more killer korrespondence

I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i really am so in love with your bread. i cant stop talking about it in social situations, too. I am an artist and student in Portland. I actually need a job, so if you ever are hiring any creative sorts of people, hire me! I would love to draw you a picture or something. Its the blues bread, it doesn't break my heart at all!It melts it into a black hole of satisfaction. you're the best ever! you are the best bread maker in the universe. i really mean it.enjoy your summer! can i help you think of new flavors? i could draw a picture for it if you decide to make it! love mama m.


Dave, a friend told me about your bread, we love it, but I have a problem with diverticulitis. I cannot eat whole seeds, even though I LOVE them. The whole grain bread brought on a bad case of the problem. Do you have any bread with all of the same good ingredients, but with no whole grains and seeds baked in. If it is ground it is fine. Please reply, my husband gets a beautiful sandwich every day with your bread, and I have to go without! I know a lot of older people do have this problem. Many thanks, Charlotte

Currently, I make two varieties without seeds: 100% Whole-Grain Cracked Wheat and 100% Whole-Grain Spelt. Both work for people who have your condition, and for those who don't like the seeds in their bread (the latter usually don't usually dig my bread anyway, but they are breads that most everyone enjoys).
Dave



Dave: Do you make a dark rye bread? I buy your breads a Fred Meyer. Your bread is the best I've ever had. :-)

No...lots of people ask for it, so it's on the back-burner. I make a Rockin' Rye, which is still available at Farmers' Markets on weekends.
Dave

usda: a model of integrity (yeah, right)

The following article was borrowed from the Organic Consumer Association's website. It's never surprising when big companies figure out a way to get over on consumers, and here is a blatant example.

