Megan Brownell is making baking her business.
About two months ago, Brownell, 29, launched Momma B’s Homesteading, a custom pre-order baking business in Unadilla.
“I’ve always been into baking,” she said. “Ever since I could reach the counter, my dad had me in the kitchen, so I’ve been cooking my entire lifetime, practically, and I grew to love baking. As I got experimenting with things, I grew to love making bread, specifically. I’m just getting into sourdough, so that’ll be new for me and I can’t wait, I’m so excited. There’s just something about making bread and making doughs. I fell in love with it.”
Though new, Momma B’s was something she said she has “talked about for many years.”
“When we moved here to Unadilla (three years ago), we ended up getting chickens,” she said, “and I try to use fresh eggs and fresh items for all of my things. I just got done cooking up pumpkins to make pumpkin rolls and cookies.
“I made the Facebook page about a month and a half ago but, before that, I was working at the elementary school (in Unadilla) and just letting people know, ‘hey, I do this, I do that,’” Brownell continued. “It’s hard to start off (a business), but I’m trying my best … and I ended up leaving (the school) so I could focus more on doing this, because this is my passion and I would love for it to take off.”
Brownell said that Momma B’s bread-based goods run the gamut.
“I offer bagels – bagels is where I really started,” she said. “Dinner rolls – those are one of my family’s favorites and, for the holidays, I’ve always got to bring my dinner rolls. Pretzels and pretzel bites, burger buns, and I just released my fall menu, which is pumpkin cookies, pumpkin rolls, pumpkin muffins and apple cider donuts. I’m experimenting with the sourdough so, hopefully, soon I’ll get that out there, and I’m doing gluten-free sourdough.”
Orders, she said, are prepared on request.
“I don’t want to make a bunch of stuff and have it go to waste, so I’m trying to get my name out there and get the word out,” she said. “Now that it’s the holidays, I’m really trying, because people love fresh stuff for the holidays.”
Brownell said early responses to Momma B’s have been hearty. Her customer base is “mainly Unadilla, just because (people) do have to come pick it up,” she said.
“(Customers) absolutely love it,” she said. “Every person that has bought anything from me has been like, ‘oh my god, this is so good,’ and that makes me so happy. Ever since I got with my husband and his family, I’ve always brought homemade, fresh things for them to try, because I love their reaction, and I’ve never once had a bad reaction.”
Brownell said that pretzel bites are her bestseller.
“I did a vendor show down at the House of Consignment last month, and I sold of out my pretzel bites instantly,” she said.
Brownell said she hopes to let things expand.
“I am thinking about doing, for the month of November, with every order, a half order of dinner rolls, thrown in for free,” she said. “Then, I was also thinking, because my friend does crafts, getting with her and making baskets for people.
“I’m hoping to get a stand outside and I even have a garden and my plan is to do fresh fruits and veggies and eggs, on top of all the fresh-baked goods,” Brownell continued. “That’s my dream. It’s just me and I’m trying not to overwhelm myself but, at the same time, I want to provide many options, and I love doing it all, anyway.”
For more information or to place an order, find “Momma B’s Homesteading” on Facebook, call or text Brownell at 607-337-8958 or email mommabshomesteading@gmail.com.