DIY Horse-Drawn Wagon Is a Ready-to-Roll Bakery Cart

A different kind of horse power trotted into a Vermont town when local baker Erik Andrus built his own old-fashioned delivery wagon.

By Erik Andrus
Updated on October 28, 2024
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by Erik Andrus
Bobby the horse waits patiently, hitched to the Good Companion Bakery delivery wagon at the farmers market in Vergennes, Vt.

I believe living horse power can be an effective way to transport local food to market, and that more people should adopt this sustainable form of transportation. To bring working animals back to the city streets, I decided to build a commercial horse-drawn wagon in 2010. My project would allow me to sell bread and produce directly from my wagon parked on the City Green of Vergennes, Vt., the town nearest my home.

Building the delivery wagon was fun, and it combined my love of woodworking with my interest in working with animals. The project took many hours and cost about $3,000 in materials. If I were to build a wagon like this on commission, I would probably charge about $5,000.

Delivering Local Food With a Bakery Cart

Cabin Interior Of Market Delivery Wagon

My family operates Good Companion Bakery on our 110- acre farm just outside of Vergennes, Vt. Sustainable transport of our baked goods, produce and meat to market was one of my motivations in building a wagon.

The cargo hold  is outfitted with a handmade storage system that allows us to haul 150 pastries, 80 loaves of bread, several boxes of produce and two coolers of frozen meat. We can’t fit that much food in our car! And, unlike our station wagon’s cargo area, which is all curves and wheel wells, I designed the hold of our horse-drawn vehicle to be a perfect match for the type of goods we sell. Every pine cargo crate has good clearance and ventilation, and a shelf with a lip keeps each crate snug on even the bumpiest of rides.

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