fulloflife
By TERESA HAMMOND
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the one who looks up and takes it all in as life buzzes by. From a young age I would refer to him as my little Buddha boy, always seeking kindness and solace. The kid can walk forever and never feel a thing. As he’s gotten older I’m recognizing the opportunity to share something both magical and memorable with my son. And so, the hiking chapter of our life’s adventure will begin. Not to be confused I’ll still maintain a balance of yoga and running, but hikes will be added to our summer excursions. His bucket list (and mine) will be to hike Half Dome. A bucket list item I first fathomed seven years ago when I lost a notable amount of weight. The sky was the limit, back then and the bucket list did indeed grow. I feel fortunate in that we have a friend who takes people up Half Dome in his spare time for fun. Hiking the Dome brings him so much joy, that he shares it with as many and as often as he can. What’s most liberating and exciting about this new adventure is having my son pick the trails and locations we’ll hike next. Today, we have no dirt on our shoes, with three possible hikes planned for the month of June. It’s been fun talking with him about varying trails in different locations and what about each trail appeals to him. I’ve also been reading a few blogs, as well as magazine articles about hiking and have been surprised by all I didn’t know. Things like backpacks, snacks, bottles of water, maps and weather checks each have made every “beginner” list I’ve
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read. As a runner, things are kept to a minimum. Less is more by way of efficiency and getting the job done when you’re running. Apparently there are no aid stations when you’re hiking good to know. So, with my son at my side or perhaps me trailing him a bit, we’ll become human alpacas and take to the world of wonder. I’m excited. Taking on something new and sharing it with my children, yeah, that never gets old. In short, it’s all pretty simple; get outside this summer and take advantage of the simplicity which this world has to offer. It’s amazing how much is out there for us to see and do. How many opportunities are just waiting to be discovered? Because when the day is done and the sun finally sets, our lives will not be defined by the things within our four walls, but by the memories made with those who passed through them. ■
PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY VANMETER
’m taking up hiking. This issue’s column almost seems like a natural segue as well as transition from all those which have come before it. I’ve shared plenty on my journey via marathon running, the practice of yoga, playing the weight up and down game and everything in between. Last issue, however, I touched on motherhood and how much I treasure my mother. So, with that said, my newfound adventure by way of lacing up a different pair of shoes and hiking, comes at the inspiration of my son. The hobby of running found me when both of my children were small. One child picked it up almost instantly while the other did the exact opposite and that’s okay. My son is more the nature boy,
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fulloflife
Stanislaus Valley Area Team in Training Cycling Coach Mel Bradley.
Big miles BIG MONEY By TERESA HAMMOND
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Power Team Members, Ron Dickerson, left and Mel Bradley representing Stanislaus County Team in Training Cycle Team at a prior event.
n early 2005, while his wife Nancy was being treated for leukemia at Stanford Medical Center, Mel Bradley began bike riding to help pass time, as well as help clear his head as his wife fought for her life. “Up until then, I thought a five, six or seven-mile ride was a big ride,” Bradley said of climbing on the elementary level road bike he’d acquired from a discount retailer. By the time of his wife’s passing in fall of 2005, he had graduated to a better bike, as well as logging 20 miles daily and 50 miles each Friday. “I redefined bike riding,” the Oakdale resident said of his progress, as well as investment in a new road bike. During this same time, their daughter Cheryle had joined forces with Team in Training as a runner to honor her mom at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco. It was through his daughter’s TNT participation that Bradley came to, as he puts it, “drink the purple Kool-Aid.” While running suited his daughter, cycling was more Bradley’s speed. The “America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride” event in Tahoe captured his interest. It’s a ride which offers riders the option of either 35, 72, or 100 miles throughout
