Celebrating my brother--one of the good guys.

My younger brother Evan is one of the good guys, and one of the people that actually produce something -- he makes bread and is an important part of his community in Olympia, Washington. This came from his wonderful bakery in Olympia Washington. Stop by Mud Bay and pick up some excellent nourishing foodstuffs if you're in town! It's a shame it's so far from Robbinsdale.

Blue Heron Bakery has just begun our 30th season at the Olympia Farmers Market as of the first Thursday in April. We have a returning crew of marketeers and an outstanding new blood as well. The Olympia Farmers Market is open Thursday through Sunday 10am to 3 pm.

We are proud to announce we have switched our unbleached white flour to the spectacular product made exclusively by Shepherd's Grain, all their flour is Food Alliance certified sustainable. Their wheat is grown by an exclusive group of 33 farmers(65% in Washington), that is committed to sustainable a non-commodity price structure for farmers and thus security for bakers, with the added benefit of stewardship through their no till, direct seeded methods. With the doubling of organic flour prices last year everyone has watched huge impacts on their margins and the smallest producers have felt the impact the most. As organic has become mainstreamed, large companies buy up the majority of the flour at guaranteed prices, often cheaper than a community baker can buy conventional flour. After a 31 year history of using only organic flour, this decision was not made lightly or just on the consideration of price. We believe Shepherds Grain is on the cutting edge in the evolution of agriculture. Our previous sourcing provided flour shipped from Utah and collected by the mills from a vast expanse of America. We are reducing the carbon footprint of every product we produce and keeping our flour dollars circulating in our regional economy. We remain committed to using Fairhaven Mills Organic whole wheat and whole wheat pastry flour, though the price difference is vast, our support of this outstanding Bellingham mill is steadfast. All other grains and flour are still organic! Check out www.shepherdsgrain.com and send your responses via blueheronbakery.com

The President of Blue Heron Bakery, Evan Price, has reached his 21st anniversary at the company and is looking forward to the future with positive anticipation and a deep appreciation for his organization and the ethically committed portions of our natural foods industry. He send his thanks to all that have encouraged, inspired and supported him over the years. Provender Alliance has been a source of all three attributes, for which he is eternally grateful.