My business is more than just a job; it also strengthens a community, to have people who are doing what they love and making a living.
Kelly Endersen makes granola, cookies, cupcakes, and muffins as part of At Whisk’s End. Kelly has been baking since she was 10 or 12, when her family visited an orchard and came home with “tons” of apples. Her mom had a “never fail” pie crust recipe, but no one in the family could get it to work except for Kelly. Her apple pie turned out perfectly, and she never turned back. Two years ago, Kelly entered a King Arthur’s flour baking contest and make 12 different kinds of breads, and remembered how much she likes baking.
You can find At Whisk’s End on their website here: www.atwhisksend.com
What do you like about the Coffee Creek Farmers Market?
I love that I get to meet my customers face to face at the market. When you come to the market you get to meet me, the person who actually made the product that you’re buying. I’m excited for the momentum that the market can provide, and the chance to get feedback from people on the product or on my labels and marketing.
The other thing is getting to know the other vendors. We’re all just people! I’m just a person. We all started out with just our ideas, and now we’re doing something really cool.
What are the joys and challenges of your work?
One challenge that I have is figuring out how much product I need to make and bring to each market. I keep figuring that – how much I can sell so that I don’t have too much left over each time. There are many challenges, like trying new recipes at home and then coming to my kitchen and the oven is slightly different.
But this whole process has been very exciting. It’s been a big professional and personal growing experience for me. I have gotten the courage to put myself out there, to send professional emails, talk with people on the phone, walk into offices and figure out my insurance, my taxes, my expenses and earnings… At first I was afraid and I wasn’t sure I could do it, but now I see that I’m capable, and I’ve grown a lot. It’s so fun to make money at what I enjoy doing.
What do you want your customers to know?
I would love for my customers to understand that I’m just one person doing all of the aspects of my business. It makes a big impact for me that you buy from me. I know that the prices are slightly higher than at the store, but my granola and cookies are recipes that I have perfected, and they are higher quality than what you can find in the store. It is truly helpful every time you purchase something from me.
Why is the local food system important?
Besides just the food itself, supporting me is helping me to achieve my dream. My business is more than just a job; it’s helping me realize my potential. This also strengthens a community, to have people who are doing what they love and making a living.
Delicious, hand-made granola.
Find At Whisk’s End this week and every week at our Wednesday market at the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve Pavilion parking lot, April 20-November 2, 2022, from 3-7 PM. Check us out on Facebook and Instagram, and sign up for our mailing list to get notified of all of the vendors' featured products each week.