Curated news and information worth Sharing
In this section of the site you'll find news and information we come across related to local businesses in Lafayette Colorado as well as local food initiatives along the Front Range and beyond.

Where Bakeries Fit in the Grain Chain

So I came across this description of another small bakery I recently discovered, this time in Antrim, NH, on their About page. They made their description of a bakery both educational with regards to the flag leaf on a stalk of wheat while at the same time highlighting their place in the grain chain. Stuck out to me a being pretty clever and descriptive.

With the understanding that the flag leaf is the last leaf on a stalk of wheat before the grain head, and a bakery is the last link on the grain chain before the consumer, it is important to remember that the flag leaf could not have gotten up there without the leaves before it gathering the energy for the plant to mature. In our case, we are being held up by the grain breeders, wheat farmers and flour millers that have allowed us to do the last bit of work to share the fruits of all our labors with you, our hopefully happy customer.

The Advantages of Older Entrepreneurs

Never too old to think different and do your own thing, at least that's what Darrold and Martha Glanville of might tell you, who are now in their 70s. Don't assume it's all the younger folks starting up new businesses:

Their business started out selling heritage wheat at farmers markets and it gradually evolved into an enterprise with a 5,200-square-foot building, employees and several product lines available online.

...and a quote from another article they wrote themselves:

If you find you have a passion for something, never let age stand in your way. Sunrise Flour Mill is so much more than anything we ever thought it would be, and we wouldn't want it any other way.

Rising Stars: Meet Not Bad Cooks Ash Clifford & Shawn Campbell

Interview with the founders of Not Bad Cooks, a Denver sauce company known for Jimichurri and Peter's Pesto. Source: VoyageDenver

Investor group looks to elevate Farmer Direct Foods

We discovered Farmer Direct Foods last year while sourcing grains and flour. We came across this story about how they are evolving their business. If you are a grain nerd and interested in how grains chains are evolving across the county, this story is a very interesting and informative read.

The exploration led Webster to approach FDF, which had been milling heirloom grains from the Nelson Family Farm. The American White Wheat Producers Association was renamed Farmer Direct Foods in 2003 after installing the flour mill, but by 2021 Webster said the group was “fatigued” and had been investing only limited resources toward promoting its own branded product. Ultimately, the group was attracted to a financial transaction that offered upside if FDF is successful going forward.

If you find yourself asking why a bakery would be following all these stories about farming and milling, it is because we also plan on sourcing our grain within the Colorado region as well as milling our own flour.

Partnership shortens grain supply chain

One of the objectives for our cottage bakery is to use as much local and regional grain as possible. It is definitely a challenge in that there are not a lot of farms growing the types of grains we want in out immediate area. We've already started the process of sourcing grains and connecting with farmers throughout different parts of Colorado. Once we have those relationships, and the grain, we'll eventually be needing to store it and mill it to use in our baked goods. 

All that set up brings us to the video we're linking to. We do currently imagine part of our operation handling the milling of our own flour, so what the video covers is a larger version of part of what Daily Grains will be aiming for.

Twenty-five pound bags of all-purpose flour are being filled at Farmer Ground Flour in Trumansburg, New York. Each bag marks the halfway point of the journey for grain grown in New York State to the plate of consumers in the Northeastern United States. The circuit for this grain from field to table could be as short as 15 miles, which is exactly as the owners intended.

Boulder chef Andrea Uzarowski expects busy fall with Food Network feature, bakery opening

Keeping track of local bakeries...especially when they talk about using local grains 😁

Now, with the opening of Süti + Co., Uzarowski looks forward to bringing her love of sweets and experience in Scandinavian cooking and culture to 2031 16th St. The café will sell Danish shortbreads and Scandinavian artisan-made home goods and will feature Scandinavian folk music.

Yes We Can: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of Municipal Canning

Aside from a bad pun worthy of calling out, this article's opening statement is not wrong. I've never heard of this. When thinking about this in regards to a local food system, this would at the very least be a novel idea to explore.

You probably haven’t heard much about municipal canning lately. For a small group of rural counties and nonprofit leaders, this once commonplace art holds a lot of promise for their regions’ farmers and small business owners. Our resident graphic journalist Nhatt Nichols has more in the comic below.

When Paris closes in the heat of August, baguettes are harder to find

This was a very educational piece on bakeries in France having to deal with the recent heatwaves. I default to thinking about France when it comes to the history of bread and pastries, but this article expands on how bakeries play into the daily culture over there.

His Pane Vivo bakeries produce natural sourdough breads from an ancient wheat variety and have found a growing fan base among Parisians looking for a healthier alternative to the dominant white baguette bread. Some of his breads include Corsican herbs, others are studded with dried figs or dark chocolate.
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