Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlyn Rose.
Kaitlyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story… Jeez. It is all over the place! I will do my best to sum it up quickly. I grew up in a very small town in central OH. I lived with my father and my brother on a 40-acre farm. We had horses, cows, sheep, and other livestock. My father owned a trucking company and was often busy, so his sister (my aunt Anita) watched over me and my brother during our younger years. My aunt Anita was the BEST cook and baker. She would prop me up on a stepping stool just to let me watch and help her in the kitchen. Whether it was pies, cakes, cookies, breads, or noodles, it was probably homemade in the kitchen I grew up in. With recipes passed down to my aunt from my grandma and my grandma’s grandma, I witnessed the importance and satisfaction of baking from scratch. Skip ahead a few years… My aunt moved away after a falling out with my father. Stubbornness runs THICK in my family’s blood. (lol) Things were rocky for many years though I remained close with my dad and admired his work ethic. My brother and I relied on each other most days, and we often found ourselves outside, in the woods, or down at the creek looking for salamanders and crawdads. I would make mud pies and cakes out of the creek mud and sand; I would go look for blackberries and raspberries in the woods and create a concoction that I was proud of and pretend to serve it to people. Some days at the end of the day I would walk back up to the house to see my dad on the tractor mowing, and I would run inside to make him his favorite sandwich. Not realizing he had probably already ate or that it was right before dinner. He still ate the sandwich every time. Remembering these times makes me think I was made to serve up some deliciousness for all to enjoy at the end of a long day’s work. After meeting my husband at 22, I began to make homemade meals and desserts; we started a garden and utilize what we grow into our meals. We hunt and utilize the meat to feed our family, friends, and coworkers. We bought a small property and now have a little herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats which provide us milk and all the joy that comes with having cute little goat’s goat babies hopping everywhere. We have a flock of chickens which bring us amazing free-range eggs that I get to bake with as well as baby chicks to sell. I source all of my ingredients from quality brands and from Amish Country to bring the best-tasting, made-from-scratch baked goods around. My story of baking and farm life are my roots, my comfort, and my sense of purpose. The lifestyle I choose to live brings sadness and joy all at once. It brings anxiousness and peace all at once. It is hard work, dedication, determination, sacrifice, and grit. Wildwood Farm & Bakes. A small home bakery and hobby farm in Sunbury, Ohio, represents all of those things. Not to mention delicious food!!!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Wildwood Farm & Bakes is constantly growing and evolving all while trying to stay manageable by one person. So, it is a bumpy road in the sense of trying to keep a simple life. Following your passion is hard but so worth it. I currently work full-time during the day and bake by night to fulfill customer orders. The end goal is to leave the corporate world and focus 100% of my time to Wildwood, my family, and my animals by May 1st once the Delaware Farmers Market comes back around.
As you know, we’re big fans of Wildwood Farm & Bakes. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
I bake made-from-scratch baked goods with only top-quality brands and utilize my fresh eggs to add an extra level of goodness to what I bring to the table. I am a woman-owned brand through and through, from the name to the labels and the product. It is 100% me, and I am very proud of that! Currently, you can find baked goods in Coffeeology in Delaware, Ohio. Troyers Marketplace in Johnstown, Ohio, and in Sambucas in Galena, Ohio. I also attend the Delaware Farmers Market every Saturday during the months of May-October.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Eventually, I would love to donate portions of what I make off of baked goods, eggs, and goats towards conservation, education about the outdoors, and farm animal health.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: wildwoodfarmandbakes