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the Lake Tahoe and Truckee areas. To properly prepare for an event of this distance, he followed his daughter’s lead and also partnered with TNT in Sacramento, the closest TNT training option at that time. In 2012, after being approached by TNT to start a Stanislaus County area team, Bradley began his journey as a Head Coach and TNT Team Captain. That first year he led a team of 12 riders through 18 weeks of training and raising a total of $43,000 as a team. That team of 12 has now grown to 80 who will ride that same Tahoe event in early June. By ride day, they are anticipated to have reached the million dollar mark collectively since the Valley team’s 2012 inception. Proceeds will go directly to and benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “People read my passion, they see why I’m doing it. They know why I’m doing it and every year the team grows,” he said of TNT and his passion for the cause and coaching. “I do it to help people I will never meet, in ways I will never know.” As a coach, however, there is a team of people whom Bradley is not only able to help but watch grow as many transition from being a non-rider, as he once was, to avid TNT enthusiast. Team captain Linda Lindenberg of Merced is one such person. Like Bradley’s daughter, Lindenberg first joined TNT as a runner, yet her eyes were set on cycling, it just wasn’t yet available close to home. “The minute it [Stanislaus County team] was introduced to us in 2012, we were all in,” Lindenberg shared of herself and a friend. “We were so excited. I had never ridden a bike beyond five or 10 miles.” Lindenberg is an original member of the 12-person team that Bradley has now cultivated to a TNT army of 80. She rode her first century ride in 2012 at the Viva Bike Vegas, an overall experience she describes as “life-changing.” The 54-year-old mother and grandmother describes herself as non-athletic prior to joining the TNT group and she lives with Lupus. Her illness, however, and past physical experience seem to serve more as details than determiners. Lindenberg is a go-getter. To date she has completed seven century (100 mile) rides with TNT. “I’m what they call straight off the couch,” she said of her physical ability when she first joined the team. “Anyone can learn how to ride a bike, but to do it for a specific purpose such as this, it makes you really feel like a part of something.” The cyclist shared when first becoming involved with TNT she had no direct connection with leukemia or lymphoma. As fate would have it, 209MAGAZINE.COM
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Cyclist and Team in Training Team member Linda Lindenberg after taking a fall before her century ride in Tahoe last June.
however, that would change, as her childhood best friend’s father, as well as members of her husband’s family became affected. “I just can’t say enough about Mel and all the coaches,” the rider noted. “They’ve just made it so fun and there’s such camaraderie.” The couch convert shared she and many who join the team must be taught a number of things from proper attire, shifting gears, to the simplest thing as grabbing and drinking from a water bottle while riding. Skills which seem easy, yet present a challenge as one maneuvers across miles of terrain. “It’s really given me a sense of purpose and a sense of accomplishment,” Lindenberg shared, choking back emotion. “Those two on top of the premiere reason that we’re helping families and a patient, really make me feel a part of something very important that affects everybody.” As the captain of the local team and the sole member brave enough to take on the task put to him by the TNT administration, Bradley echoes his teammate’s sentiments. — Mel Bradley “Raising money that most of which goes to research, that hopefully someday will stop this insanity, that speaks for itself,” Bradley said of his passion for working with TNT and his team members. “That our million dollars might have had some sort of small part in making that research possible and possibly finding a cure.” For more information on the Stanislaus County area team or to inquire on sponsorship opportunity contact Bradley at mgb33@msn.com or call 209-765-7009. ■
“I do it to help people I will never meet, in ways I will never know.”
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placecalledhome
By KRISTINA HACKER
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PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY
ome of the region’s top designers, landscape architects and local artisans worked for over two months to transform a classic 1939 Turlock home into a showplace for public viewing. The show house, a benefit for the Carnegie Arts Center, ended in May, however area residents can still be inspired by the outdoor designs created by a few of the local artisans who made the event such a success. â–
PATIO LIFESTYLE Candace Gonsalves and Kim Jonson of the downtown Turlock shop Farm House designed the barbecue patio. They used a custom redwood dining table, hand made by local craftsman Mike Maul, and set it for an evening of fun. Hanging above is a repurposed vintage turkey feeder chandelier. Matt Gonsalves of Rustic Metal Designs created a unique bar from steel and reclaimed wood lug box ends. When the sun goes down, family and friends can make themselves comfortable on one of the benches made from repurposed tomato bins and cozy up to the fire pit made by Rustic Metal Designs. 209MAGAZINE.COM
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placecalledhome
Lavender FOR YOUR GARDEN
THE NAME “LAVENDER” COMES FROM THE LATIN LAVARE, MEANING “TO BATHE.”
