organic.

We get asked a lot of really great questions,

and we love it.

So, let’s talk about it.

organic.

In the growing awareness of doing, and eating, what is best for us, the topic of organic ingredients and products comes up regularly in our conversations. We’ve mentioned in the past that we strive to use the highest quality ingredients, from the first measure of flour to the finishing with fresh berries. And, without fail, wherever there is an option, we choose organic. In fact, we do more than that. We continually seek it out, even when it’s not readily available. We care deeply about using, and honestly sharing, the source and quality of ingredients as though every single one was going to our own family. It’s been our step one since day one.

Since the 1980s there has been a public awareness and marketing drive pushing the benefits of “organic”.  However, varying actual standards and regulations for calling (and selling) something organic resulted in a lot of confusion. Even today, we hear the word organic, and most of us assume a certain standard without actually verifying it. This is the reason the USDA established and began enforcing a certification process. Now, whether you believe it’s the government’s job to establish and regulate any number of things in this country is a matter of varying opinion. While we certainly have our own, we bake bread and pastry here. We’re not in the business of politics. So, we’ll leave that up to you and your vote.  However, it falls within reason to make one point. We can’t compare apples to apples unless we all have a clear expectation of standards and implied meaning, merely as a baseline. And we have to be able to trust that the standards and resulting labeling are being used honestly. Is certified organic the end all be all?  No. But consider the history of blind faith in flawed humanity.  This is the reason we hope for honesty and transparency in people, while asking A LOT of questions.  At the end of day, regardless of what any person or entity does in the name of profit or regulation, it’s still you spending hard earned money and putting something in your body. That’s where the buck stops.

The Reality of “Organic”

There are very clear standards and uses for labeling a product as organic, based on upholding a baseline standard of principles. The reality is, if you want to call a product organic and use that little organic seal in marketing or labeling, you have to prove the product and process is worthy of carrying the label. That is not to say that products don’t exist that are well beyond certified organic standards without the mentioned certification, just that they should be labeled honestly. So that, when the bucks stops, you clearly understand what you’re eating.

At the Bakery at 1871 we make a commitment to you every day we open our doors to provide very clear marketing and product labeling for our baked goods. We will never, ever misrepresent or mislead what is in your food. We’re sticklers about this. As a result, you won’t find the word organic on our principal labeling or product marketing because businesses are not permitted to do so without certification. But more importantly, we believe in transparency. Even if a business has purchased a certified organic product; like for instance flour, and used it as 100% of a finished product, repackaged it for resale, or milled it; by process, that finished product is no longer certified organic. Whether that’s a practice and process that is acceptable to you or not, you should have honest information to personally make that decision.

We will, however, do everything we can think of to provide you with the honest and transparent information you need to make informed decisions, and feel good about what you’re eating. We proudly display the ingredients we use in every baked good that comes from our kitchen. You’ll always find our simple and organic ingredients listed on our labeling. We also welcome and encourage your questions. Heck, if you want to see the bag our organic grains come in, just ask. We love chatting about, and sharing, the very best of what a bakery can be. All in an open, friendly, and honest environment.  After all, we built a bakery in our home to share our most genuine values.

Below is a link to the USDA’s Organic Integrity Database, where anyone can search for organic farms or businesses by city or state that have been inspected and verified as organic. Only businesses that have undergone and passed these minimum inspections and standards may use or label products with an organic claim on a principal display label or use the organic seal.  Whether it is their production, processing, or repackaging.

We encourage you to confirm the standards for your food, with an organic certification search and/or any practice that gives you certainty, and the validity of it’s source, processing and labeling.

https://organic.ams.usda.gov/integrity

It All Comes Down to This

We sincerely hope that all of your food is grown and sold with the highest of intentions and values, and at the end of the day, with a transparency that respects you. And we strongly believe that, with a little honest information, you are the best person to make decisions about what you and your family eat. We’re just here to provide good bread and pastry to make your life a little better.

We’ll see you soon!