adventures with the hearth loaf- includes discussion of bread delivery wagon

[goodcompanion]

Here at our place we are at the intersection of the animal-power avenue and hearth bread street. This seems like the right heading to talk about my adventures as a semi-low tech baker.

In my area I’m up against some pretty big bakeries which to be honest make a nice crusty loaf. As with agriculture, with increasing volume goes more specialized equipment that allows one to fine-tune results and ensure consistency. To arrive at that same consistency without these devices, namely, a fossil-fuel fired oven with steam injection and an electric proofer/retarder, one needs a lot of skill. It’s tricky!

So with my craft I have to decide where to stop investing in equipment (restraints of both money and principle) and where to expect my skill to pick up.

Bakers of old did everything by hand, had only rudimentary temperature and humidity control, and had only wood-fired ovens like mine. They managed. But was their bread always good and/or consistent? In comparison, with a heated work area and a 60 quart mixer, I’m pretty well fitted-out, yet still batches flop and go to the pigs from time to time. But then of course I don’t have 20 years experience doing this either.

Approaching this challenge and winning over customers with the product is pretty engaging. Probably has a lot of commonality with others of you who have tried to make a living with your hands, and find yourselves looking for the right compromise of new and old tools and techniques to help you put bread on the table, pain sur la planche, so to speak.

Erik

[Gabe Ayers]

goodcompanion;20 wrote:

Bakers of old did everything by hand, had only rudimentary temperature and humidity control, and had only wood-fired ovens like mine. They managed. But was their bread always good and/or consistent?

I think the corrollary question to ask is what were the expectations held by the consumers of the baked bread of old? We tend to have a high standard of expectation for uniformity and quality control which seemingly flies in the face of quality of experience control for the production of the bread.

I think this is the same with nearly any trade, but a good such as yours is a perfect example.

What sorts of breads are you making?

[goodcompanion]

The consumers of old were usually pretty grateful to have bread at all. With abundance comes fussiness. I suppose that’s human nature.

So as a baker I have to decide how far to go to cater to that fussiness. Many of the people I know who make a go of small-scale farming do so through excellence of product. But for our operation it’s the process that’s unique–going from seed to loaf on-premises–and I couldn’t say for sure that a tastier, crustier loaf that results from that process, just a more local, lower-impact one. Some people are moved by that if there’s time enough to explain all that. Others don’t particularly care, they just want good bread.

We focus on traditional french breads–baguette, batard, levain–but we dabble in all sorts of other hearth loaves too.

[Sally]

Erik,
I don’t know how it is going in your area but the Local Food movement seems to be picking up momentum and emphasizing THAT seems to me to make good sense. Now when I shop at the co-op I look for local FIRST and foremost. I think there is a growing understanding of how critical it is to re-localize food, and life! I think inconsistency is part of the deal with anything handmade and that there is no apology needed. Each loaf is unique. That’s great.

[goodcompanion]

I would hope that there’s some acceptance of inconsistency. But I also feel that in order to be accessible, the product mustn’t require too much of the average customer.

I could for instance be baking 100% whole wheat loaves for the die-hard local foods crowd. Some would go for that, maybe even enough to float the business. But I’ve chosen instead to focus on fully-risen crusty loaves because they are better-loved overall. I feel that to really gain a foothold, local food needs to be delicious, easy to get, easy to eat.

A really lucky agricultural entrepreneur can devise a product that is both delicious and totally unique and have a little sphere unto themselves. I’m not quite so lucky. For me, my process is unique but the product itself is similar to and in competition with several others made on a more industrial scale.

However enough people care about the process (and some, bless their hearts, think my bread is just the best) that I’m keeping on.

[Roy]

I have the same type problem with the sorghum syrup that we produce. Many things effect consistancy such as weather, soil, and the person cooking at the pan. We have tried to get our customers as envolved as possible in the process so that they are better educated about the product. One way to do this is to let them see as much of the process as possible. Even seeing you make a mistake is valuable. That way they know that what you sell is the good stuff, and mistakes are fed to the hogs.