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avender is a delightful and useful garden plant. It can be used as a drought-tolerant low hedge, a specimen plant, a cut flower and an herb that provides a fragrant addition to many herbal projects. As garden ornamentals, lavenders have attractive gray-green foliage and eye-catching, long lasting blooms. The name “lavender” comes from the Latin Lavare, meaning “to bathe.” Hence it has a strong association with cleansing, uch as in the bath or burning of incense to clean the air in places such as hospitals and public buildings.
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In terms of its herbal uses, the flower can aid digestion, increase superficial blood circulation and has been used as an antidepressant. Lavender is also used as a natural sleep aid. It has a cool, relaxing scent and may be restorative when mentally or physically exhausted. In culinary use, flowers from the English lavenders can be used in herbal teas, cookies, lavender ice cream, as a flavorful additional to wine and as a spice rub for beef and lamb. Lavender’s most well-known uses, however, are in aromatherapy and for its fragrance in soaps, lotions, bath salts and potpourri.
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GROWING LAVENDER
Lavenders can be grown from seed or cuttings taken in spring or fall. It is a perennial shrub that enjoys full sun, well-drained soil and low water. Space plants 1 to 2 feet apart. Depending on variety, they will reach 2 to 4 feet in height. There are numerous varieties featuring different flower colors and heights. English varieties (Lavandula angustifolia) are considered number one for scent. French hybrid varieties (Lavandula x intermedia) such as ‘Provence’ or ‘Superior’ do well in the San Joaquin Valley. Spanish varieties (Lavandula stoechas) have a distinctive flower form. ‘Otto Quast’ is a UC Davis Arboretum All-Star selection. Lavender is adapted to very welldrained soil and requires a pH of 6.5 to 7.5 to grow well. They will not tolerate wet, poorly drained soils. Irrigation, however, is needed in dry areas while the plants are being established. Proper irrigation while the flower heads are developing is also very important, since water stress during this time may decrease the number of flowers and oil yield. Drip irrigation systems are recommended. Lavender grows best in full sun in well-drained gravelly soils with low fertility. Prune lavender as you harvest the flower stalks. Even if you are not planning to harvest the crop, the best time to prune is just after the plants have completed their flowering cycle.
LAVENDERS CAN BE GROWN FROM SEED OR CUTTINGS TAKEN IN SPRING OR FALL. PEST CONTROL
The most frequent problems associated with lavenders are related to root and crown rots, usually the result of too much water or poor drainage in heavy soils. Lavender is not often bothered by insect pests, although they may occasionally attract spittlebugs. These insects are not usually a problem unless the plants are being grown for cut flowers and the spittle is in the flower heads. ■ — Information provided by UCCE Master Gardeners of Sacramento County and “Lavenders for California Gardens” by Pamela M. Geisel, UC Coop Farm Advisor, Fresno County and Carolyn L. Unruh, UC Coop staff writer, Fresno County.
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“We’re treated so well at Oak Valley, everyone is friendly and happy to see you – it’s like family. If you look at our customers, you see local people who support us and we naturally try to support other local businesses too. We only wish we switched sooner.” - Bill Loretelli Sr., Loretelli Farms
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Championship Public Golf Courses
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FREE 2nd Opinion WALLYFALKES.COM
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marketplace
By DENNIS D. CRUZ
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ince 1968 Al’s Furniture has been a staple in the 209. A one-time schoolhouse “way out McHenry Avenue” in Modesto, Al Walker transformed it into the leading destination for people in the Central Valley for their furniture and home décor needs. Walker was a pharmacist but wanted more. He and his wife decided to open an antique store and gave it the name Al’s Antique Store. When the store opened he would get the antiques and mark up the price very little, giving the customers a bargain of a deal. However, in a relatively short amount of time, the antique store was struggling and Walker went to Fresno, where his cousin had an unfinished furniture store. Walker brought back a small truck load of furniture and before long, Al’s Antique Store turned into Al’s Furniture. It was one of very few 209MAGAZINE.COM
