Bread for Order & a visit to the farm

🌾 pictures from Meadowlark Farm & Mill

Good morning bread friends!

Bread is available for pre-order on the website right now! (click here to order)

This is the last bake for the month of September. This means that it is the final week that we’re raising money for MMSD’s Transition Education Program (TEP) Fund.

As you all know, Bread & Justice is a philanthropic enterprise. 100% of the profits from the sale of bread are donated to organizations working toward building a more just society. This month we’ve been raising money for the TEP, which is a fund that is maintained by the Madison Public Schools Foundation. It exists with the explicit goal to reduce barriers to school enrollment, attendance, engagement, and achievement. It exists to ensure that children from families who are experiencing homelessness have a “full and equal opportunity” to succeed in school and their community.

Thanks to all the bread that this community has bought, we’ll be making a donation to them next week. 🤗

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Last week I mentioned that I’d be taking a tour of the Meadowlark Farm & Mill, where I get most of the flour that goes into our bread. That tour was part of an event that the Artisan Grain Collaborative was hosting for their members. Bread & Justice has been a member of the AGC for several years.

I can’t adequately summarize how enriching it felt to be surrounded by so many farmers, millers, maltsters, bakers, chefs, food manufacturers, brewers, distillers, researchers, and food advocates who are all working together to promote a regenerative grainshed and a sustainable food economy in the Midwest.

Among other great conversations, I got to chat with and swap stories with the bakers from Origin, Madison Sourdough, Troubadour Bakery (of Colectivo). I had hoped to regale more stories from this day, but it really feels like one of those events that was just as much about the vibes as it was about specific things that I can summarize.

In a conversation with Jessica from Giant Jones, we lovingly identified that a commonality amongst all of the people there is that we are makers with a tendency to get obsessed with things we’re into. I certainly resonate with that.

Check out some of my photos from the day.

One of the coolest things that we got to do is taste bread made with a brand new regional flour. After 9 years of collaborative efforts between researchers, farmers, and bakers this new wheat variety called Bickford has been developed. Named in honor of visionary farmer, Paul Bickford. This winter wheat is a game-changer for artisan bakers and organic farmers in this region. Bred specifically for the Midwest and Northeast, Bickford wheat boasts high protein content and exceptional baking qualities, producing loaves with strong gluten structure and nuanced flavor profiles. This wheat is adapted to organic farming systems, and is taller than an average variety of wheat, so it offers better weed competition. It is also disease resistant, reducing the need for fungicides.

Bickford what was selected through extensive field and baking trials involving farmers and bakers, ensuring it meets the unique needs of organic cultivation and artisanal bread-making. It is anticipated to be commercially available next year, so hopefully we’ll get a chance to start utilizing it in our bread in 2025.

Happy Thursday!
Cheers,
Mo
bread enthusiast