MASONVILLE — Just off state Route 206, east of the intersection of state Route 8, a small wooden farm stand has opened its doors for the first time. But what sets this modest shop apart isn’t just its selection of homemade jams, fresh eggs, and baked goods—it’s the determined young entrepreneur behind it.
At 13 years old, Bella Cutting is the owner of Bella’s Hen House and Farm Stand, a business she’s built with equal parts passion and practicality. The grand opening, held April 5, is the culmination of years spent raising chickens, selling eggs, and dreaming of something bigger.
“It’s a place where people in the community can find things they can’t get at our other stores,” she said, standing beside shelves lined with jars of strawberry jam, loaves of fresh bread, and bags of locally made freeze-dried candy. The other stores in Masonville include a Dollar General, the Masonville General Store and a gas station with convenience store items.
From Egg Cartons to Enterprise
Cutting’s business journey began with chickens. Having grown up around them, she’s been gathering eggs for as long as she can remember. What started as a few cartons sold to neighbors quickly grew into something more — especially once she realized that demand for her eggs far outpaced supply.
Now, she and her family care for more than 45 chickens, including rare breeds like silkies, Seramas, and Ayam Cemanis. Their eggs — ranging from classic brown to shades of blue and olive green — are a staple at her farm stand. This spring, she expanded further, hatching and selling chicks to customers looking to start their own backyard flocks.
“We’ve been selling eggs for years, but now we’re offering baby chicks, too,” Cutting’s mother Jennifer said. “Some are really unique — like our ‘zombies,’ a mix of White Leghorns and Ayam Cemanis.”
A Hands-On Education
Cutting, who is homeschooled, incorporates her business into her education. From calculating profit margins to managing inventory and marketing, she’s gaining firsthand, real-life experience and skills that most kids her age won’t encounter until much later.
“She’s learning about money, supply and demand, customer service—things you can’t always learn sitting at a desk,” Jennifer said.
Bella agrees. “It’s fun,” she said with a grin. “You have to plan your schedule ... and make money.”
Outside of business, Bella stays busy with soccer, acro dance, and Girl Scouts. She’s also part of a local homeschool group that takes educational trips across the county, including upcoming visits to the Corning Museum of Glass and a buffalo farm.
Building Something Bigger
While Bella is the face of the farm stand, her mother has played an essential role in guiding her. Jennifer, who owns The Loaf Lab, a sourdough microbakery, has encouraged her daughter’s entrepreneurial spirit.
“When she was little, she always said she wanted to be a business owner,” Jennifer said. “This is her first step.”
Together, they’ve expanded Bella’s Hen House into more than just eggs. The stand will feature seasonal produce, quail and duck eggs, homemade candles, body butter, and even handcrafted ribbon flowers that Bella makes herself.
And it doesn’t stop there. The Cutting family hopes to eventually donate surplus goods to families in need, furthering their commitment to Masonville—a town with few local food options beyond the Dollar General and a small general store.
“Masonville feels like a forgotten town in many ways,” Jen said, determined to make sure those who are struggling have resources and basic needs met.
This is not the Cuttings’ first foray in building community - they were instrumental in creating Masonville Connects’ Blessing Box, located in the parking lot of Butts Concrete on state Route 206, After hearing repeated complaints about a lack of youth activities in Masonville, the Cuttings took action — launching a wave of community initiatives aimed at revitalizing the small town. As president of the nonprofit Masonville Connects, Cutting has led efforts to organize family-friendly events and address local needs.
The Blessing Box is a publicly accessible supply of food and personal care items for those in need, maintained by volunteers.
The box offers essentials not covered by food stamps, including hygiene products.
A Community Effort
As Bella prepared for her grand opening, she’s received support from local businesses like Freezy Treats in Walton, which has supplied her with wholesale sweets to resell. The response from the community, Jennifer said, has been overwhelmingly positive.
“People are excited,” she said. “They like having fresh stuff nearby.”
The farm stand, which will contain seasonal produce, baked goods, eggs, select items from Cuttings’ Tallow & Timber line, including candles and wax melts scented with essential oil, assorted varieties of sourdough granola, breads and cookies, and much more, will operate on a self-serve system, open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Customers can pay with cash or Venmo, with a security camera in place to ensure the honor system runs smoothly.