ALERT: ANOTHER SNEAK ATTACK ON ORGANIC STANDARDS: USDA TO ALLOW MORE CONVENTIONAL INGREDIENTS IN ORGANICS
USDA & INDUSTRY TRY TO SNEAK BANNED CONVENTIONAL INGREDIENTS INTO ORGANIC BEER, SAUSAGE, & PROCESSED FOODS
Send a Letter to USDA Now
(note: scroll to the bottom of this webpage to send a letter to USDA now).The USDA has announced a controversial proposal, with absolutely no input from consumers, to allow 38 new non-organic ingredients in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. Most of the ingredients are food colorings derived from plants that are supposedly not "commercially available" in organic form. But several of the proposed ingredients, backed by beer giant Anheuser-Busch, and pork and food processors, represent a serious threat to organic standards, and have raised the concerns of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA).
ALERT UPDATE (6/23/2007): Despite receiving more than ten thousand comments from consumers and family farmers opposing various aspects of a late May 2007 proposal, the USDA has approved an interim rule that will allow 38 new non-organic ingredients to be allowed in products bearing the "USDA Organic" seal. The USDA's passage of this proposal has resulted in the following: -Anheuser Busch will be allowed to sell its "Organic Wild Hops Beer" without using any organic hops at all. -Sausages, brats, and breakfast links labeled as "USDA Organic" are now allowed to contain intestines from factory farmed animals raised on chemically grown feed, synthetic hormones, and antibiotics. -Products labeled as "USDA Organic" and containing fish oil may contain toxins such as PCBs and mercury (note: nonorganic fishoil products have this same risk, but despite the USDA ruling, it is against the National Organic Standards to allow such toxins in organic foods). YOUR HELP IS STILL NEEDED The USDA has responded to OCA's demands to repoen re-open the public comment period on this issue. Industry was given two years, and the public was initially only given 7 days. But the USDA has agreed to accept public comments for 60 additional days while giving interim approval to the proposal. It's important that consumers, farmers and organic producers use this period to share their opinions. .
(note: scroll to the bottom of this webpage to send a letter to USDA now).
OCA PETITION TO USDA REGARDING PROPOSAL TO ALLOW 38 NEW CONVENTIONAL INGREDIENTS IN ORGANIC PRODUCTS
Speaking from the perspective of organic consumers, we support the NOP for clarifying to producers that if an item is not on the National List, it cannot be used in conventional form. However, we do not support all of the NOSB's 38 recommended additions to the National List. Notably, we are opposed to the addition of casings from processed intestines, hops (without specific listings), fish oil, beet juice, lemongrass, rice starch and whey protein.AMS-TM-07-0062 claims that these exceptions must be added to the list to offer concessions to countless companies who have violated the National Organic Standards in the past by using conventional ingredients that were not on the National List. These same companies have been given months to petition the NOSB for inclusion of desired conventional ingredients on the National List. In contrast, the general public has only been allocated 7 days to comment.Specifically, we are opposed to allowing the following conventional ingredients in organic production:1) FOOD COLORINGSWe believe additional criteria should be added to any of the added food colorings to the National List. Food colorings should be treated in a manner similar to flavors by the NOP. Before a food coloring is added to the National List, it should be stipulated that there are no synthetic solvents, preservatives or additives.2) CASINGS FROM PROCESSED INTESTINESThe proposed addition to the National List is focused on bovine, ovine and porcine animal intestines used as sheaths for products such as sausage links. Surveys of organic consumers find that a high percentage of beef eating organic consumers choose organic products to avoid diseases associated with conventional meat production. Specifically, the organic beef industry has enjoyed a considerable boom as more consumers are concerned with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) which has only been detected in animals raised conventionally. BSE is transmitted via the consumption of prions in infected body tissue. There is no scientific evidence that excludes bovine intestine as a possible source of BSE transmission.In short, many consumers are choosing to pay notably higher prices for organic beef based meats to avoid conventionally raised beef. By allowing conventional casings on the National List, these consumers will be misled into believing that the meat product they are eating was raised in accordance to the National Organic Standards, when, in fact, the intestinal casing may be from an animal that lived its life on a factory farm in intensive confinement, consuming pesticide laden foods, and treated with an assortment of antibiotics and drugs.A meat labeled as "organic" should truly be organic, and the allowance of conventionally produced intestinal casings violates consumer rights.3) HOPS Hops (Humulus lupulus) should not be included on the National List in such general terms. Only specific low-supply varieties should be listed. Although organic hops is in high demand, there are over a dozen varieties of organic hops available on the market (available in both pellet and whole flower form). Hops is one of the main ingredients in beer. It is misleading to allow a beverage to be labeled as "organic" when its main ingredient was grown with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. By including hops on the National List, consumers will not be able to distinguish truly organic beer from a beer with a main ingredient that is conventionally grown.Also, putting hops on the National List offers unfair advantages to large-scale breweries. There are many micro-breweries now selling truly organic beers (with organic hops). These companies cannot compete with the prices of larger companies stepping into the "organic" beer business, like Budweiser, who will be allowed to use less expensive, conventionally grown hops (non-organic hops costs less than half as much as organic hops). Breweries need to put more effort into developing organic hop resources here in the USA before they try and make organic beer with inorganic hops.We believe specific varieties of hops that are in well documented low supply on an organic level could be listed here, but including all varieties of hops on the National List is unnecessary and harmful to organic hops producers.4) FISH OILWe do not agree with the recommendation of listing fish oil on the National List. Fish oil has not undergone any TAP review, which is required for any substance proposed for the National List. Also, there are no organic standards for fish under the USDA NOP. Also, there must be criteria for the fish oil when/if it is allowed. For example, is it solvent extracted, and has it been tested for contamination from heavy metals, PCBS, and dioxin. This is a substance that is still undergoing review and definition and should not be considered for listing until it has gone through these required processes.5) Lemongrass, Rice Starch, Beet Juice & Whey Protein Concentrate We believe the above ingredients are available in quantities sufficient enough to serve the organic industry. These ingredients should be re-evaluated using the criteria established by 7 U.S.C. 6517 and 6518 of the OFPA and NOP criteria (72 FR 2167). We ask that you remove each of the above ingredients from the AMS-TM-07-0062 proposal. Thanks for your consideration,Sign our petition below, or click on the "Learn more" link to read the full USDA proposal. You can also send written comments. DATES: Comments must be received by May 22, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may comment on this proposed rule using
any of the following procedures:
Mail: Comments may be submitted by mail to Robert Pooler,
Agricultural Marketing Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA/AMS/
TMP/NOP, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 4008-So., Ag Stop 0268,
Washington, DC 20250.
Internet: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.regulations.gov.
-->>>Learn More

i'm dave...and i make killer bread!

