A new bakery is taking the definition of “small business” to the next level.
Former farmer Camille Green is the head baker and pastry chef of Acorn Bakery, her self-described “micro bakery” which she owns and operates by herself.
Bread lovers have until Feb. 1 to opt into her bread subscription box through Whidbey Island Grown, a co-op of farmers, restaurants and community members selling locally grown and produced food.
The eight-week subscription runs Feb. 5 to April 2, with weekly pick-up available in the parking lot of Bayview Hall.
After a back injury, Green decided to stop farming and start pursuing baking as a career.
“I realized baking might be an outlet for me and still allow me to have a really creative hands-on profession,” she said.
She bakes sourdough bread the most, using a special flour from a mill in the Skagit Valley. She hopes to experiment with growing her own grain in the future.
“I think it develops a taste that is more complex and more earthy and that’s what I like in my stuff,” she said.
Although bread might be her most popular item currently, she also bakes cardamom knots, crackers, huge chocolate-chip cookies and cakes.
“I like how simple something like a baguette is,” she said, “but I also like the other end of the spectrum, making a triple-layered cake with intricate decor.”
She is planting a “massive” herb garden this year and plans to use locally grown fruit and veggies as much as possible that are in season, furthering the business’s mission of “farm to bakery.”
Growth can take on different forms. For Green, she doesn’t have an end goal of opening a brick-and-mortar business. Her baking is done exclusively in a commercial kitchen not open to the public.
“I really like the idea of having a small operation that can be really flexible,” she said.
Whidbey Island Grown has allowed the Langley resident to reach customers in Coupeville and Oak Harbor.
“It’s a really cool program and it’s been great for me, especially in the slower months,” she said. “There’s not as many tourists out here, the farmers markets aren’t happening. I’ve been really, really pleasantly surprised at how much interest I’ve had on it.”
For more information, email acornbakerywhidbey@gmail.com or visit acornbakerynw.com, where more information can be found on the bread subscription box.