LeeAnne Turcotte, left, and Amie Peterson, partners in Pride of Dakota company Diaper Cake Originals, show examples of their wares Wednesday. LeAnn Eckroth | Williston Herald
Amie Peterson and LeeAnne Turcotte, both stay-at-home moms of four, conjured up a business that is a perfect fit to their busy lifestyles.
Diaper Cakes Originals is among 430-plus home-spun businesses marketed by the Pride of Dakota Program through the North Dakota Department of Agriculture. March has been designated as Pride of Dakota Month.
Peterson and Turcotte started their business two years ago.
"I received (a diaper cake) at a baby shower for my youngest baby. It was a gal in Wyoming that had made it," Peterson recalled. "It was the centerpiece on the table on my shower." That got her mind clicking.
"I thought it's good to bring something like that around here," she said. "I called LeeAnne and said, 'I got a great idea for us.'"
Turcotte had received a similar assembly for her eldest child.
Thus, a business was born.
The pieces are fun, practical and creative all at the same time.
"Everything is usable. Underneath, there are disposable diapers. We wrap them in receiving blankets - all different themes. Then, we just pick the toys and items to go along with it."
Peterson said they have multiple themes and credits her partner Turcotte for being a good sewer.
"I've done a few John Deere ones," Turcotte said. "They're popular."
"I've made a couple Western ones," Peterson said. "They've gone right away. Then, we've done sports, and we made some Easter ones for this last craft show. Come fall, we'll do some Christmas ones. We do the diaper wreaths also. Those are our newest products."
The cakes consist of mix of homemade and store-bought assemblies. "They include teethers and pacifiers. Many of the receiving blankets LeeAnne has sewn, and she has made a few bibs," Peterson said.
Feedback has been very positive, according to Peterson.
"They're unique. They're different," she commented.
"It's not just one gift; it's an assortment of gifts," Turcotte said.
Peterson cleans part-time, and Turcotte cashiers part-time, but Diaper Cakes Originals is rapidly becoming a healthy source of income.
For the partners, it is a labor of love.
"I like the baby gifts. If I had to ever pick, it would be this," Turcotte said.
"We get calls, asking, 'do you have one in, can you make one up?' They'll ask for a specific thing, and we'll try to accommodate them as best we can," Peterson related.
Making and finding the items for the different themes can prove a treasure hunt of sorts.
Toys, pacifiers, head bands, clips, diapers and blends of all kinds of color hues go into the gift combo. Or it could be a lady bug toy that squeaks.
"We sometimes forget what we have, and when we need them, dig into our stash and find our goodies," Peterson said. "We go out and try and find the deals.
"A lot of people go out and buy a traditional blanket and an outfit. This is just a bunch of usable things all turned into one. We wrap it cellophane," Peterson continued. "There is a card attached with all of the diaper cake ingredients on it. If they question what is in it, there is a list right there."
They aim to tailor the order to the customers' requests.
"They'll ask, do you think you can find this or that, and we go out and we'll go see if we can find what they are looking for. We do the best we can. People call in and ask for John Deere, Western and whatever," Turcotte said. "One will call in say, they want really 'girlie.'"
"If they don't know the gender, we have yellow and green ones or yellow ones which could go for either a girl or a boy," Peterson added.
They tested the market at an early craft show and tasted success.
"We almost sold out, came home that night and made a whole bunch more for that Saturday," said Peterson.
"We went to the first couple of craft shows, and people said, 'you should do Pride of Dakota. Then you can be in the Pride of Dakota shows.'" she said. "We joined Pride of Dakota. Our first show was in Minot last fall." As a result, requests are starting to come in as far as Minot.
They added that Pride of Dakota has now opened many doors from the wholesale end for their product - selling at businesses.
"(The products) have gone over very well," Peterson said.
"She makes them at her home, and I make them at mine.
"We take orders. People will call us and order them. We'll take them to the craft shows. We also have them in Bethel Lutheran Home at the gift shop. They've gone very well there."
Turcotte said they can also be found at the gas station in Berthold and in home decoration shop in Minot.
Now in its 23rd year, the Pride of Dakota program has helped home-grown businesses by revealing the quality products and services North Dakota provides.
Authorized by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the Pride of Dakota program offers member companies the opportunity to participate in cooperative promotion and marketing events; representation at local, state, regional, national and international trade shows; and educational opportunities.
Area Pride of Dakota Companies
Watford City - Gourmet breadsticks made with all North Dakota products. Available in grocery stores and shops.
Ray - Hand-poured (dye free) soy candles, soy melts and soy electric candles, car air fresheners, hand-dipped soy wax bears, and soy bath and body products.
Stanley - provides natural, safe, and effective solutions to rodent and odor control for farm, home, and auto use.
Stanley - Custom digitally printed designs. We can print on any flat surface 12”x18” and specialize in all kinds of apparel, bags, baby onesies, photo T’s and much more. No copyrighted designs please. Individual & wholesale orders welcome.
Wildrose - Three premium lines of specialty skin care, bath items, baby care, and spa products helping people with dry or troubled skin, allergies, chemical sensitivities, or Celiac Disease to cope and live comfortably.
Company History
Williston - Meat Man's Marinade
Daniel Gillund - Company owned and operated by a teenage blacksmith who forges decorative functional and custom iron items.
New Town - watercolor paintings are designed into greeting cards (note cards, sympathy, thank you & Christmas).
Parshall - Original family recipe jerky, peppered jerky, original beef sticks, peppered beef sticks, potato sausage, country made smoked sausage, and smoked bacon.
Tioga - Quality fleece blankets, hats, neck warmers, scarves, headbands, and the original snuggie sacks car seat liner. More products added to our line every year
Williston - USDA inspected meat processing and sales. Federal and custom slaughter and processing of beef, pork, elk and bison - fresh frozen retail packages and halves and quarters for sale. Service wholesale accounts and retail from ground beef, steaks and roasts, to Dakota made sausage and jerky.
Williston - High oleic, low saturate safflower oil is lower in saturates and higher in oleic fatty acid than olive or canola oil, is non-GMO and is an excellent non-transfat oil for cooking, infant foods, snack foods, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements. Product line includes safflower birdseed and high linoleic safflower oil.
Ray - Specializing in soups, dips, cheese balls, breads, salad dressings & meat rubs with down-home style taste.
Company History
Ross - Grain buyer and processor of both conventional and organic grains including but not limited to peas, flax, lentils, millet, rye, oilseeds, safflower, wheat, barley and oats.
Comments