ALTO PASS, Ill. — Just imagine a farmstand with delivery service. That’s “eggs-actly” what Alice Stearns is doing with her cottage business, Alto Pass Angus and Eggs.

With the ultimate goal to diversify sales markets for her family’s Angus farm, Stearns has created a new marketing recipe for their beef, eggs and hyperlocal produce in her Breakfast Baskets.

The result is a basket filled with fresh eggs from the farm; a locally roasted coffee, local bacon, pastries, milk and juice; and just-picked seasonal fruit from neighboring orchards.

The basket feeds four for $25 (or more for special pricing) and is delivered to the local area the night before. Besides the fresh goods, Stearns supports her local suppliers and always includes a list of where she collects items for the basket, including names and locations so her customers can also buy from her suppliers.

Her grassroots marketing campaign also includes bulk purchases for the Angus beef raised by her husband, and she extends her target markets to include special occasions, family gatherings, weekend retreats or tourists staying at local cabins and bed and breakfasts.

“Our family farm is an extension of what we are,” Stearns stated. “Union County (Ill.) is the place we call home, and we raise our own beef, poultry products and vegetables, and share our bounty with others.”

She’s also inspired by the vital importance of local purchasing power. She’s recently learned that $44 million a year in gas, grocery and other typical household purchases are leaking out of Union County, Ill., a highly rural county with a total population of 17,600. It’s biggest town – Anna – has a 4,446 population.

“This makes good sense. If we are going to survive, we must support each other,” Stearns said. “While the baskets support our farm, they also add value to the bed and breakfasts who buy them. It’s great for everyone.”

Brian Stone owns Alto Wine Trail Loft, vacation lodging with kitchens along one of the region’s wine trails. He ensures that her advertising magnets are prominently displayed on all of his loft refrigerators. “Alice’s baskets are about bringing more of what the region has to offer to my guests,” Stone said. “Everyone loves the quality, and everything tastes great.”

Her business philosophy is as fresh as a blue-checkered tablecloth gently drying in a country breeze. Locally produced ingredients emphasize product quality. The baskets deliver packaging that reinforces product origins and quality. The delivery service also underlines traditional farm family tenets, which help guide the family’s farm operations. She’s also watching double-digit sales growth every quarter.

“There’s that old wives’ tale about saving egg money from the roadside stand and stashing it in a hollowed leg of the kitchen table,” Stearns said. “I always wanted to be that wife who could help the farm in a big way. But you cannot just put out a table at the end of the driveway anymore.”

Her growing business is wrapped together with help from a robust Facebook page as a free marketing tool, which not only promotes the baskets and bulk beef, but also the Stearns’ lifestyle.

Most of her posts tie back to a “buy local” message, including where to find local items and to reinforce her own marketing goals.

They have bee hives on their farm, so Stearns is absorbing as much as she can about bees. This post offers a glimpse into life at her farm: “Just finished reading the Illinois Beekeepers newsletter ... Wow, what a tough winter we had. While we lost two hives of bees, I had no idea 61 percent of all hives in Illinois were lost. We have a healthy hive right now; keeping our fingers crossed.”

Or this, when May was proclaimed Beef Month by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn: “Nearly 25 percent of all jobs in Illinois are agriculture related ... Illinois Beef generates $800 million, with a capital ‘M,’ of revenue for our state.”

There also are tasty ideas on how best to enjoy her products: “Last night we had our own chuck roast. The recipe: 4 pounds chuck roast and four washed halved potatoes – skin on. Place into small pressure cooker... yes, a pressure cooker! Sprinkle on Johnny B’s Rub – a local product usually reserved for pork butts – add sea salt, just a bit, and course ground pepper, 1/2 cup water and pressure cook for 22 minutes. Turn off cooker and let cool before opening. The meat was browned, tender (of course) and the potatoes were perfect. Add a fresh baby romaine salad with Hendrickson’s dressing, and voila ... A meal fit for my farmer-husband. Try it, your family will like it too.”

Look on Facebook or call 618-697-4043 to learn more about Alto Pass Angus and Eggs.