Our beloved baker of five years, Devynn, has decided to step into her next chapter, and this Friday will be her final bake with us. Devynn has been an essential part of what this bakery has become, and those of us who have enjoyed her baking over the years owe her a great deal of gratitude. I'm sure you'll join me in wishing her well as she turns her energy and dedication toward what's next for her. If you'd like to express your appreciation, you're welcome to reach out to her directly or send a message my way by Friday the 27th and I'll make sure she receives it.

When Devynn gave her notice last Monday, I had a decision to make: invest energy in finding another baker to fill her role, or recognize this as the moment to begin the transition to the owner-operator collaborative model that has always been the goal. I chose the latter.

The goal has always been a collaborative of owner-operators, each bringing their own expertise and creativity, supported by shared infrastructure. What this situation forced me to think through concretely is what that transition actually requires — and out of that thinking a specific mechanism has emerged: a paid apprenticeship phase where potential co-owners can experience the day-to-day realities of running their own department before fully committing, and where partners and clients like you can weigh in on fit. The paid element is essential — many people in this industry cannot afford to invest time in learning something new without compensation, and making that possible requires more than a community of clients. It requires a community of supporters.

The kinds of help that will matter include financial contributions toward funding apprenticeships, investment in shared infrastructure, volunteering time and expertise, and connecting us with people who might be the right fit for an ownership role. I haven't had enough time in the past few days to get the website ready with specific ways to act on any of this — but a follow-up message is coming soon with more detail about each of these opportunities and how to participate.

The recipes and processes developed at the bakery remain, and will be available to future co-owners. I'm also committed to helping apprentice co-owners learn to produce the products this community loves — so that what has been built here doesn't disappear, but continues to evolve in new hands.

In the meantime, this Friday's bake will go forward with a streamlined product lineup. During the pause, I'm also planning to continue to offer workshops and ingredient kits for some of the most popular products so that there are ways to keep making them at home while we work toward what comes next.

I believe the conditions for launching something more resilient are within reach — but what comes next, and how quickly, will depend on what this community is willing to help build.

If you want to play a role in catalyzing a new collaborative co-ownership business that makes the gluten free products you love — and many more — now is the time to think about what you can do to help make it happen. I'll be in touch soon with specifics.

Thank you for being part of this.

Stacy