Yep, sometimes I get so caught up in all of the duties required of a "Killer Dave" that I forget, momentarily, what got me the name. (You've probably heard the rumours, like "Is he really a killer?") I got the name because when I got out of the joint (after doing a few chunks of time for a lot of bad stuff that didn't include any killing) I had gained some killer knowledge, killer wisdom, killer energy, and a killer attitude--and the result was killer bread.

What I'm trying to say is that it ain't easy maintaining that great attitude and energy level and to continue to strive to give people even more of what they want. I need to learn to pick my battles, 'cuz I can't fight them all or I won't win any of them. My most important fight is against the status quo of the baking industry. I've learned to listen to plenty of baking advice, so that I can pretty much do the opposite. Of course, I have to know how to follow the rules before I can break them effectively.

That said, here are some of my current and future products: perfecting my seedy cinnamon-raisin spelt bread and a similar bread made with wheat, both of which I believe I'm pretty close on. They will be available this weekend at farmers' markets. The other ideas are off the charts--a "Rockin" spelt rye bread, cookies made with sprouted grains and nuts, multi-grain (sprouted) bread, sprouted flax bread, killer sourdough, a tasty lower sodium bread, and Blues Buns, among others.

I live for the feedback I get at the market. It motivates me to do my best to stay at the top of my game. I know that people don't give me love because I'm good-looking or a master joke-teller. They love me because I make killer bread.

...killer bread chronicles continued

Well, I guess it's about time I got back to my blog. My excuse for not writing for so long is that I just seem to be wearing so many hats and have so many irons in the fire that it's just tougher to get it all done than I ever realized. The good thing about that is that there are many things to tell you about.

To begin with, Dave's Killer Bread is now available in Seattle and Tacoma. I spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6 Metropolitan Markets meeting people and giving them a taste of killer bread--and must say, converted many of them. The Tacoma store in particular just can't get enough. We started with 4 varieties, but I can see that it won't be long before we need to put a few more (like Good Seed Spelt and Good Seed Sprouted Wheat) on the shelves.

We chose to give MM the exclusive, even though QFC, PCC, Whole Foods and others up there have expressed interest. Our facility is just not big enough to go off in Seattle right now. But it's a great way to get our feet wet. And the reception has been fabulous.

Another thing that takes a lot of my time is new product development. (Sometimes I wish I could spend all of my time doing that--playing to my strength--but I just need to have my hands in everything..) Right now, I'm still perfecting my OverKill Raisin-Walnut Bread. That's day-to-day. The Sprouted Wheat bread just hit the shelves at New Seasons and other places and the Sprouted Wheat Peace Bomb baguette will be in the aisles soon. The product development phase on those is long over and now it's packaging, arranging shelf space, promotion--wish me luck!

Other items on the back burner are a spelt-rye, spelt cinnamon-raisin (first attemps at which were gobbled down heartily by farmers' market customers), and nuts and grains cookies, all of which will be organic and vegan of course.

Yes, I am still working out. As I was writing the first few paragraphs of this entry I pumped out about 10 sets of shoulder exercises. Now I haveto take a break while I finish my workout with a run on the elliptical trainer. It makes the day that much better, and it has to be done. But yes, it's time consuming. Here's hoping I have time to write alittle more before I have to head to the bakery for a 7:30AM staff meeting. (I've been up since 3:30 and it's 5:30 now.)

6:30 Pm Wednesday
The Raisin-Walnut OverKill bread is beautiful today--I just wish I could find my battery charger so I take a picture and show you. The real test will be the taste anyway, right? Check 'em out at the farmers' market this weekend.

I need to get to work packing up for my move to Milwaukie this evening. I'm really psyched that NatureBake and DKB wil be moving to Bob's Red Mill's old facility on Hwy 224. Now, I that I know where we'll be making our bread (and a lot more of it, by the way), I know where I can lay my head just down the street from there, in a quiet little neighborhood with a much-lower concentration of criminals. Since the new paint job on my Ranchero will be done soon, it will cool to have a reasonably save place to park it at night. Sure, I will be commuting every day until the bakery gets moved, but I will be doing it in my beloved Ranchero with "DKB" plates!

Other news: our new t-shirts will be in three colors--black, red, and pink. The front will have a big "Good Seed" logo on the front and the back will feature the DKB logo with "Rocks The Northwest" on the back. There will also be some special ones for the ladies with spaghetti straps. Man, I can't wait to see the babes wearing those!

