, both legally and time-wise.
I hope to be able to share more of the changes we make to the stand with you soon!
Love and Blessings~Danielle