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unfinished furniture stores in the area at that time. Al’s son Rick Walker left his job at Campbell’s Soup to help his dad with the store. Rick had an instant impact and the two went to the bank and got a loan to add a metal building on the property. The two also added water beds in the early 1970s to expand the offerings. They had “The Waterworks,” an outlet that showcased waterbeds and was an instant success. With the success in the business they brought in John Perry as a delivery driver and shortly after Dan Pedersen came on board. Today, Perry and Pedersen are still with the company. Perry is the lead buyer and Pedersen serves as general manager at the store. “I worked at Kentucky Fried Chicken and learned fast how business worked. When you 90
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work here, you are family. That’s why everybody here has the longevity,” said Pedersen. “I think that is what makes Al’s Furniture a success. Not only do we treat our employees like family but also our customers. We have had generations of returning customers and it is great to see them, as well as new customers come through the doors.” Today Al’s Furniture has approximately 30 employees. Rick and his wife Kerry purchased a building down the street from Al’s Furniture for their warehouse and named it Al’s Distribution Center. The building serves as the company’s location for receiving, repairs and customer pickup to this day. Kerry is still active with the company as well, as she is coowner along with Rick. Al’s Furniture prides itself on the quality of its furniture and décor selling items from such top brands as Lane, Best Manufacturing, Aspen, Flexsteel and Serta. From recliners, to chair lifts, sofas, and love seats, or end tables to glass cabinets Al’s Furniture continues to be the Central Valley’s top destination for quality décor. Outside in the back of the store there is a patio garden area. On a stone at the business is a plaque with a statement from Al Walker that says: ‘I’d Rather Explain The Price Once Than Apologize For The Quality Forever.’ For five decades the folks at Al’s have lived by that
creed and stand by their work and their products. “It was important to Mr. Walker to have the best quality for his customers,” Pedersen said. In celebration of the milestone achievement, celebrating a half-century in business, this past spring Al’s Furniture gave away seven seven-piece sets of furniture to customers. They held a raffle event that provided complete bedroom sets for the lucky winners. Over the years, the business has been active in the community as they have been known to sponsor youth sports programs, helping charities and other fundraisers. “We do these things, because without the community support, we would not be here for 50-plus years. So having that said, we want to thank everyone in the 209 for supporting us in one way or another,” Pedersen said. ■
— Dan Pedersen
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TOP PHOTO: Longevity and commitment to the community have been key to the success of Al’s Furniture. That includes their employees who grew with the company. Shown are John Perry, left, and Dan Pedersen, both of whom have been with the company since the 1970s; BOTTOM PHOTO: Many brands of quality crafted furniture can be found on the showcase floor inside Al’s Furniture on McHenry Avenue in Modesto.
PHOTOS BY DENNIS D. CRUZ/ 209 Magazine
…without the community support, we would not be here for 50-plus years. So having that said, we want to thank everyone in the 209 for supporting us in one way or another.
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Join Us for Dinner Any Day after 5pm Steak & Shrimp • Steak Italian Chicken • Oysters
Diane Dorcich M# 408-832-1318 O# 209-544-5700 Diane.Dorcich@carringtonres.com Carrington Real Estate Services (CA), Inc. Modesto, Ca CalBRE #02031336
886-5112
I am a Professional Real Estate Agent with Carrington Real Estate Services (CA), Inc. in Modesto. I believe in building long lasting customer relationships which serves for providing the right housing need for every family. I have a passionate and heartfelt drive to provide for my clients’ best interests. My clients’ success and satisfaction is my upmost priority while being dedicated and committed to finding the perfect fit. I am a knowledgeable hard working individual who has a laser focus attention to every detail. Whether you are a Buyer or Seller I offer a free comparative market analysis of area homes. I am available for a no obligation and no pressure consultation.
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Turlock Funeral Home also provides service to out-of-town cemeteries at no extra cost to you. This includes travel to: San Juaquin Valley National Cemetery,Santa Nella Denair Cemetery Lakewood Memorial Park, Hughson Modesto Cemeteries Ceres Cemetery Hilmar Cemeteries (North & Suth) Oakdale Cemeteries Ripon Cemetery Sunnyside Cemetery, Stevinson Merced Cemeteries Winton Cemetery Hills Ferry Cemetery, Newman Escalon Cemeteries Additionally, we travel to all cemeteries within CA, as well as complete arrangements for burial throughout the USA, Mexico, and the world. Lic # FD1843 CML# COA114
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Feel YOUNG Again! Enjoy the songs Feel YOUNG Again! you grew with! Enjoy theup songs you grew up with!
