How a Focus Group at Wayward Lanes Shaped Root Access

Root Access: We’re not just talking about the community; thanks to partners like our Focus Group, we’re speaking with it. 

Some of the most meaningful ideas begin in places where conversation flows easily, ideas bounce around freely, and the goal isn’t perfection but possibility. 

SEEC’s Gabrielle Pacatte explains the goal of Root-Access to our Focus Group at Wayward Lanes—good conversations shared over good beer.

That’s exactly how Root Access came to life. 

Not designed behind closed doors or dictated by strategy decks, but rather shaped around tables at Wayward Lanes, over shared drinks and open conversations with a group of entrepreneurs, young professionals, and community builders who call Schoharie County home

This inaugural Root Access Focus Group wasn’t a formality; it was the foundation. 

Root Access was never meant to just speak about the community; it was also meant to speak with it. 

That afternoon at Wayward Lanes brought together a village of voices that included Raema Frost of Rockerbox Spices, Bob Frost, Sam Forehand, Cass Harrington, and Ryan Geraghty of Destination Marketing; Jason Brizee, Ed Vail, Tanja Kowinsky, Cody Robinson-Bullock from the Schoharie County Youth Bureau, Lucianna Silvestri, and Andrew Rowles of Wayward Lanes.

Each one of them came with a different background, different experiences, and different reasons for being invested in Schoharie County. Some grew up here–and returned. Others chose the community intentionally.

The conversation wasn’t about branding for branding’s sake. It was about identity. 

What makes Schoharie County feel like Schoharie County? 

What stories are already here, waiting to be told? 

What would make someone confident enough to stay? 

Those questions shaped everything that followed. Even the Root Access logo evolved through this process, refined by real feedback rather than abstract preferences. Ideas were tested, challenged, and strengthened in real time. 

Entrepreneur Raema Frost of Rockerbox Spices—that’s her husband, Bob, right—offers her thoughts on Root Access.

Root Access exists to tell the stories of Schoharie County to people who are curious about what makes this place…this place. It’s for those who wonder what life looks like beyond crowded cities and high costs of living. It’s for entrepreneurs searching for room to grow, families looking for a good quality of life, and individuals craving a sense of belonging that can be hard to find elsewhere. 

Schoharie County offers something increasingly rare: space and substance. 

Space to build a business without overwhelming overhead. Space to raise a family with room to breathe. 

And substance in the form of history, local culture, deep-rooted relationships, and a strong sense of community responsibility. 

Life here is shaped by more than geography. It’s shaped by people who show up for their neighbors, their towns, and their local economy. 

Fresh food and farms aren’t just amenities; they’re part of everyday life. Rural affordability isn’t a talking point; it’s a real advantage. Access to the rest of New York State makes it possible to stay connected while still living on your own terms. 

With his job, Cobleskill native Jason Brizee could have lived anywhere. He moved back to Schoharie County—and offered our Root Access developers advice of what’s important to young professionals.

The Root Access Focus Group Focus made something very clear: most of the people around that table didn’t end up in Schoharie County by accident. They chose it. Some returned after time away. Others relocated, drawn by opportunity, lifestyle, or community. Their stories challenge the idea that rural places are defined by what they lack. Instead, they highlight what these places offer if you’re willing to look closely. 

Root Access is a tool for doing just that. It’s an invitation to explore the county’s history, its evolving entrepreneurial landscape, and the everyday moments that make community life meaningful. It’s not about selling a polished version of reality, but about sharing real experiences from real people who are building lives and businesses here. 

As we move forward, the insights from that first focus group continue to guide our work. The stories we choose to tell, the voices we elevate, and the way we frame Schoharie County all stem from that foundational belief: the community knows itself best. 

Root Access was created with intention by people who know Schoharie County, shaped through collaboration, and grounded in lived experience. It belongs to the community because the community built it. 

And as we develop the next batch of Root Access stories, one thing remains constant: we will keep returning to the table. We’ll keep listening. And we’ll keep telling the stories of Schoharie County as they are lived every day, with pride, resilience, creativity, and connection. 

To everyone who helped bring Root Access into being, thank you. 

This is your story, and we’re honored to help tell it.