Deb Malewski
Contributing Writer
(Deb Malewski/TCJ – Farm stand operator, runner, wife, mom and entrepreneur Sierra Kinell shares her Eaton County life online.)
Sierra Kinell, a young entrepreneur, has created Steading Our Home, a rural farm stand located at 3302 East Vermontville Highway in Charlotte. There, she sells baked goods, fresh eggs, handmade crafts, and a variety of homestead-inspired products.
Through Facebook and TikTok, Kinell invites followers into the daily rhythm of her life, sharing videos of baking, creating products, caring for her homestead, and balancing it all with motherhood alongside her husband, Joel.
“I’m romanticizing my dreams into reality, one egg and one step at a time,” she said. “Being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job I’ve ever had. But this business allows me to absolutely soak up time with my daughter.”
Kinell grew up in the house next door to where she now lives, and her parents still reside there.
A graduate of Potterville High School, she recently learned that she has been accepted to run the Berlin Marathon in Germany later this year.
Last year, she completed the Detroit Marathon. Her life is much more than just eggs and cookies!
Learning to balance nap times with farm chores has become part of her routine. Her day often begins at 6 a.m., with baking. Cookies and bread are among her most popular offerings, and she regularly prepares a wide variety of cookie flavors.
A Facebook follower recently commented, “The love and time you put into your stand shows.” Her followers seem to enjoy both her cheerful personality and the glimpse she provides into everyday homestead life.
“It’s where I put my life,” she said of her social media accounts.
The comment is a fitting description of what Steading Our Home has become: a farm stand filled with Kinell’s personality and creativity.
Rather than simply displaying products on shelves, she arranges everything with a fresh, welcoming style that reflects her passion for homesteading and her eye for presentation.
A giant metal rooster named Petunia stands watch over the stand, along with a security camera.
Whether she is preparing items for sale or documenting everyday moments on the homestead, Kinell’s warmth, creativity, and strong work ethic shine through. That authenticity has helped attract a growing following and loyal customer base, turning the stand into something that feels less like a roadside stop and more like a welcoming extension of home. She is a natural on camera, and her followers tend to feel she is speaking directly to them.
She also spoke candidly about the challenges that come with sharing her work publicly.
“The pressure to be perfect after creating something for the public is hard. It’s incredibly intimidating,” she said. “You know for sure that at the very least one person isn’t going to be happy, and that can make you feel a little set back.”
Kinell’s business first began with quail, then a flock of 50 chickens and the sale of fresh eggs. Today, her flock includes chickens, Peking ducks, and quail.
With several nearby farm stands also offering eggs, she knew she needed to find a way to make her business stand out.
She formed a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and researched Michigan’s Cottage Food Law, which allows residents to prepare and sell certain non-hazardous foods made in home kitchens without obtaining a commercial kitchen license.
While her business instincts are strong, she jokes about using “girl math” when it comes to purchases for her hens and the farm stand. Fortunately, she said, Joel tends to overlook her calculations.
The couple works as partners in the business, and she credits him as one of her biggest supporters.
Visitors to the farm stand will also find a Little Free Library and a collection jar for aluminum pop tabs benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities.
More information about Steading Our Home can be found on Facebook at steadingourhome, on TikTok at @homesteadingbeautyqueen, or by email at steadingourhome@gmail.com.
