Handcrafted Purpose The story of The Midwife and the Baker and Meaningful Work
Aidan O’Leary
Baguettes at the Farmer’s Market
Acknowledgements Shout out to Freestyle Academy for giving me the opportunity to work on this project. I would like to thank all of my teachers at Freestyle--Mr. Greco, Ms. Parkinson and Mr. Taylor--for helping along the way and putting up with the many questions I asked. Thank you to Mac and Jaime for allowing me to document their lives and business; you have been so generous and patient throughout this whole project. I’m grateful for my parents and cousin Mary for proofreading my book and giving me some excellent feedback. Lastly, I would like to thank my film partner Syd for supporting me through this whole process.
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Table of Contents
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Preface Introduction Mac and Jaime Meaningful Work, Tactile Work Connecting with Community Conclusion Biography Works Cited
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Almond croissants ready for the oven
Preface I entered into the documentary unit not knowing who or what I wanted to document. I was very excited about the project in general, but was worried about finding the right subject. I wanted to find a subject that would be interesting to me and also provide thought-provoking material for the reader. You would think that living in such an innovative area this would be no problem, but I just couldn’t find something that felt right. One day, I was talking to my mom about the project and she gave me the idea of talking to Mac and Jaime about documenting them and their business, The Midwife and the Baker. She had been buying bread from them every week for a few months at this point and recognized that their business was something special. Not only was the bread delicious, but Mac and Jaime were both personable and unique people. I didn’t know what to expect when I went to the farmer’s market one Sunday to ask if they were interested; I had been eating bread from The Midwife and the Baker, but hadn’t really gotten to know Mac and Jaime previously. I explained what the project entailed and a few days later received an email from Mac and Jaime agreeing to the project. I was so excited to work with them after learning more about their business, and grateful to work with Syd, a fellow film student and friend, who was just as psyched as me. Syd and I officially started the project by going to observe a day of production at the San Francisco Baking Institute where Mac, Jaime and a few bakers were preparing for the farmer’s markets the next day. Armed with our cameras and notebooks we entered the bakery. Mac greeted us with a friendly smile and as soon as we put our stuff down asked if we wanted to help make croissants. At this point I knew that I had chosen the right subject for the project; not only did I get to observe what they were doing, but I got to be part of it. Working with Mac and Jaime has been an incredible experience. By working on this project I learned what meaningful work looks like and hope to implement this more into my own life. 7
Introduction The smell of baked goods engulfs me as I step into the San Francisco Baking Institute. It’s around 7 am on a Saturday morning and Mac and his crew of bakers have already been up for hours preparing dough and making croissants. The whirring machines fill the air with a pleasant hum. Everyone stands around the table, laughing, and working together to create a masterpiece. The group of bakers work in a methodical rhythm as each one shapes the round loaves of whole wheat sourdough. Mac occasionally gives the other bakers feedback, but the space is collaborative and everyone works as equals. Also present at the table is Jaime, Mac’s partner. Their daughter Harlowe is swaddled to her chest as Jaime helps to shape the spheres of warm dough. The flow of weighing, shaping and placing the round dough on trays continues until hundreds of loaves are ready for the oven. Mac and Jaime McConnell, the owners of The Midwife and the Baker, both find fulfillment in their work which also serves the community. The importance of not only meaningful, but tactile work is examined in Matthew B. Crawford’s book Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work. One topic Crawford talks about is the connection between job satisfaction and community. Through his own experience as a mechanic, Crawford values the relationships he’s formed and the ways he has been able to help customers over any monetary reward. “Through work that has this social character, some shared conception of the good is lit up, and becomes concrete” (Crawford 187). He describes how helping the community can give a job great value. As a baker and a midwife, Mac and Jaime both do work that directly provides for the community. The bread and pastries that Mac bakes are purchased and enjoyed by customers at farmer’s markets. And the care that Jaime provides for her clients helps to heal, support and empower them. While it is important to be fulfilled by your own work, when your work also contributes in some way to your community then it is truly meaningful. 8
Mac and Jaime pre-shaping dough
Mac and Jaime I
t was rock climbing, a very tactile activity, that first brought the baker to the midwife. Rock climbing is different from many sports as it doesn’t always require equipment other than your body. A climber must use and rely on their hands and feet to ascend a wall whether that is outdoors or in a climbing gym. As with any sport, climbing brings people together because of a shared interest. The climbing gym is where Mac and Jaime met, the birthplace of their relationship. Because of their shared interest, Mac says they “automatically shared that passion for the outdoors and physical exercise” (M. McConnell). While they both shared similar interests, Mac recalls that Jaime told him she was gluten free when they first met which he remarks “was a little bit of a bummer” (M. McConnell). However, this didn’t hinder their relationship as they are now married and have a five month old daughter. Aside from their enthusiasm for the outdoors and adventure, Jaime and Mac both have very tactile jobs. “We love and honor what both of
us do for a living and try and support each other” (J. McConnell). As a midwife, Jaime uses her hands every day as she interacts with her clients. She explains that midwives are primary care providers for women in all stages of life, not just during pregnancy and birth. Jaime elaborates, “midwifery really honors that a woman knows best. I approach caring for women from a really holistic place, wanting to empower women to take initiative with their bodies and experiences in their own health and well being” (J. McConnell). She is a Licensed Midwife under the Medical Board of 11
Family time at the McConnell’s
California and a Certified Professional Midwife under the North American Registry of Midwives. Jaime’s philosophy behind her midwifery practice began from a young age where she recalls being fascinated and drawn to pregnant
a midwife, Jaime aims to empower clients to lead a healthy lifestyle and nurture their mind, body and spirit. Mac discovered baking in his spare time while working as an engineer. He explained that when he was
“We love and honor what both of us do for a living and try and support each other.”
