Edgerton Bakery: Fresh Baked Success with a Personal Touch

Edgerton Bakery: Fresh Baked Success with a Personal Touch

What started as a friendly suggestion turned into a life-changing adventure for Carl and Stacie Nagel. “My wife has always loved baking,” Carl shared. “She had a friend in town who said, ‘Why don’t you buy the bakery and the house down the street?’” At first, Stacie expected Carl expected to think the idea was crazy. But instead, he was all in. “Two days later, we were in Edgerton looking at both,” he recalled. Just a few months later, in May of 2022, the Nagels were the new owners of the Edgerton Bakery.

Since then, the couple has focused on growing the business. Carl brings a background in direct store delivery, and his goal from day one was to expand the bakery’s reach. When they bought the business, they were only delivering to two locations. Now, the delivery list includes V&M in Leota, Fareway in Luverne, Jasper Marathon, the Marathon Station in Slayton, and Maynard’s in Fulda. They even deliver donut holes to a Fulda church.

Carl credits a Facebook post with kickstarting the demand in Fulda. “Maynard’s asked their followers if they’d want rolls and bakery items in town—and the response was overwhelming.” Since then, demand has grown steadily, with deliveries flying off the shelves shortly after arriving.

Deliveries are made to different towns each day—Jasper on Mondays and Wednesdays, Fulda and Slayton on Tuesdays, V&M on Thursdays, and Fareway on Fridays. “It’s gone really well,” Carl said, “It’s just continued to grow.”

The Nagels’ approach to running the bakery is a full-time, hands-on commitment. Carl is up by 3:10 a.m., and baking begins shortly after. Most of the dry ingredients are prepped the night before, so mornings move fast—white dough, wheat dough, dough for schools, and the donut dough are all mixed and proofed depending on the day’s needs.

Bread-making is part science, part intuition. “Every day is different,” Carl explained. “You can look back at past orders and sales, but it still changes depending on weather or local events.” Bread goes into the proofer first, then buns and rolls. By around 8 a.m., the morning bake is typically done. On top of baking, Carl delivers to customers—and manages another delivery route, too.

That’s because the Edgerton Bakery is also an Amazon Hub. Amazon packages arrive at the bakery and Carl and Jared Kirkpatrick deliver them around the area—another way the bakery has found to serve its community. “It’s just another way to diversify,” explained Carl.

While Carl and Stacie are still very involved in the business, they’ve found tremendous support in their bakery manager, Hope Kirkpatrick. Hope and her husband Jared joined the bakery team in February 2024. “Hope has been a great asset,” Carl said. “Her management skills let Stacie and I focus on growing the business in other ways.”

Hope, who recently received her food handling license, said working in a bakery had always been a dream. “I grew up baking with my grandma, and my dad worked in a bakery for ten years,” she said. Her responsibilities now include managing staff schedules, preparing orders, baking cookies, mixing dough and almond paste, and finding ways to improve consistency—one of the toughest day-to-day challenges.

“Dough is really temperamental,” Hope explained. “The weather and humidity play a big role, and the equipment is old, so some days it just doesn’t cooperate.” But she’s always looking to improve. Lately, she’s been working on perfecting the roll dough. “We want a soft, consistent dough that really puffs up,” she said.

Jared helps wherever needed—customer service, washing dishes, even assisting Carl with his Amazon delivery route. The couple is expecting their second child in June, and Hope has had to adjust her schedule accordingly.

The business has evolved in many ways since the Nagels took over. One of the most significant changes has been the installation of a Square point-of-sale system. “The previous owner didn’t track sales,” Carl said. “Now we can see everything—sales trends, invoices, orders—it’s made a huge difference.”

The Nagels received help from the Southwest Regional Development Commission through the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). “We couldn’t have done it without that,” Carl said. “Our banker and Robin Weis at SRDC made it really easy. We just had to come in and sign the papers.” The RLF helped fill the financial gap needed to make the bakery purchase possible.

Owning a business comes with its challenges. For Carl, staffing is at the top of the list. “Finding dependable people can be tough,” he said. But the reward is worth it. “I want to say I like being my own boss, but it feels like I’m here more than I should be,” he laughed. “A day off is sleeping until 7.”

Carl’s advice for other aspiring business owners? “You’ve got to be willing to put in the time. You need to be there, learn it, and be part of the community. I go to games and fundraisers to support the high school kids who work here. It’s important they know they’re appreciated.”

From Worthington to Edgerton, the Nagels have found more than just a business—they’ve built a bakery with heart. And thanks to their hardworking team, fresh-baked goods, and a growing delivery network, they’re continuing to rise.