Good Earth Farml
living lightly on the Earth
Our Bakers' Bio
Good Earth Farm is pleased to be working with bakers who share our passion for fresh, local food. Real food!
We'd like to introduce you to them. The following is an interesting and informative bio written by our bakers, Brian Taylor and Susan Rowley:
Renard’s European Bakeshop is a wholesale bakery business beyond the norm. Our methods are traditional, our breads are hand-formed, and our philosophy is that local foods made on a small scale are fresher and more sustainable. While large commercial bakeries have tarnished the good reputation of the honest hard-working baker with premixes, par-bakes, and proof-n-bakes made on a massive scale that requires adulterated flour and the addition of dubious dough conditions and chemical preservatives, we believe great bread is made with yeast, salt, water, and flour. In fact, that is the ingredient list of our most popular bread, ciabatta. We are enjoying working with Good Earth Farm, because it is a terrific way to get wholesome fresh bread to you while it is fresh. We hope you feel the “wow” effect!
Brian Taylor and Susan Rowley, partners with passion for local foods, fresh ingredients, and the hand-made process, opened Renard’s in 2007 in a leased space in downtown Princeton. A short history follows:
An award-winning chef, Brian Taylor graduated from the French Pastry School of Chicago in 2000. He had an earlier formative experience working with a family of French Corsican restaurateurs in his young adulthood, where he discovered the teachings on pastry work of Lenotre and developed a dedication to the culinary arts. Later he held the position of assistant pastry chef at the American Club in Kohler. Meanwhile Susan had worked in the other end of the American Club's large bakeshop as a baker, supplying breads to several company restaurants in Kohler. After moving west to Oregon, Brian was the executive pastry chef at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood for 3 years, where he made many wedding cakes for those wanting mountain top nuptials. Upon moving back to Wisconsin (where both originated), Brian and Susan (with child in tow) encountered the rather dire lack of work in the area for executive pastry chefs that called for some creative career reworking. The idea to start a business together was hatched forthwith, the focus originally being on all butter hand-layered French pastries and desserts. To keep busy, and to round out the offerings at their original retail outlet, Susan baked breads that she had in her repertoire from the American Club, along with some taught to her by her grandmother (Florence Kroes of FDL, WI), and read many inspiring baking books such as Breads from La Brea by Nancy Silverton, Bread Alone by Daniel Leader, and Bread, A Baker’s Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman. While the pastry side of the bakeshop prospered, the bread sales were also surprisingly brisk, with customers asking the couple to bake their favorites, sampled in Europe or at their grandmothers’ feet. Two years was enough to convince them that there was a market for artisan breads in the area, but they were limited by the shop’s size and location. Over the past winter, Brian and Susan built a new bakeshop facility on their property outside the city of Princeton, an idyllic site overlooking the Fox River, and upon its completion in March 2009 they moved. This has improved their efficiency, bread quality (hard well water is much better for yeast function!), and business growth.
Renard’s bread is available for sale at CrossRoads Market and Bloch’s Farm (weekends only) in Green Lake. In Princeton you can find it at All in Good Taste Ice Cream Shop, Soda’s Farm Market (weekends only). We sell scrumptious Pain au chocolate, scones, cinnamon country buns, and palmiers, as well as fresh baked bread every Saturday morning at the famous Princeton Flea Market. Come meet your local bakers. Call ahead with your special orders (920-299-5008) and we’ll have it waiting for you.
2010 ~ Schauer's Good Earth Farm, LLC W8965 Oak Center Road Oakfield, WI 53065 920.583.2121