Kristen Scheuerman has always enjoyed growing flowers, but last year she wanted to share her blooms with others in the Worland area and thought a roadside stand might be the best way to do that.
After discussing it with friend Alex Hardy and sister-in-law Tabby Scheuerman, they eventually decided to go in together on the idea and sell more than just flowers. Months later, the Road 12 Farm Stand was born, offering flowers, produce and baked goods from an unmanned stand, meaning customers use the honor system to pay for goods.
“The first summer was better than imagined,” Tabby said. “Seeing the line of people waiting for us to open was amazing. Hearing people talk about their favorites and seeing them come back week after week for more made all those late nights baking totally worth it.”
Unique Way To Reach People
Roadside stands have been in use, and have remained relatively unchanged, for more than 100 years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Stands may be just a table on the lawn, where surplus garden products can be displayed for sale from time to time. Or they may be more permanent stands in front of homes or on nearby highways, with a roof, display counters or shelves.
“We wanted to create a more unique way for people in Worland to get fresh produce and home baked goods,” Hardy said. “The honor system idea appealed to us because we wouldn't have to staff it. We liked the idea of just leaving it to fend for itself.”
After the three settled on what they wanted the stand to look like, Hardy asked her husband to build it based on pictures they found for inspiration on Pinterest.
“He made sure it had wheels, because we had to roll it quite a ways down to where it would sit and be open, and also added shelves and storage,” Hardy said.
With full-time jobs and families, the women have limited free time, so the idea of an unmanned stand was appealing.
“Because it's on wheels, we literally just push it out to its spot and it's just there until it sells out,” Hardy said.
The stand opened for business Aug. 10. Even on the first official day, the ladies didn’t stick around to enjoy the opening. It went well though, as it only took a few hours that first day to sell out.
“We had built some hype for a while, so we actually were able to just roll it out and leave it,” Hardy said.
The group posts on Facebook, using the local classifieds, to let people know when they will be open. Through the growing season, that was almost every Saturday through October.
Blooms, Goodies and More
As its name suggests, the farm stand is located on Road 12. Located not far from town, it is often used as a cut across for drivers heading north to Manderson and what the women felt was a “perfect location.”
The tagline “Fresh Veggies, Bright Blooms, Homemade Goodies,” encompasses what is offered.
Kristen focused on growing the vegetables. She said gardening is therapeutic and something she looks forward to during the long winters. Last year she grew over 100 tomato plants which yielded countless jars of salsa and spaghetti sauce. There also were more than 40 banana pepper plants and 20-plus cucumber plants.
“My cucumbers thrived, providing a steady supply for both fresh sales and a weekly batch of pickles,” she said. “The jalapenos were a huge hit, especially the cowboy candy. I also grew a variety of herbs, like basil, mint and chives, which I used in my canned recipes. While my six zucchini plants weren't as prolific as the tomatoes, they still provided enough for 15 loaves of zucchini bread weekly."
Each week there were vases with a variety of sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos and dahlias. Customers also enjoyed a new variety of homemade bakery items made from scratch. All three women bake for the stand, but for Tabby, who comes from a baking family, it is an outlet for her to experiment with new recipes.
“It allows me to try those unique ideas that my family might not always be thrilled about, like more adventurous flavor combinations or unusual baked goods,” she said. "Macarons and cheesecakes are definitely my favorites to make for the stand. I love creating unique flavor combinations with both of them."
As the season progressed the stand began offering “fan favorites” – popular items that usually sell out each week. These included zucchini bread, cheesecake, granola, caramel apples and also Farm Girl Macarons, which Tabby made long before the stand began.
"Farm Girl Macarons actually started as a way to fill my creative downtime,” she said. “I used to make custom order cakes, but with kids and other commitments, I didn't have much time for elaborate projects. My sister is a huge macaron fan, and that inspired me to learn the technique. It took a lot of trial and error, but I'm proud to say I've finally mastered them."
The intricate process to make them results in a crisp outer shell and soft, creamy filling. She enjoys offering fun flavors such as brownie batter, mocha, strawberry cheesecake and fruity pebbles.
During the fall canning season, Road 12 Farm Stand had expanded offerings with the Jam Stand, an additional shelf stocked with all sorts of jams, pickles and other canned goods made with ingredients from Kristen's garden.
Kristen Scheuerman, from left, Alex Hardy and Tabby Scheuerman started the Road 12 Farm Stand last year in Worland. The stand offers flowers, produce and baked goods. (Courtesy Photo) 
The farm stand is first come, first served. Purchases are all made on the honor system. (Courtesy Photo) 
The farm stand is located on Road 12 just outside of Worland and was open most Saturdays from August through October. (Courtesy Photo)
Trust In The System
The three women are often asked how they trust people not to steal, but Hardy said so far it hasn’t been an issue and the honor system is working well.
“Obviously there's going to be some mistakes made,” she said. “Some people overpay and some people underpay, but it balances out.”
There's signage at the stand that explains how it works, with people able to pay with cash or through Venmo. Each item has the price listed.
“The overwhelming support for the honor system was really impressive and that credit is really owed to our community here in the Worland-Ten Sleep-Basin area,” Tabby said. “We even had customers make the drive from Thermopolis.”
As the season went on, the stand gained some devoted regulars who are always first in line when it opens.
“They know that it's first come, first serve and they want to get the good stuff is what they call it,” Hardy said. “So it's kind of funny, we thought we would be able to sneak it out to the curb and run away, but towards the end of the season, we knew all the cars that were down at the end of the road were our regulars waiting for us.”
The stand closed in October, but the three still had baking offerings available for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now they are beginning to prepare for this year’s season. They want to roll out earlier this summer to take advantage of the warmer weather.
Kristen is planning to grow a wider variety of produce, and also hopes to offer flower and vegetable seedlings in the spring so people can grow their own gardens at home. They’re also looking at adding farm-fresh eggs and incorporating more locally sourced ingredients like Wyoming Sugar and Wyoming Heritage Grains into their baked goods.
“Road 12 Farm Stand is committed to continuing to highlight our honor system and reinforcing the belief that Wyoming folks are genuinely good and honest people,” Kristen said. “Most importantly, we want to continue enjoying it and sharing our passion for gardening and baking with Worland and the surrounding areas."
