We have been so grateful for the companies and individuals who have supported the set up of our bakery, including Incredible Surplus and the lovely folks at our local Cooperative Food store.
One of those is the inspiring Wildfarmed. Wildfarmed make very special flour. Through the varieties they grow and the way they grow it, they are showing that food production can be done with compassion for our planet. And what's more the flavour from these varieties is out of this world.
We asked the lovely Adriana from Wildfarmed to explain a little bit more for us:
“We are leading a movement to cover UK farmland in grass whilst growing food and rewarding farmers properly. The work we are doing is not only focused on providing nutrient dense flour, but also educating the wider community about the importance of growing food in healthy soil. We are showing how our everyday food choices can push systematic change to shape the future of our planet!Our journey started 15 years ago when our friend Andy was working as a musician. On his way back from a gig he happened upon an article about the iniquities of modern corporate agriculture ("Big Food"), with its reliance on chemicals and its failure to provide adequate nutrition. In response, his attempt at self-sufficiency started a Hollywood-worthy story involving Amish farmers, ancient agricultural recipes and a chance meeting with an 80-year-old French paysan. From here Wildfarmed was born.
Andy has developed a number of protocols rooted in simple and restorative farming practices that work with nature to promote biodiversity and bring back fertile soil. He is the first Englishman ever to be knighted in France for his services to agriculture and in 2020 he won the prestigious Laureat National Agro-Ecologie for the most innovative farm in France. He was recently awarded with a 20-year tenancy for an 800-acre farm in the Cotswolds which will not only act as the Wildfarmed HQ but also as a centre of innovation and learning for our community.
Wildfarmed flour is made from a diverse variety of wheats that are grown using our Wildfarmed method. Growing wheat alongside a diverse variety of grasses, legumes and herbs all actively adding nutrients back into the soil, creates a natural resistance to pests and diseases and gives a depth of flavour not available from growing a single strain.
Wildfarmed is creating a community where everyone from farmers to consumers can be part of the solution and where everyday food choices are transformed into activism. We're excited to be supporting Bearwood Community Bakery and that it has become a part of the transformation.”
We too are delighted! Wildfarmed has recognised the impact of Bearwood Community Bakery in growing community, skills development and confidence amongst our participant bakers and in our small contribution to growing this movement in better farming.
We’ll end by saying a huge thank you to Wildfarmed for providing flour throughout the summer to help get us started. For more info, do check their lovely website www.wildfarmed.co.uk. And don’t forget to order your loaf: www.bearwood.cc/shop.
