Brittany Kelley
UHLAND — Several videos on TikTok and a passion for sourdough has turned into a successful business for Kimberly Tighe after she began her very own farm stand in Uhland.
After looking for cleaner alternatives for bread, Tighe turned to sourdough loaves at H-E-B, she said, but quickly realized that it still included more than the standard ingredients. So, she purchased a dehydrated sourdough starter from a Kyle resident and tried her own hand at baking.
Initially, she didn’t enjoy it. It was difficult and took a lot of work, so she took a break from it. When she attempted once more a few months later, she fell in love.
“I really enjoyed making it, so I started giving it to all my family and my friends. Before I knew it, every week I’d be like, ‘Alright, you ready for more?’ I just felt like I was having to push all my bread on them and they’re like, ‘We’re full of bread,’” recalled Tighe.
Around this time, she was pondering what to do with her extra loaves. When scrolling on Tiktok, she found farm stand videos, many of which sold homemade baked goods placed on shelves outside of houses for community members.
Tighe felt as though this was the perfect solution to her oversupply, so, near the beginning of June, she headed to Goodwill, purchased an entertainment system, painted it white and began sharing information on Facebook.
“My property is kind of perfect for it because I have large gates outside of my acreage, but it has a little inlet, cove area, where you can drive your car into, but still outside of the closed gates,” she explained.
The farm stand is open three days a week with each restock including the basic staples and other options, as available.
The staples include original plain sourdough, jalapeño cheddar, sharp cheddar, cinnamon raisin swirl and blueberry lemon cream cheese. Additionally, she often stocks focaccia in the flavors of apple fritter and rosemary sea salt.
Her personal favorite is the jalapeño cheddar, as she eats it every morning toasted with butter.
Tighe also shared that she likes to add new flavors every now and then to keep the stand “fresh and exciting.” Most recently, she was inspired to make a dill pickle sourdough loaf, since her kids love them.
The stand, though primarily focused on sourdough bread, also has sourdough discard cookies and farm-fresh eggs.
In the two months since she started, Tighe said that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. From what began as 20 loaves once a week, has now surpassed 50 three days a week.
“When I see [people at the stand] they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is so cool. We love this,’” she said, adding that neighbors praise her for building a stronger community environment.
This environment is only emphasized through the trust with her customers, as Tighe stated she trusts them to pay since she is only with the stand when restocks are necessary, otherwise, the goods are left unattended.
“I did have people in the beginning [say] ‘Well, what are you doing to do to keep people from stealing from you? Should you put out a camera or a sign or something?’ I said, ‘No, I think if somebody needed to take the bread, then they can have it.’ I’m not worried about it,” she explained.
At this time, Tighe has no plans to expand her business, since she is enjoying the current set-up.
“I am happy with the way it’s going. Now, I would like to figure out how to make more, though, so on the days that I sell out, I don’t have to see disappointed customers, but other than that I really like the way it’s going,” she concluded.
Tighe’s farm stand is open from 10 a.m. until sold out every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and is located 2553 Rocky Road in Uhland.