The River 105.5 CLASSICThe HITS and The Vine OLDIES River 105.5 CLASSIC HITS and The Vine OLDIES
The Valley’s LOCALLY OWNED radio stations! Listen on-line at KRVR.COM & KVIN.NET • Phone: 209-544-1055 The Valley’s LOCALLY OWNED radio stations! Listen on-line at KRVR.COM & KVIN.NET • Phone: 209-544-1055 209 Magazine 27-100P.indd 93
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marketplace
N O I SS
PA
for
By DENNIS D. CRUZ
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ockeford is a small community off Highway 88 with just over 3,000 residents. However, there is no shortage of foot traffic entering Lockeford Meats & Sausage. Peter Pettersen has been the owner and manager at the facility for over 45 years and his reputation draws customers from around the region. “When I was a young man, I used to help run businesses for several different people. So one day I thought, ‘Why not open a business of my own?’ So I gave it a try and people seem to flock to it,” said Pettersen. His passion for crafting meat and sausage began when he was 11. The passion only grew and thanks to a few mentors, he was able to break into the meat business. “I was fortunate enough to be around some great men who
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We like to get out into the community because they are what has kept us in business and we want to give back to those who have helped make us the success that we are. —Peter Pettersen
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wonderful community.” Over the years, Lockeford Meats & Sausage has been active in the community. They appear at festivals and other events throughout the calendar year. Their summer is always packed and 2018 is no different. In May they attended the Oakdale Chocolate Festival, traveled to a Mother’s Day event in Alameda, and did Brewfest in Turlock, amongst others. This summer, scheduled stops are at the Patterson Apricot Fiesta, Kat Country’s Listener Appreciation Concert and more. July is their busiest time of the year. “July is the biggest month for us. We have Fourth of July barbecues and family reunions and sausage is always on the menu it seems like,” said Pettersen. “We have been doing festivals and other large events for over 30 years. We like to get out into the community because they are what has kept us in business and we want to give back to those who have helped make us the success that we are.” ■
IF YOU GO GETTING THERE: LOCKEFORD MEATS 19775 Cotton St., Lockeford
PHOTO BY DENNIS D. CRUZ/ 209 Magazine
taught me a thing or two about what I do. They were very knowledgeable.” People would bring their game to Pettersen and he would turn it into jerky. “That’s kind of how things got started. A few buddies would bring in their wild game and I would take care of them. This went on for quite a while,” said Pettersen. Folks from all over the 209 and beyond make the trip to the sleepy town for the wide selection of signature meats at Lockeford Meats & Sausage. With over 25 different selections, it has turned into a destination for travelers and locals alike. “I came from Chowchilla to get Hawaiian Luau Sausage and British Bangers;” said Claudia Castaneda, a customer of six years. Hawaiian Luau Sausage, garlic sausage, sausage sticks and jalapeno sausage are just a few of the signature items that they offer. “A lot of these (sausages) you cannot get anywhere else. You may see some of them but I guarantee you that you won’t find this kind of variety anywhere else,” said Pettersen’s son York, who also works at the shop and is very proud of the family business. “We have so many different varieties of meats. Bavarian, Cajun andouille, bacon, garlic, old fashioned franks,” noted York. “We are the best at what we do, and we serve nothing but the best to this
INFORMATION/SPECIAL ORDERS: 209 727-5584 HOURS: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Owners father Peter Peterson, left, and son York Peterson have been serving up sausage and other fine meats in Lockeford for nearly five decades.
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marketplace
THEY WILL COME By PAUL ROUPE
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t’s about 10 a.m., and Bonnie Ohara is crooning along with her favorite Motown oldies, massaging some focaccia in the dining room of her home bakery in Modesto. Her dough-stained apron, flecked with eight hours of laborious preparation, symbolizes her determination to get done in time for the first customer. Now, she is finishing up the last of the focaccia, which she does at the end because they don’t take too much time to bake. She shapes the blob, stretches it, puts a hunk of it
on a scale. Then she eyes the weight and plops it on a tray. Just a few feet in front of her, on a separate table just below the wide dining room window, nearly two dozen finished sourdough loaves await bagging. Patrons can see them when they stand in line, which goes from the front porch, down the walkway, and out her swinging wooden gate to the sidewalk. Ohara’s workstation is much like an artist’s studio, and instead of the floors speckled with paint, a thin flour dust is faintly visible on the hardwood floor.
