Well Waddle Ya Know?

If you tend to flock toward whimsical decor, you may already be in the market for a porch goose. Now, you can get one made locally. The decorative bird as a concept is nothing new but it has had a resurgence in popularity. Husband-and-wife team Joanna Bentley and Tony White are putting the silly in goose with their handcrafted porch goose business: The Goose and The Gander.

The couple moved to North Carolina about four years ago but they’re originally from Michigan. The porch goose is a big thing in the Midwest, Joanna tells us. “Growing up was always your old auntie or your grandma had a goose in front of her house and you’d help dress it up,” she says. 

Shortly after moving to the area she was talking to some coworkers about finally feeling old enough to get her first porch goose. “They had no idea what I was talking about,” but Joanna was humored by it and decided to look it up. “Somewhere in there it became a thing on TikTok but I couldn’t actually find one anywhere.” Lucky for Joanna, Tony works in the concrete business, so he bought a mold and made one for her (we’re not crying, you’re crying).

“One thing led to another,” says Joanna and now they sell the hand-painted concrete geese at various pop-ups, craft vendor shops and more. They have eight sizes ranging from 4 inches to 30 inches, each a little different in style. They also keep their booths stocked with outfits to properly accessorize your new goose. “It surprises me sometimes how much joy they bring to people and how attached they get to them, like they’re a family member or pet,” says Joanna. 

“It’s cute and all that but sometimes it feels like a drug deal,” laughs Joanna, “We’ll get messages like, ‘I need a goose today for my mom’s birthday.'”

So where do they keep their small but steady army of geese? Almost like a really hardcore Build-a-Bear, the couple has converted their garage into a goose-making studio. Tony even goes as far as to mix his own cement instead of buying it premade. Those who dabble in the cement world know the extra step leads to better quality control.

How fast they can produce a goose depends on the size of the mold and the time of year. In the summer, molds can be left outside to sun-cure quickly before they get painted with premium exterior paints to protect against the elements. A larger goose can weigh up to 70 lbs.

“It surprises me sometimes how much joy they bring to people and how attached they get to them like they’re a family member or pet,” says Joanna. She personally has two porch geese named, Gary Potter and Derp. Derp didn’t come out of the mold quite right.

“It’s also a way for people to express who they are in a safe way. People can make it as flamboyant or as happy as they want it to be. It’s great when you have kids too,” says Tony.

Mother’s Day and Christmas have been their two biggest holidays over the last three years. But Joanna says, “It seems like when the seasons are changing, people will get an itch for a goose.” Teachers also tend to be big customers, for obvious reasons.

“It’s been a really fun ride for me because I get to do something that brings people joy but I also get to spend more time with my wife,” says Tony. Seriously, where did she find this guy?

If you think it couldn’t possibly get more wholesome than that, Joanna and Tony have also been known to do drive-by “goosings” at Christmastime. That’s where they leave a small goose on the porch of a nominee.

Though they started off just winging it, but Tony eventually quit his job to focus solely on the geese. “This is just something people have latched onto thats innocent and pure and joyful. We enjoy making people happy,” says Joanna.

Locally, you can find The Goose and The Gander at Made & Found in Aberdeen or, you can send them a message via Facebook.