The Hen Box Baking Up Local Success and Inspires HPS Students

A new farm cart in Hettinger is giving people a chance to buy homemade food while also supporting a small local business. Alex Messer created the Henbox Farm Cart, which offers items such as homemade sourdough bread, treats and eggs. 

The idea for the Henbox started after Alex and her husband, Brad, moved to a new house. After a coyote ate half of their chickens, they decided to order more chicks. 

“We ended up with a lot of chicks and that obviously meant we were going to have a lot of eggs,” said Messer. 

Instead of only selling eggs, Alex decided to add other homemade products to the cart. 

“Well, if we're going to put a farm cart out for eggs, let's add some more items. Let's do some bread, some treats. Things that you can't get in Hinger. I think it's always exciting to have something new,” said Messer. 

The Henbox also gives people an opportunity to try foods that may not normally be available in Hettinger. The products are made by local or small producers, giving customers more variety and a chance to know where some of their food comes from. 

Alex wanted the Henbox to be convenient for both her family and the community. Since she has a young family, she did not want the business to become another full-time job. 

The farm cart is set up on Fridays, allowing people to stop by, take what they need and pay using the honor system. The Henbox also uses a “take what you need, pay what you can” approach. 

“There is the option if anybody is ever finding themsel in a hard time, there's the grace for them there to come and take what they need,” said Messer. 

The Henbox recently became part of a learning experience at Hettinger Public School. Alex visited HPS to talk to students about how she turned her idea into a business and how entrepreneurship can impact a community. 

“I was excited for her to come in because she has business that is not something that is normal in our community,” said Nicole Sott (FACS Teacher at HPS) 

The presentation also gave students the chance to learn about making sourdough and what it is like to start a business. 

“And then she's also an entrepreneur. So it was really neat to tell teach the kids about what it would be like to start your own business in the baking world,” said Sott. 

After the presentation, Alex left some sourdough starter for the school to try. Students and staff now have the opportunity to experiment with making their own sourdough. 

“I am extremely grateful that she left us some starter. So, we're going to attempt to make sourdough, and it could be great or it could be a big fail because I've never done it before, but we'll find out,” said Sott. 

Alex said the community has also played an important role in making the Henbox possible. 

“The only thing that I'd really like to add is just how amazing the community is. You know, I started this with a community in mind, and they have really shown up as well, and I think that's part of the beauty of a small town,” said Messer. 

The Henbox is available every Friday across from Cenex beginning at 8:00 a.m. and remains open until the products sell out. Customers can also find the Henbox on Facebook and its new website to learn more about the business and place orders.