Recycled Animal Feed Bags become Grocery Store Totes

When the word came out of the Governor’s Office in Augusta, pre pandemic, that single use plastic bags were going to be banned in the State of Maine lots of people groaned, lots of people saw it as a good thing.

Michelle Rose saw it as an opportunity. She likes to sew and says she is good at it. So she thought about the bags of feed that all farmers get and mostly discard after use. Her idea was to make the bags into reusable grocery totes. The law was never enacted, because of Covid 19, but who is to say that it still will not become law.

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In 2000, Michelle was diagnosed with M.S., forcing her to stop working. She says she’s had her ups and downs since, but is doing what she loves, and it keeps her busy.  Michelle is an inspiration, and I know first hand how great the bags are.  When I saw them on Facebook, I reached out because I love cows. Now I own bags with Cows, Horses, and Chickens.

Michelle sells the bags she makes in two ways.  She sells the bags, and will custom make them, from the Farm Stand at Baker Farms on the Main Road in Burlington, Maine. At the Farm Stand they also sell vegetables, eggs, jams, pickles, honey, and pies. Plus of course she has a Facebook page, Totes by Michelle, where people in other states have reached out to have the unique bags shipped to them. To date, She has made dozens and dozens of bags.

Cows are the most popular bag order, right? Not even close. Number one request is Birds. Followed by Rabbits. Alpacas are also high on the list. No matter the animal on the bag, I still have not seen one that isn’t great.  And definitely unique.