What else? you ask. Ok, how about some new black bumper stickers? Keep an eye out--they're going to be free, and they're going to be cool.

I have to get to my chores, but I wanted to tell you that I am also practicing my guitar a little more lately, and that makes me feel good. I'm currently working on my own rendition of Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet", and always putting a little energy into writing something new myself.

I have to go now, but I hope to find time to keep this blog more up-to-date. There is a lot of cool s^%$t coming down the pike, believe me.

killer korrespondence

At the right is a picture from a few weeks back at Portland Farmers' Market, which I stole from a blog called "Locally Famous".

Below that is shot of the popular new Good Seed Sprouted Wheat Bread, which is now available at many stores around P-town.
Here are a few of the letters I've received lately, along with a response from me here and there:


1) Do you make a gluten-free bread? Have you considered it? Most of the ones I can find are too sweet for regular bread use.

It would be very difficult to make a gluten-free bread at our current location. Every product we make contains gluten, and we would need a "clean room"--essentially a "gluten-free" room. We don't really even have enough space for our current production, which is on the steady rise.

We are moving soon to a much-larger facility, where I hope to give gluten-free a whirl. -d-

2) There is more and more evidence that whole grain is beneficial, but it's hard to figure out how much of a bread is whole grain (ie., whole wheat versus regular flour). Would you consider putting a percentage of whole grain on your label?

Funny you should ask, but we are slowly phasing in packaging that will give you just the information you've asked for. The new feature is the "whole grain stamp" from the Whole Grains Council. It's pretty good, but the total doesn't include seeds, which are a big part of my breads. Still, it's good info. -d-

Hi Dave and team!
We weren't even looking for healthy bread when we found yours at the Vancouver Farmers Market. Now we are steadily eating three loaves a week! My kids, ages 1 and 2, will not eat any other bread now. I think we have tried every kind that you make, and your bread is, without a doubt, the best bread we have ever eaten! Thank you so much for making such awesome bread, we will never buy another brand again!
Take care,
The Olinger Family

I know, there's only one kind of bread for me too. -d-

I was on vacation, and when I got home, the mail lady brought me a package from my Nephew and his wife from Buxton, Or.. In it was lots of your products and I must say, that is KILLER BREAD. The Good Seed is awesome. I will have to have them send me some every week. We need it in So. Calif. Thanks, Pat Green

I met [name withheld] at Wild Oats on 28th and Burnside and she said I could buy your bread at your brother's bakery on Halsey and ? Where exactly is it?, please. We take your bread up to my mother-in-law's in Seattle. She insists on it. Boy were we in trouble the one time we forgot it! Thanks! Suzanne

You can get my bread at the place where I make it: NatureBake at 1170 NE 63rd Ave in Portland. It's a couple of blocks south of Halsey on 63rd. You can also get it at New Seasons, Freddy's, Zupan's, and lots more places. And your mother in law can get her own! All she's gotta do is go to Metropolitan Market in Seattle, who now carries 4 of my varieties. -d-

seattle killer bread testimonial

(Note: this one actually came via snail mail. I had to re-type it here, but all of the words are unchanged.)

Dear Dave,

Recently, I ate my first slice of your Killer Bread. It was the 21 Whole Grains variety, and absolutely delicious. I have never tasted better bread. I've never held such a substantial loaf. Seriously, your bread is heavy! It blows my mind, Dave. I've never eaten so much toast.

I have to warn you though, the "killer" in your title might have some truth to it. After my first slice, eaten under a tree on a sunny, almost-summer day, I was in a state of foodphoria. My taste buds took over my other senses to the point that when I was cxrossing the crosswalk I didn't notice the pick-up blowing through his redlight until he was upon me.

Somehouw I dove to safety, so I can't blame your bread for my near-death experience. I did decide, though, that if I did die--if that truck had run right over me--I couldn't have asked for a better last meal.

Sincerely,

Tom D, Seattle

check out Interstate Farmers' Market (Kaiser-Permanente)

I ran out of picture space for this post. I wanted to show you a lot more of what is available at Interstate Farmers' Market, but here are a few examples. Today was the third week, and by far the hottest. It was tough to keep the bread from melting in the sun, but we had a great time, and I hope you'll come down next week and try some of Dante's Garden Pesto, some Columbia River Salmon, and hook up with a great selection of fresh produce.

And don't forget to pick up a loaf of killer bread.