What Makes Between the Trees
Community
Sustainability
Taste
Craft
Community
Supporting our community and the communities impacted from where we source all of our ingredients is a central component of Between the Trees. A strong supportive community, we believe, is vital for a person to thrive in life. Many people without the privilege of access and affluence do not ever get to realize the level of comfort that many of us take for granted. With that being said, it’s easy to throw around broad terms/buzz words like “community” and not do anything about it.
So, how will Between the Trees support our community?
• Choosing locally, regionally, and sustainably grown grains and ingredients in all of our breads.
• Reinvesting back into organizations and projects involved with community development.
• Balancing sourcing and affordability to ensure farmer, miller, baker, and customer are all treated with the respect they deserve.
• Constantly evaluating the impacts of what we are making, what we are taking, and what we are producing.
• Listening and responding as we grow to the requests of our community and communities impacted by us.
Sustainability
Businesses should be designed and created to serve the needs of the customer. As our climate continues to change as a result of our actions, we believe it is up to businesses to prioritize the health of our planet along with the success of their business. Cost and Profit should not only be in dollar signs, but should take into account Environmental and Social costs as well. In Paul Hawken’s “Ecology of Commerce” he lists 6 principles that should be applied to sustainable businesses.
Sustainable Businesses should:
Intentionally provide adequate time off & work-life balance for those involved with the business to benefit mental & physical health as well as quality of life, and the ultimate sustainability of the business
Replace nationally and internationally produced items with products created locally and regionally while respecting cultural recipes with different backgrounds and influence
Take responsibility for the effects they have on the natural world
Not require exotic resources of capital in order to develop and grow
Engage in production processes that are human, worthy, dignified and intrinsically satisfying
Create objects of durability and long-term utility whose ultimate use or disposition will not be harmful to future generations
Change Consumers to Customers through education
Each one of these principles will ultimately guide us in our production and our purchases. We believe that when you choose to purchase from a place or business, a connection is created between company and customer. That connection begins with a shared set of values and can only be sustained with gratitude, transparency, and trust.
Taste
When you think of bread, often what comes to mind is texture. Aside from the limp, lifeless loaves in a grocery store, bread is overwhelmingly a textural experience. A nice, crisp crust with a soft and chewy interior. But something that has been lost due to the commercialization and sanitization of bread has been the wonderful flavor of the grains themselves.
The sharp, sweetness of Rye.
The nuttiness of Spelt.
The buttery warmth of Khorasan.
The intense, earthiness of Buckwheat.
The mild, creaminess of White Wheat
All of these grains have a uniqueness in flavor that is washed out by the commodification of wheat and fast rising yeasts. The taste of the grain is a fundamental aspect of bread to us, which is why we choose to highlight different grains in our breads. Organic bread flour provides the structure while fresh-milled heirloom grains provide the heartiness and flavor. This, in combination with a slow, natural fermentation, creates a loaf of bread with a depth of flavor that doesn’t need added sweeteners and conditioners to make it taste good. And if it doesn’t taste good, nothing else matters.