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women and babies. Her journey continued as a young adult. Jaime reflected on the experience, recalling that “things really started for me there in high school...I would spend a lot of my free time in Barnes and Nobles in the alternative health section; sitting there with tons of books open about women’s reproductive health” (J. McConnell). These interests followed her to college where she studied “sustainable development in developing countries…global food systems and the respective impacts on women and children’s health” (J. McConnell). Jaime first thought about going into the policy side of healthcare, but after witnessing a birth knew that she wanted to take a different direction. As
working he didn’t have much money for activities outside of work so he “started tinkering a little bit with some sour doughs” (M. McConnell). As he gained interest in baking he took a couple weeks off of work to take a course at the San Francisco Baking Institute (SFBI). This sparked his interest even more as it resulted in him eventually leaving his engineering job to take a more rigorous course at SFBI. After gaining the knowledge and skills to be a baker, Mac wanted to continue learning and develop his own products. He was inspired and mentored by bakers such as Chad Robertson at Tartine and Richard Bordeaux at Berkshire Mountain Bakery. After traveling around the
country and working with different bakers Mac was ready to start his own business. As Jaime established her midwifery practice and Mac worked to create his own presence in the baking community, their paths crossed. The Midwife and the Baker originated as a subscription service providing bread for Jaime’s clients. Soon after, Mac had the opportunity to sell his bread at a farmer’s market. Since then, The Midwife and the Baker sell bread and pastries at three farmer’s markets and are working on a fourth farmer’s market. Jaime and Mac are both connected by their love for the outdoors, adventure and working with their hands. She shares more on their shared beliefs: “Even though we grew up in different [places], Mac grew up on a farm in West Virginia and I grew
up in downtown Chicago, I think both of our families really provided the same sort of upbringing for us. We were both taught to be hard workers and follow our hearts and passion and that you don’t just work for money, but you do something that really feeds your soul. Both of us have really been driven by our hearts and not something else” (J. McConnell). The two worlds of baking and midwifery come together as Mac and Jaime both work to serve the community by providing valuable services that they’re both passionate about. Every society requires a source Lunch at the McConnell’s of food and a source of care and healing. As Jaime puts it, “babies are always being born and bread is the food of life.” 15
Cutting croissant dough
Meaningful Work, Tactile Work
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hat makes a job satisfying? According to Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at the Harvard business school, “the happiest people tend to be those facing the toughest—but most worthwhile—challenges” (Tuttle). Likewise, Mac and Jaime find happiness as they are always thinking on their feet and improvising as they face new situations as a baker and a midwife. For Mac this could be varying temperatures that change the way the dough is leavening or having to improvise with different weather conditions at the farmer’s market. As a midwife, Jaime faces challenges by working with many different clients. Because every woman is different, in each interaction with her clients Jaime faces new and different situation. Tanner Rubin, one of the bakers at The Midwife and the Baker elaborates on how the baking process is challenging for him: “The beginning of the process is very precise and specific, scaling all of our inclusions and our flours and everything. You’re scaling to the gram and being very precise and then once all
that gets dumped into this bowl to get mixed everything beyond that becomes muscle memory. The touch and feel…really moves away from the precision of all the scaling and having that mix is challenging but also exciting” (Rubin). Tanner compares baking bread to herding cats. He says, “bread takes a certain amount of time, at a certain point you can’t push it anymore and… then you’re kind of at the mercy of what you’re making and I enjoy that” (Rubin). The give and take of trying to control the dough while also letting it be are a challenge that the bakers face each week. They have to apply their knowledge, but also improvise as every batch of dough can be different. In his book about the value of tactile work, C r a w f o r d states that “any discipline that deals with an authoritative, 17
independent reality requires honesty and humility” (Crawford 100). This resonates with Mac and Jaime as both of them have independent practices. They both work hard and implement the qualities that Crawford emphasizes in order to succeed as professionals and individuals. As small business owners, they both work hard everyday to make sure
(M. McConnell). Using their hands is essential for Mac and Jaime to work as a baker and midwife. Jaime makes a point of this: “I don’t know how to think about my work without my hands” (J. McConnell). Mac and Jaime both rely on their sense of touch and this brings a common understanding and appreciation even though the details of their work diverges.
