Bread Bakers Guild Formed

by Ben BeEssen

In recent years, more and more families are starting to be homesteaders. Families are wanting to be self-sufficient for many reasons. Some families fear the Apocalypse is fast approaching, some just want to eat healthier, and some just want to save money. One facet of this movement is that more women are baking their own bread. If you get on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll see multiple women of The Valley posting their photos of their homemade bread.

Jane Sauwerdoe has been baking her own bread for years. She has taught many women in The Valley how to make their own bread. Recently, Jane was encouraged to form some type of group to share ideas about bread baking with others. So, she formed The Valley Bread Bakers Guild. The Guild’s mission is to support and promote artisan bread baking in The Valley through education, training, and community building.

Sauwerdoe will hold monthly workshops on bread baking. She’ll also hold all-day bread camps each quarter. The Guild will offer more perks for its members as well. The annual membership dues are $100 for individuals and $150 for companies and organizations. Sauwerdoe said, “I’m so excited about the Guild, and what it’s going to provide for my members. I’ve always loved to teach about bread baking, and this will give me an even bigger platform to share and teach.”

I talked to a couple of Sauwerdoe’s followers, and they are excited. Susan Pumpernickle said, “I can’t wait to join the Guild and attend the monthly meetings. I’ve always heard about the famous Sauwerdoe’s sourdough, and now I’ll be able to learn how to make it from Jane.” Debbie Wrye said, “I’m so excited about this awesome community. We’re hardcore homesteaders, but the only thing I haven’t done is bread baking. You can’t call yourself a homesteader unless you bake your own bread right? My husband is pushing me hard to join; he’s tired of eating that Sara Lee bread full of preservatives. $100 is a little steep though. I feel like Jane should give a discount to homesteaders.”

Sauwerdoe has already had about 250 people join the Guild. Their first meeting is this Saturday at 9:00 am. In addition to bread baking basics, Sauwerdoe will host a chicken expert that will talk about raising chickens, egg laying, and building chicken coups. Valleyans, expect to see more of those bread baking photos on social media for a long time to come!