If theres anyone in this city who knows the importance of good wheat, its Mary Mackay, the head chef and co-owner of Terra Breads. Earlier this spring, she planted black einkorn wheat (from Salt Spring Seeds) in planters in front of various Terra Breads stores.
Although shed only be able to bake a very small loaf of bread with her harvest, shes hosting the wheat fields as part of Lawns to Loaves, a program by the Environmental Youth Alliance. Its goal is to cultivate 100 pounds of organic spring wheat in Vancouver. The experiment challenges our definition of the farm and also teaches participants about growing, processing, and baking this staple food.
Mackay was introduced to the EYAs Hartley Rosen through a wheat share that she and her husband John Jandera purchased from Cedar Isle Farm in Agassiz.At last years Connect the Plots festival, Jandera brought his wood-burning oven and they baked a pizza using the local wheat grown in Vancouver by the members of the EYA.(Their daughter Jessica peddled the bicycle that ground the wheat into flour.)
