The quality of the food we eat is based on the quality of the foods that are grown, or raised that become the foods we buy at the grocery store. The quality of the soil and the water used for irrigation and raising animals have a major impact on the amount of nutrition (and the amount of toxins) that end up in our foods.

Right now, the best indicator of that quality is in the labeling of products as Organic or not organic (which is indicated by a lack of the organic seal on the package). 

Focusing on plants, of which grains are a part, farmers can do most anything unnatural to make bigger plants, higher yields, and faster harvests. They can employ genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to artificially enlarge plant growth. And Monsanto's weed killer, glyphosate (Roundup), is used quite extensively, not to kill weeds but to dry up the freshly harvested plants so that they can be more easily cut down to size. These practices are destructive to the plants, to the people and animals who eat those plants and to the soil in which those plants are grown.

The only way to avoid the negatives above is to know your food sources and to buy only organic products. That means that if you shop at a grocery store or Farmers Market and a produce stand has the organic certification, you at least know that the food is non-GMO and there were no pesticides or herbicides used, especially glyphosate. Many organic farms are also regenerative farms, meaning their stewardship of the land is contributing to a renewal of the soil to replace minerals and other elements that are used up during the process of growing crops. 

That said, there are also farmers that implement organic practices in their operations but are not certified organic. The main reason for this is that organic certification is quite expensive. I investigated this a few years ago and found out if I wanted to certify our breads as organic, it would cost about $10,000 per item! We use only certified organic (and kosher) ingredients in our breads and organic and non-GMO ingredients in our other baked goods, drinks and frozen desserts, but the end product is not certified organic. Still, you can have peace of mind knowing we made the products at our A-rated bakery and our label clearly states the organic/non-GMO ingredients we use.

 

One of the flours we use in our breads is the Light Rye flour from Janie's Mill in Ashkum, Illinois. Here's what they have to say about their organic farming: 

"Making the tastiest, healthiest baked goods begins with sourcing the finest ingredients. But it’s often difficult to source high quality organic grains and artisanal stone-milled, organic flours in a world of chemical-intensive farming and industrial roller mills that strip nutrients from grains. 

"That’s where Janie’s Farm and Janie’s Mill come in with the best grains, bread flour, and other stone-milled products. At Janie’s Farm, we grow certified organic grains. This means we never use glyphosate (Roundup) or other synthetic agri-chemicals in the field, and there are no residues on the grain or in the flour. 

"At Janie’s Mill, we stone grind our grains into exceptionally delicious and nutritious flours. Our products consistently earn praise from both professional and home bakers, and we are confident that you too will love using them in your favorite recipes."

 

There's a raison (French for reason) for going French with our Cinnamon Raisin Maple Pecan artisan sourdough bread: it makes an awesome French toast! Or as they call it in France: "pain perdu" (lost bread). 

What you see above is our full complement of Cinnamon Raisin bread options: Full-size Boules (ball shape), Batards, Rolls/Buns and Petites.

If Goldilocks came to Random Acts of Breadness instead of the Bears' house, she would have found the above Cinnamon Raisin Breads: Papa Boule (Full-size), Mama Boule (Petite) and Baby Bun.

In the end, Goldilocks picked the Baby Cinnamon Raisin Bun and fixed it up with some Good Culture Cream Cheese and Blackberry Earl Grey Jam. You can do this as well. Come by the bakery Thursday to Sunday and let us introduce you to a world of healthy delights...