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Today marks one year since our very first bake. It feels at once like a lifetime and an instant, but mostly I just feel gratitude. 

Opening a business while pregnant during the height of a global pandemic certainly wasn’t on my "things you should definitely do" list, but nonetheless, here we are. One year ago today I stood in our not-yet-completed space nursing a four month old baby and doing my best not to panic while learning the ropes on our new stone mill and preparing to share our first-ever bake. I remember wondering, “Am I crazy?”

Since that day I have been continually touched by the overwhelming support of our customers; all of you. Every lovely email, every bread photo and every purchase has meant so much, I can't even begin to tell you. Your kindness and messages keep me going when the going gets tough. I am so grateful.

In the months that followed, our team grew. Today I share a workplace with an incredible group of people who are talented, committed and kind, and the force keeping this place on the rails. It’s their gifts that deliver the soul-nurturing food we get to share with you each week, and their care and attention that ensure you always feel welcome when you walk in. I am so proud to work with people who care so much about doing things the right way and striving to do it better tomorrow than we did it yesterday. So, to them, thank you.

Since those early days, our team has worked to produce and share more naturally-leavened bread and baking than ever. Last Fall, we launched our monthly bakery subscription, which has been an overwhelming success. After months of testing, we’re thrilled to have kicked off our weekly sourdough pizza nights, with the most delicious dough built from the grain up. We can’t wait to continue sharing it with you to take home or enjoy in the Dominion City taproom (beer garden season is just around the corner!) We’re currently hard at work on developing and sharing regular new recipes through the website and we can’t wait to welcome you back to the bakery for more sourdough workshops. We’ve got lots in store for you.

If the bakery is the most obvious outlet for our creativity, I’m just as proud as what we’ve managed to accomplish working with our suppliers. In our first year, we purchased and milled over 22 metric tonnes of certified organic, Canadian-grown heritage grain. To us, this statistic is everything.

Receiving locally grown Rye from farmer Rob Heuvel.

Our mission is to deliver good food by supporting better farming. By creating demand for regenerative heritage grains, we put the power back in the hands of local farmers and make space for better farming practices. We’re also playing a small part in rebuilding a local grain economy; something that’s been on the wane for decades. All of this is being made possible because of you. 

Every time you come in for a chocolate chip pecan cookie, you are biting into so much more. You are voting with your wallet to deliver good food, support better farming and ultimately, to create a more sustainable planet. 

Our work to continue building direct relationships with local farmers is ongoing and we’re excited that later this year we will mill and bake with grain grown exclusively for us by farmers we know. These are people who take pride in being good stewards of the land and who now have the confidence to plant a heritage crop on the strength of a partnership with Almanac. 

When we started this business we were driven by the belief that what we leave behind is as important as what we sell. A year into this, I’ve never felt more sure we’re on the right path. Thank you for trusting us, thank you for carrying us. Here’s to many more years sharing the good stuff; like you used to get.

With kindness,
Gabrielle Prud'homme

P.S. - Coincidentally, this anniversary coincides with my birthday. To celebrate and to thank you for your continued suppirt, we're knocking 15% off our flour and grain until Sunday at midnight. 

Use discount code YEARONE at checkout!