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In the corner sits hundreds of pounds of yecora rojo, a rare wheat that she gets from a local farm and which adds to the homemade taste of her goods. She crushes the wheat herself on a stone-ground mill, and because this region isn’t known for grain, Ohara says “just to have grains grown in California is a huge deal.” Grinding up the grain to a coarse texture allows the nutrients to stay in the bread, making for a higher quality product that is noticeably different from what you would find at some stores.
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“People today want more accountability and traceability for their goods. They want to know what’s in their food and where it came from.” — Bonnie Ohara milling around the house, sidles up and looks up at her. “Can I have a baguette?” he asks, peeking into a basket stuffed with the long, thin sticks of bread. “Do you want me pick one?” she asks. “No, I’ll pick it,” he says, smiling. He glances at them with a studied eye, as if he really can determine which ones are the best. “You look good,” he says. He lifts it out and runs off. For the past three years, Ohara has been putting her sweat and her soul into baking. At first it started out in-
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nocuously enough. She would cook some bread and get compliments and requests. “People soon started asking to get some and it just started mushrooming,” she says. It never was her intention to become a grain guru, and in the beginning her operation was primitive but direct. She wrote customer’s names on a piece of paper then delivered the bread around town herself on a cargo bike. But soon there were too many names. When she saw that she had created a monster that couldn’t be contained, she decided to focus on giving the
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN SOUZA/ Photos Just So
“The difference between this bread and the grocery store’s (bread) is the difference between a great cappuccino and a cup of Folgers,” she says. A loud ding comes from the kitchen, and she goes in and returns with a tray of the perfectly browned rosemary focaccia, sizzling and cracking. The table she is working on is getting crowded, and her eyes scan around for a spot to put it down. She finds one near the edge, nudging another tray to make room. Ohara’s oldest son Gabe, one of three young children
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marketplace
people what they want.8 She started a website, printed out business cards, “and here we are,” she says. There is no marketing necessary, for word of mouth is the driving force behind her success. She’s even caught the attention of a publisher and is currently writing a cookbook. Occasionally, it can get a bit rough running a bakery from your home: time, space, and temperature (especially in the summer when the oven is running non-stop) can be taxing, but for Ohara it’s all worth it. She prides herself on making the freshest wheat loaf, baguettes, rosemary focaccia, or wildflower seed bread (among other things) anywhere around. She’s aware that in a world where chemically-enhanced foods are more common than not, her old-fashioned style resonates with those looking for something that seems lost. “People today want more accountability and traceability for their goods,” she explains.
“They want to know what’s in their food and where it came from. Which is one reason why I think Alchemy Bread is so successful…there’s something comforting about getting your bread from someone’s house.” It’s nearing half-past 11 a.m. now, and the people are already starting to line up. There are the regulars, of course, and Bonnie seems to know mostly everybody by their first names. There’s Mary, who gets served first because she can’t stand for extended periods. There’s Tony, who says he’s “thankful for every loaf.” There are a smattering of hugs, greetings and goodbyes as the crowd thickens. Ohara’s three children, Sophie, Leo, and Gabe, are part of the attraction as well. They keep the customer’s kids occupied, drawing or coloring on a poster-board booklet or playing with some toys that are strewn out in her yard. Gradually her stock gets depleted, and those in back are in
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danger of leaving empty-handed. Plain wheat? Sorry, we’re all out. Rosemary fougasse? Better luck next week. There’s still some seeded bread, but soon that will be gone as well. Finally, 20 minutes past noon, it happens. There’s nothing left for the last five customers. Two stragglers who stayed behind to chat are treated with a croissant, which will be a part of the menu soon. Nearby, Bonnie’s three-yearold boy Leo sits on a wooden bench in the front yard with a marker gripped in his fist. He’s drawing what looks like a long cylinder. “It’s a woahhwing pin!” he blurts excitedly. Bonnie packs up her workstation and thinks about the day ahead. She’s got to get started making pizza for some friends coming over later. She disappears inside, and soon the clanging of kitchenware drifts outside, lingers a moment, then falls. To find out how to purchase Alchemy bread, visit alchemy-
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