Her School Bus Is Food Store On Wheels
Farm Show has published hundreds of stories over the years on school buses converted into a variety of uses. After the story in our last issue about a bus used to bring fruits and vegetables to farmers markets, we heard about a bus in Oklahoma that’s literally a rolling grocery store.
The Traveling Desperado bus is owned by Gary and Paulette Rink, also known as Food Wranglers who have run “Rowdy Stickhorse Farm” for 20 years, raising Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) poultry, sheep, beef, goats and pigs. They sell meat, eggs, goat’s milk, goat cheese and a variety of goat milk herbal soaps and creams, as well as herbs and essential oils that they produce themselves.
“We used to sell our products from the back of a truck at farmers markets, then we grew into a van and then a short bus,” Paulette says. “As our product line grew we decided to convert a full size bus into a rolling store.”
The Rinks purchased a 1985 bus for $1,000 and removed all the seats, added a tongue and groove wood floor, tinted the windows, installed hand-sewn curtains, built rustic display cases and added a deck on the back. They spent $2,300 on four chest freezers, converted two of them to refrigerators and wired each one individually with a circuit breaker. Shelves, trays and special display units are mounted on both sides of the bus.
Customers enter at the front, pick up their items and exit the back. “The best feature of this bus is the temperature control,” Paulette says. “We can keep our food products cool or frozen. The air conditioning keeps us cool in summer and the heat keeps us warm in the winter.”
Rink appreciates these creature comforts because she spends a lot of time in the bus. She’s on the road Tuesday through Friday, putting on almost 300 miles a week. “One day I head to Enid, the next day I’m in Stillwater, and the next day I’m in Oklahoma City, 60 miles away,” Rink says. She has regular customers in those cities and in many small towns along the way.
“The bus carries everything that we produce plus fresh-baked breads, local honey, fresh ground peanut butter, hand-made casseroles, fresh picked vegetables, home-canned items and spices from other vendors. You can’t buy what we sell at any store,” Rink says.
In Oklahoma City, Rink parks her bus near two hospitals where health care workers appreciate her curbside service. “I’m really a farmer’s market on the road,” Rink says, “and I’m there every week.”
Rink stresses that her rolling food store has strong quality control and a personal service touch. “We care a lot about our customers and we take a lot of pride in what we produce, what we sell and how we sell it. The bus is an extension of that quality.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paulette Rink, Rowdy Stickhorse Farm, P.O. Box 10, Covington, Okla. 73730 (ph 580 864-7862 or 580 336-1830; soapgirl@rowdystickhorse.com; www.rowdystickhorse.com).
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Her School Bus Is Food Store On Wheels FARM HOME Food Farm Show has published hundreds of stories over the years on school buses converted into a variety of uses After the story in our last issue about a bus used to bring fruits and vegetables to farmers markets we heard about a bus in Oklahoma that’s literally a rolling grocery store The Traveling Desperado bus is owned by Gary and Paulette Rink also known as Food Wranglers who have run “Rowdy Stickhorse Farm” for 20 years raising Certified Naturally Grown CNG poultry sheep beef goats and pigs They sell meat eggs goat’s milk goat cheese and a variety of goat milk herbal soaps and creams as well as herbs and essential oils that they produce themselves “We used to sell our products from the back of a truck at farmers markets then we grew into a van and then a short bus ” Paulette says “As our product line grew we decided to convert a full size bus into a rolling store ” The Rinks purchased a 1985 bus for $1 000 and removed all the seats added a tongue and groove wood floor tinted the windows installed hand-sewn curtains built rustic display cases and added a deck on the back They spent $2 300 on four chest freezers converted two of them to refrigerators and wired each one individually with a circuit breaker Shelves trays and special display units are mounted on both sides of the bus Customers enter at the front pick up their items and exit the back “The best feature of this bus is the temperature control ” Paulette says “We can keep our food products cool or frozen The air conditioning keeps us cool in summer and the heat keeps us warm in the winter ” Rink appreciates these creature comforts because she spends a lot of time in the bus She’s on the road Tuesday through Friday putting on almost 300 miles a week “One day I head to Enid the next day I’m in Stillwater and the next day I’m in Oklahoma City 60 miles away ” Rink says She has regular customers in those cities and in many small towns along the way “The bus carries everything that we produce plus fresh-baked breads local honey fresh ground peanut butter hand-made casseroles fresh picked vegetables home-canned items and spices from other vendors You can’t buy what we sell at any store ” Rink says In Oklahoma City Rink parks her bus near two hospitals where health care workers appreciate her curbside service “I’m really a farmer’s market on the road ” Rink says “and I’m there every week ” Rink stresses that her rolling food store has strong quality control and a personal service touch “We care a lot about our customers and we take a lot of pride in what we produce what we sell and how we sell it The bus is an extension of that quality ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Paulette Rink Rowdy Stickhorse Farm P O Box 10 Covington Okla 73730 ph 580 864-7862 or 580 336-1830; soapgirl@rowdystickhorse com; www rowdystickhorse com
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