For the second year in a row, I attended the Kneading Conference in Maine to learn from grainiacs and bread buffs from all over the country—to use the words of the Maine Grain Alliance. This year’s keynote address was given by Dave Bauer of Farm and Sparrow Mill in NC, and two ideas he shared stuck with me:
Community is an antidote to burnout.
Bread is flour, water, salt, and hope.
I’ve always thought of bread baking as a blend of science and art, and each year this conference reminds me that hope and community are also at the heart of the craft. To me, hope is in the rush of excitement when you check on a dough in the morning, pull the lid off the pan, or try a new flour, recipe, or method. Community is in the satisfaction of feeding people and in connecting with other bakers and people who make bread possible: farmers, millers and more.
A heartfelt thank you to the Maine Grain Alliance leadership and staff, the absolutely delicious Biergarten and other caterers, event sponsors, and of course, the fascinating presenters and fellow attendees!
Knedle fruit dumpling, pierogi workshop, Krem & Lily Miskevich Combra
Manoushe, Danny and Johnny Dubbaneh, Z&Z Manoushe Bakery
Paul Pollaro, seed restorationist, chart of the loss of seed diversity over the past century
Steppenweizen Derenburg hard red winter wheat, sunrise grain walk with rare and heritage seed restorationist Richard Roberts
