Grandma teaches FFA member baking skills which develop into business

FRANKLIN, Ill. — A special recipe combined with the guidance of her grandma has resulted in a baking business and FFA project for Madi Springer.

“I started baking with my grandma when I really young,” Springer said. “We made a lot of traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas items and we always baked birthday cakes together.”

Springer’s grandma, Sharon Rhodes, enjoys baking for friends and family.

“She passed that down to me and I practiced a lot when I was 12 to 13 years old,” Springer said.

“People in my community started buying from me, so I decided to make it into a business and give it a name to make it more official about two years ago when I was 14,” Springer said.

Customers can contact Springer through her Facebook page — Madi’s Cookies & Cupcakes. Springer offers custom-decorated sugar cookies and chocolate, vanilla and strawberry cupcakes.

“The cookie recipe is my great-grandma’s recipe that my grandma taught me to bake,” said Springer, a high school sophomore.

When placing orders, customers tell Springer the number of cookies or cupcakes they want, the date needed and pictures or descriptions of design ideas.

“I try to make the cookies unique for people,” she said. “If someone sends me a photo, I do my best to recreate it.”

“I love doing baby shower cookies and birthdays for kids, they are my favorite,” said the daughter of Trent and Amy Springer. “A lot of people message me and send me pictures and I love seeing those pictures of when they get their cookies.”

The Franklin FFA member is keeping records of her baking business for her supervised agricultural experience project.

“I took one to two orders a month and did 20 orders the first year of my record book,” she said. “Last month I had eight orders and for February, I have 15 orders scheduled so my business has changed a lot.”

Posting lots of pictures on her Facebook page plus word-of-mouth advertising is contributing to the growth of Springer’s baking business.

“My ag teacher, Brent Nelson, is pushing me to be more involved in my project and advertising,” Springer said.

“It was a big shock when I started getting so many orders and I have had to turn quite a few down because I’m too busy,” she said. “I also play volleyball at school, I’m on a travel volleyball team and I play in a sand volleyball league in the summer.”

Springer is considering adding items to her business.

“I’d like to start practicing full-size cakes to be comfortable selling them,” she said. “I’m not there yet, but I plan on working on that.”

In addition, she is planning to offer pastry boxes for special occasions.

“That’s my dad’s idea,” she said.

Although the pandemic has limited Springer’s opportunity to get involved in FFA activities, she is currently preparing for the meat judging contest.

“I hope to go to National Convention and I also want to run for a FFA officer position this year,” she said.

For more information, go to Springer’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/madiscookiesandcupcakes.