meet our vendors
Shepard’s Grain
At Red Twig café we bake fresh, delicious cinnamon rolls, scones, and muffins every day. The most important ingredient in our pastries is, no surprise, the flour!
But where do we get our flour from?
Our flour comes from the sustainability focused distributor, Shepherd’s Grain. Let’s get a better idea of who they are and why we’re so proud to be able to work with them!
Who are Shephard’s Grain?
Shepherd’s Grain was founded in 2003 by Fred Fleming and Karl Kupers right here in Washington State. They wanted to build a company based on environmentally sustainable growing practices and connect grain growers with their consumers.
Regenerative Agriculture
Farmers take on large risks if they decide to switch to environmentally friendly farming methods. Shepherd’s Grain supports these pioneer farmers who go against the grain to reduce their impact on the land.
Decades of tilling the soil in America’s farmlands has caused most of the original nutrients to degrade or wash away. Regenerative agriculture utilizes farming methods which prevent further degradation of the soil and help replenish some of those lost nutrients.
All farmers that Shepherd’s Grain works with have implemented environmentally sustainable farming methods. This includes no till practices and rotating crops to prevent soil degradation.
Trust the process
Another reason we choose to work with Shepherd’s Grain is their goal of connecting farmers and customers.
For consumers, knowing where and who your food comes from not only helps you make more informed decisions, but fosters connection within the community. The same holds true on the flip side of the coin! Shepherd’s Grain keeps track of where each farmer’s product goes, offering them a better understanding of their impact and reach.
Follow the Flour!
Each bag of Shepherd’s Grain flour is stamped with a code which can be used to find out exactly which farm the flour inside came from.
We decided to give it a try with our most recent shipment and discovered that our pastry flour started its journey on a farm all the way over in Rockland, Idaho!
Thanks to Cory and Jamie Kress for helping us provide delicious pastries for our customers in Edmonds.