“I don’t know how to think about my work without my hands.”
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they are giving their customers and clients the best products and care they possibly can. Because of the nature of their jobs most, if not all, of their work is done using their hands. “Both professions, midwifery and baking, rely heavily on [perceiving information through your hands] to tell you about your growing baby or your growing loaf of bread. It’s really awesome to see Jaime, a professional midwife, how excited she can get by that tactile feel of a loaf of bread as she’s dividing or shaping. As a midwife she’s trained to use her hands for everything and baking is definitely an extension of hand work is as much as you possibly can”
When talking about tactile work, Jaime says that it is essential to touch with confidence and tenderness. Both the care Jaime provides through her midwifery practice and the bread Mac bakes requires them to be confident in themselves, their skills and how they are applied while having a tenderness that is crucial to providing care and baking bread. Everyone faces challenges in their life whether it is something in their personal or professional life. Being challenged can make work more satisfying and meaningful. But the most important thing about meaningful work is being driven by a passion for what you do.
Jaime palpating a clients’s belly
Mountain View Farmer’s Market
Connecting Community
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eople are usually part of a community because they share something in common or benefit from being with others through giving and taking. In an article about the climbing community, Justin Roth talks about the importance of communities in general. He injects that “the great thing about these communities is that they all can be powerful sources of human connection, and therefore strength, happiness, growth� (Roth). For me, this hit the nose on defining the purpose of community. While there are many different types of community, they all share this general purpose. At the Mountain View Farmers Market, I observed this sense of community as Mac and Jason, who works at High Grounds Farm, exchanged bread and produce. Jason supplied Mac
and Jaime with strawberries and kale in exchange for some delicious bread. This interaction showed the support between the different vendors at the market and how they work to provide nutrition for each other and the community. The network of support between the vendors at the farmer’s market and the
A treat from The Midwife and the Baker
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Mountain View Farmer’s Market
relationships between the vendors and their customers show or “engineering” standards; the work is improved through the importance and reward of hard work. The dedication relationships with others” (Crawford 187). The idea of and passion of the vendors for their products is apparent work improving a community is something that is so present
“We’re excited to see the customers and they’re excited to see us.”
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as people return each week to buy food from them. “We’re excited to see the customers and they’re excited to see us” (M. McConnell). Mac has many regular customers who return each week to buy his bread and pastries. He says that he really values the relationships he has with his customers. Jaime feels similarly about her clients and works hard to support and empower them through all stages of life. In Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work, Crawford talks about the role of professionals who provide a service in their community, similar to what Mac and Jaime do. He comments, “when the maker’s (or fixer’s) activity is immediately situated within a community of use, can be enlivened by this kind of direct perception. Then the social character of his work isn’t separate from its internal
in Mac and Jaime’s professions. Both baking and midwifery directly serve the community. This is something that draws both Mac and Jaime to their work. They are both kind and generous people and those traits are reflected in them giving back to the community through their work.
Fresh veggies from High Grounds Farm
Whole wheat sesame loaves at the Market
Conclusion In most cases, midwifery and baking would seem unrelated. Mac and Jaime have brought the two professions together not only in the title of their business, but in the way that they appreciate their own and each other’s work. They are an example of not just living life, but thriving. Driven by their passion for their respective fields, Mac and Jaime bring meaning to their own lives and to the community. You can find Mac and Jaime at the Mountain View and Fort Mason Center Farmer’s Markets every Sunday and the Old Oakland Farmer’s Market on Fridays. They are currently transitioning to their own baking space in Mountain View, where they hope to one day have a retail space. More information on The Midwife and the Baker can be found at: themidwifeandthebaker.com. And information on Jaime’s midwifery practice can be found at peacefulpassagemidwifery.com.
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Biography
Aidan O’Leary is a junior at Mountain View High School. She is excited to be studying film, graphic design and English at Freestyle Academy. When she isn’t studying and working on projects, you can find her backpacking, traveling or eating as much fruit as she possibly can. Over the summer she works at an outdoor school in Mount Shasta called Headwaters. She also serves on the board of the San Francisco chapter of a global peace-education nonprofit called CISV. 28
Works Cited Crawford, Matthew B. Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work. New
York, Penguin Books, 2010.
McConnell, Jaime. Personal Interview. 9 March 2017. ---. Personal Interview. 4 April 2017. McConnell, Mac. Personal Interview. 9 March 2017. ---. Personal Interview. 4 April 2017. Roth, Justin. “Climbing Community.” thestonemind, 12 Jan. 2015, thestonemind.
com/2015/01/13/climbing-community/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2017.
Rubin, Tanner. Personal Interview. 23 March 2017. Tuttle, Brad. “Who Is Happiest At Work? Probably Not Who You Think.” Time,
Time, 25 Apr. 2013, business.time.com/2013/04/25/who-is-happiest-
at-work-probably-not-who-you-think/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2017.
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30 Jaime pre-shaping dough