High School Entrepreneurs Pilot A Roaming Cheese Bus

Forget the ice cream truck—I'd rather scream in pursuit of a roaming cheese vessel. That dream is now a reality for residents of Watkins Glen, New York, where two 17-year-olds are piloting their brand-spanking-new cheese bus as part of a high school entrepreneurial program.

Local news outlets report that Cale Sutterby and Silas Farrell, two seniors at Watkins Glen High School, debuted The Cheese Bus earlier this week. The 17-year-olds told reporters that they came up with the idea in a school class after being asked to dream up five business ideas. Sutterby jokingly suggested selling "various cheeses," and the idea stuck. "We thought a lot of people go up to wineries," Sutterby told reporters. "They want artisan foods, little knickknacks, jams, and cheeses. So we thought, why not bring it to them?"

Now, the two scoot around town in their bus peddling cheese spreads, cheese curds, blocks of cheese, and artisanal sodas. In June, Sutterby and Farrell will attend an entrepreneurial competition in Tennessee where they can win $5,000 through Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), a nationwide leadership program for high school students. "If we win, we are going to put [the money] towards the bus which will help pay it off and pay off various other debts," said Farrell.

I'm admittedly curious about the students' "various other debts," which may or may involve funds borrowed to acquire Funyuns and Life Savers from the cafeteria vending machine. For now, the pair plans to establish multiple cheese trucks across the Finger Lakes region. "The goal, hopefully, is next year to have one or two more and then just manage the company and not even have to work," said Farrell. "That is the end dream." Dare to dream, boys. Dare to dream.