[Robert MoonShadow]

I know that this is an old thread, but the matters here, I feel, are important. As a market-gardener, I sell produce at the farmers’ market – and I can’t compete with the grocery stores in either price or consistancy of appearance, although I DO beat them out on flavor. I don’t use petroleum-based pesticides/fertilizers, etc. so my product often has blemishes. But I’m not really selling a product – or at least not JUST a product. I’m selling a relationship. I think with the syrup & the breads, it is – or can be – the same. As mentioned by Roy, the process is often what’s appealing to the customer of our types of products…
As goodcompanion mentioned, it can be hard to get someone to stick around long enough to hear the message of the bread (or any product such as ours) & what differentiates it from the mainstream offerings. I intend to use my animals, in part, to deliver my weekly CSA baskets to my client-subscribers. Definite attention-grabber, ayuh? It also will give me the opportunity to segue into how I farm w/ animals – and why. And if the local news people (who are always looking for human-interest stories) “just happen” to receive a call about this guy delivering food, etc….

I posted this here, to revive this thread in the hopes that others here might have ideas on promoting services/products using the animals as marketing tools.

[goodcompanion]

A lot has changed since my last post on the thread, Robert. Now, looking at the rising prices in our local supermarket, I am increasingly convinced that I can compete on price for many of the things we make so long as (1) I sell everything retail, and (2) I have some people to help me for cheap or free. (The dilemma of cheap apprentices giving their labors in return for education has been discussed elsewhere on this board).

Also, I am betting that members of my extended family will be showing up on the farm looking for a situation within a year or two. I have two sisters pursuing ph.d’s now–what kind of job will there be for them in the wide world when they graduate? Probably none, but they can come here and be pulling weeds, carding wool, milking cows by hand.

In short I think we are looking at a decline or collapse of labor prices in the face of rising unemployment. This is to the advantage of all operations that depend on lots of labor to function. It is to the disadvantage, however, of the general public’s ability to pay, at least in cash. But everyone has to eat, even without a job to pay for food. My hope is that the collapse of currency will pave the way to non-monetary exchange.

Pre-1945, most bakers worldwide did not sell their goods for money day-in-day-out. They did so for barter or credit. In France an elaborate system of tally-sticks was used for this purpose. Even “cash customers” generally didn’t have year-round possession of real currency–their personal integrity and position and work in the community was the security on their credit.

But back to the question of animal power in promoting the effort. I think that using animal power is for selling/delivering goods is a fantastic symbol. Here in my town we have been having a muted, vermont-style culture war for some time, the crusty locals versus the yuppie environmentalist flatlander transplants. I see the animal-powered farm as a way to wed the best of both world-views. It has the ecological sensibility for the over-educated flatlanders, but also the suggestion that native vermonters’ seemingly forgotten family histories (grand-dad milked ten cows, had a team of horses he was mighty proud of and never sold even after he and everyone else got tractors..etc.) may be of practical, frugal necessity in the present.

I had tabled my horse-drawn farm/bakery wagon until just a little while ago. But now I’ve changed my mind, by God we’re going to build that sucker and send it out on duty in the spring. Hope you build yours too.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Erik – I will have a wagon… after I get established a bit more – need 2 donkeys & I’ve got to get this one trained before I’ll take on another one (unless I stumble onto a well-trained, but rediculously cheap donkey/small mule/pony). But I’ll also use them & the wagon for delivering free produce to the local domestic violence shelter… and use Dragon on his own ’til then –> ‘cuz kids + donkey = oh, ’bout a bazillion smiles, giggles & laughter!! I’d like to find one of those old enclosed delivery wagons they had “back when”… please keep posting on how that works out for you, eh?

