When the doors of Barefoot Lane LLC Bakery officially opened on May 26, local patrons didn’t mind that the official concrete sidewalk wasn’t poured yet. Eager to get their hands on fresh, artisanal baked goods, customers happily stepped through the dirt to get a taste of Christa Wadekamper’s long-awaited creations.
By the time the grand opening arrived on Saturday, May 30, the line stretched far past the front door.
For Wadekamper—a homesteader, wife, mother, and now head baker—the scene was almost overwhelming. “The grand opening, I nearly burst into tears out of excitement to see that huge line,” she recalled. “You couldn’t ask for more as a business owner.”
The massive turnout was a testament to the reputation Wadekamper has built over the last few years as a fan favorite at the Waseca County Farmers Market. But transitioning from a small market stand to a full-scale brick-and-mortar storefront has been a monumental journey of grit, family labor, and a deep-rooted respect for the land.
Make It, Bake It, Grow It
To understand the soul of Barefoot Lane Bakery, one must understand Wadekamper’s lifestyle. She defines herself first and foremost as a homesteader. “To me, it means living off the land as much as I reasonably can,” she explained. “This can mean growing food, raising livestock, hunting, fishing, or foraging.”
On her homestead near Otisco, which she runs with her husband and son, Wadekamper produces a vast portion of what her family consumes. She grows tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and green beans, raises chickens, ducks, and geese. This “zero-waste” homesteading ethos has directly translated into her bakery’s kitchen. Nothing is wasted here: leftover scrap dough is lovingly hand-shaped into cream rolls, while the chewy bits from crushed cranberries are saved as a late-night snack for the hardworking crew.
Furthermore, the bakery is deeply tied to the land. Every single egg cracked at Barefoot Lane is harvested directly from Wadekamper’s chicken coop, fresh chives baked into her savory breads are plucked straight from her garden, and the deliciously sweet and tart raspberry or blueberry toppings of her danishes are picked by the bushel.
A Labor of Love (and Jackhammers)
The road to the storefront at Waseca began in late October 2025. Though Wadekamper once swore she would never open a brick-and-mortar shop, the sheer demand for her goods made a dedicated commercial space necessary so she could hire help and keep growing.
She acquired the building in late January 2026. The building itself holds a quirky, storied history in Waseca, having previously served as a veterinary clinic and, later, a laundromat. Transforming it into a food-safe commercial kitchen was an exhausting, bare-bones renovation. “The floor was a disaster,” Wadekamper noted. “We had to level the floor, which meant taking a jackhammer to the concrete water troughs and hauling them out. It took about two weeks just to gut it.” Much of the heavy lifting was a family affair, with her father spearheading the construction, and her husband and family cheering her on.
Now that the bakery is fully operational, the grueling schedule hasn’t slowed down. Wadekamper’s days begin at 2:45 AM, training a crew of six newly hired bakers, preparing bagel and bread doughs, and laminating delicate pastries. Leading up to the grand opening, the Wadekamper family clocked an astonishing 31 hours of continuous prep work. On any given week, the Barefoot bakers put in upwards of 80 hours from Monday through Saturday.
Crafting the Perfect Sourdough
Baking at this scale requires immense discipline, particularly when dealing with sourdough, which Wadekamper first taught herself to bake around 2020. “Sourdough from start to finish takes 24 to 48 hours,” she detailed. “Everything is made from scratch. It’s just a process to decide when the dough is ready to be proofed and mastering the techniques.”
That hard work is paying off. Customers have been clearing the shelves within hours of opening every day. Her famous fruit and cream danishes—a particular favorite of Wadekamper’s—frequently sell out within a staggering 17 minutes of hitting the display case.
Stepping into the bakery on a busy morning, the sensory experience is undeniable. The warm, yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread completely fills the bright space. Behind the counter, the kitchen is a beautifully choreographed dance of mixing, kneading, sheeting, laminating, and baking. The true mark of their hustle is written on the bakers themselves, sporting aprons heavily dusted with white flour.
A taste of the goods reveals exactly why Waseca is lining up in droves at Barefoot Lane Bakery. A fresh, warm croissant delivers a divine, toasted-salted-butter flavor with perfect, airy layers. The M&M cookies are delightfully fresh, while the sourdough loaves—ranging from vibrant cranberry-orange and zesty lemon-blueberry to a savory Italian parmesan—offer a remarkable scent and a deeply satisfying, crackly crust.
Looking to the Future
Though she is currently running on very little sleep and actively looking to hire at least two more bakers, Wadekamper is already dreaming up what is next for Barefoot Lane. “The next big thing is a food truck to sell sandwiches using my bread,” she shared , noting that she has also received requests to expand into neighboring communities like Owatonna and Mankato. Her customer base already spans all generations, from young children to grandparents, turning the bakery into a vibrant new community gathering spot.
Ultimately, Wadekamper attributes her early, roaring success to the people who supported her from the very beginning. “The customers in Waseca have really made this possible,” she chimed. “Supporting the stand at the farmers market to waiting over 30 minutes during our grand opening—they’ve been there for me, and now I’m here for them with the bakery.”
Barefoot Lane LLC Bakery is located in Waseca. Stop by early to catch their fresh sourdough loaves, danishes, and signature treats before they sell out.