[Robert MoonShadow]

Erik ~ I was just reading your thread in equipment about your delivery wagon – did you ever decide on the style & wheels, etc.? I also had a thought to go with it… is there a way for you to keep a loaf or two warm while in the wagon, being delivered? Because, as I’m sure you know, nothing advertises a bakery like the smell…
…come to think of it, that applies to pig farms, too (but not in a good way) 😮

{I just pictured a wagon delivering fresh baked goods, with the aroma of all that good stuff wafting in the breeze throughout the neighborhood = sort of like the music of the icecream truck}
If you want to try out its effects, I live on Doumecq Rd, just outside White Bird, and I’ll take two of everything you’ve got. 😀

[Rod]

I make wooden things, carvings, turnings etc as a hobby and usually they have a defect of some type. When I give them away usually I point out the imperfection and explain that it’s there to prove it was made by a human not a machine.

I’m glad you are doing the wagon project again, I was wondering what was happening with it. I know someone who has a real nice antique but usable delivery wagon for sale. It was originally going to be used in the same way by a vegetable farmer to do local delivery’s. With a top added it would be perfect for what you want.

[goodcompanion]

Rod,

I actually have acquired a wagon gear from just such a wagon for the project. I have stripped the box off, planned some changes to the springs, and am moving the front wheels (44″) to the back. I plan on ordering new front wheels (34″) so that the front wheels can cut under the frame somewhat and wagon can make sharper turns. Vergennes involves close quarters!

For me, making the box is the easiest part. Almost all right angles, it’s like building a little house. I’ll keep everyone posted on progress. I hope it will be ready to hit the streets in April.

[goodcompanion]

@Robert MoonShadow 5696 wrote:

Erik ~ I was just reading your thread in equipment about your delivery wagon – did you ever decide on the style & wheels, etc.? I also had a thought to go with it… is there a way for you to keep a loaf or two warm while in the wagon, being delivered? Because, as I’m sure you know, nothing advertises a bakery like the smell…
…come to think of it, that applies to pig farms, too (but not in a good way) 😮

{I just pictured a wagon delivering fresh baked goods, with the aroma of all that good stuff wafting in the breeze throughout the neighborhood = sort of like the music of the icecream truck}
If you want to try out its effects, I live on Doumecq Rd, just outside White Bird, and I’ll take two of everything you’ve got. 😀

I pack my loaves in paper bags (per state law) and then into wooden crates, vertically, 3 rows of six loaves. Usually the last load of loaves is pulled and packed mere minutes before leaving for market. This means that the loaves retain their warmth from being all packed together. Usually they are still warm several hours into market. So people do already know me for warm bread. But most of the smell, unfortunately, I’m not able to take to market with me as most of it goes up the chimney.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Rod ~ I’d sure like to see photos of that delivery wagon you mentioned… doubt I could afford the shipping, much less the purchase price of an antique, but I’d like an idea of the design, since you mentioned it was for delivering produce.
Erik ~ I had a thought about SARE: they’re usually interested in providing funding (grants) for sustainable activities such as this wagon, that they can then use to provide others with the plans, details, etc. Hey, if they’re willing to fund or partially fund what you’re already going to do, just for photos, plans, etc….??

[goodcompanion]

Ah..perfectly valid question. How is this wagon shaping up?

I have bought a light market wagon for purposes of converting it into the future bakery wagon. It came with three good wheels, two 44″ (front) and one 48″ (rear, the other having a rotten felloe). I decided to move the 44″ to the rear and to later order a 34″ set from witmer coach shop (pa) for the front in order to have a full cut-under as the Ivan Collins plans suggest (purchased through wild horse books, mt, found through rural heritage website.)

I did some calculations as to how tight a turn I could pull off with the wheels as they were (44″, 48″) and came to the conclusion that it would be a little onerous for tight corners and backing, which would be required a lot for the bakery wagon to do its duty. So I decided to junk the bigger wheels and reconfigure the gear.

The box plan to make with a tongue-and-groove pine deck, oak frame, and veneer plywood sides and roof with a classy paint job. The roof I think I’ll cover with ice-and-water barrier. The box is to be 4′ wide, and close to 8′ long from footboard to back door.

Probably this will get built this coming winter and launched next year. I can see it doing duty as a mobile sales platform for raw milk, frozen meats, vegetables, and bread, all at once. Vergennes is so compact I could probably take pre-orders and make a deliver route for all those things if enough people signed on.

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