The Bread Bakers Guild of America upcoming events

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business (05/26/2026)

Tue, 26 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

4:00pm – 6:00pm ET | Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

This exclusive six-part webinar series guides aspiring and early-stage bakery owners through the essential steps of building and running a successful bakery business. Led by experienced bakers and industry experts, each 2-hour session delivers practical strategies, real-world insights, and useful tools to help you turn your vision into a viable, working business.

See Complete Series Description Here

Session Overview

Session 1: Bakery Foundations & Business Models

Starting a bakery can feel overwhelming. This session helps you cut through the noise and understand where to begin.

Session 2: Planning, Pricing & Financial Basics

Great baked goods are only as strong as the numbers behind them. Learn the financial fundamentals every bakery owner needs to know.

Session 3: Business Set Up, Funding & Legal Considerations

The decisions you make early on can save—or cost—you money. Learn how to set up your business the right way from the start.

Session 4: Designing the Bakery Operation

Behind every great bakery is a system that works. This session shows you how to build the foundation that keeps things running smoothly.

Session 5: Staffing, Training & Daily Management

You can’t do it all alone—at least not for long. Learn how to build a team and structure that supports your bakery (and your sanity).

Session 6: Marketing, Growth & Long-Term Sustainability

Opening is just the beginning. This session focuses on building a bakery that lasts.

Participants will leave with a clearer vision, a stronger business foundation, and a realistic understanding of what it takes to bring a bakery to life. Each session includes ample time for questions and discussion.

This series is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 1: Bakery Foundations & Business Models (05/26/2026)

Tue, 26 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 1: Bakery Foundations & Business Models

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET

Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

Session 1: Bakery Foundations & Business Models

Starting a bakery can feel overwhelming. This session helps you cut through the noise and understand where to begin.

Understand the realities of bakery ownership, including the time and lifestyle demands

Explore different bakery models (retail, wholesale, café, production-only)

Understand your market and where opportunities and challenges may exist

This series is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

From Seed to Slice: Northern Colorado (06/01/2026)

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:45:00 GMT

From Seed to Slice: Northern Colorado

Monday, June 1, 2026 | 9:45am–5:00pm MT

Join us for a journey to Northern Colorado’s Front Range, where passionate farmers, millers, and bakers are working together to shorten the grain chain and restore regional grain production from the soil up.

Our day begins at The Pig and the Plow: Farmstead Baked Goods, where founder Erica Glaze will lead a tour of her bakery in Fort Collins. Since opening in 2017, the bakery has been bringing small-batch, handcrafted, organic baked goods to farmers markets, local retailers, cafés, and restaurants. Their mission is to create simple, delicious rustic breads, savories, and sweets using organic and locally sourced ingredients.

Next, we’ll visit Speedwell Farms and Gardens in Longmont, where founders Cody Jurbala and Melissa Ogilvie will share the story of growing their farm from leased backyard plots into a collaborative, community-centered operation through the Treehouse Farm Collective. In addition to growing a variety of vegetables, they have also grown heritage wheat varieties and will speak to the opportunities and challenges of small-scale grain cultivation.

Our day concludes at Moxie Bread Co., where operations director Laura Fessenden will show you Moxie’s milling and bakery operations and discuss how relationships with regional farmers and a commitment to local grains shape every loaf. With on-site milling and long, slow fermentation at the heart of their process, Moxie shows how thoughtful sourcing and traditional techniques can come together to make truly flavorful bread.

Throughout the trip, you’ll see how values like sustainability, local grains, and community connection show up in the day-to-day work of farming, milling, and baking — and how these businesses support one another along the way.

A boxed lunch is included.

Presented in partnership with Colorado Grain Chain.

Our Guides:

Erica Glaze is the owner and head Dough Puncher for The Pig and the Plow: Farmstead Baked Goods in Fort Collins, Colorado. A longtime local food advocate, Erica started The Pig and the Plow Farm Directory in 2014 as a concierge service between local producers and consumers. In 2017 she launched the bakery under the Colorado Cottage Food Act as a way to support Northern Colorado producers in a more direct fashion by utilizing their products while continuing to educate the public on the availability and diversity of local food sources. Since 2017, the bakery has had many incarnations transitioning from a cottage bakery to a wholesale bakery and most recently a brick and mortar. Through baking, Erica’s mission is to promote organic, local and diverse grains and ingredients into rustic artisan treats with a global influence.

Laura Fessenden is the Director of Operations at Moxie Bread Co., a small town bakery with old world ambitions. "Our locally- and regionally-sourced grains are milled fresh on site to craft rustic breads, pastries and other baked goods for our friends and neighbors."

"At Moxie, we exist to nourish people and the planet through the craft of heirloom baking. Our mission is to provide an alternative to industrialized food systems by preserving a protected grain chain that uplifts organic and regenerative farmers, supports soil health, and brings clean, nutrient-rich grains to the table."

"Rooted in integrity, our work is guided by a deep responsibility to the health and well-being of our community, the vitality of local food economies, and the sustainability of our planet. From the care we invest in our long-fermented breads to our commitment to ethical sourcing, employee wellbeing, and food waste reduction initiatives, Moxie is built to serve — with intention, with love, and with the belief that better food builds a better world."

Cody Jurbala and Melissa Ogilvie are the owners and operators of Speedwell Farm & Gardens. "We started Speedwell in 2017 by converting leased back yards in Boulder, Colorado into micro-farm plots. Due to the difficulties of land access for young farmers, leasing back yard space was the only to way begin farming without immense monetary input in their initial years. Since then, we have grown our business to a 2 acre farm located at the Treehouse Farm Collective just north of Boulder. Together we manage every aspect of the farm. From planting and harvesting, to marketing and sales, we do it all. We are passionate about providing food to their community in ways that are less damaging to the environment than large-scale mainstream agriculture, and creating community resilience through connecting people to where their food comes from."

Itinerary (subject to change):

9:45am – 10:00am
Meet at The Pig and the Plow (140 Boardwalk Drive, Unit J, Fort Collins, CO 80525)

10:00am – 11:30pm
Tour of The Pig and the Plow with Erica Glaze

11:30pm – 12:30pm
Travel by bus to Speedwell Farms (8104 N. 63rd Street, Longmont, CO 80503) Bagged lunch on the bus.

12:30pm – 2:00pm
Tour of Speedwell Farms with Cody Jurbala and Melissa Ogilvie

2:00pm – 2:30pm
Travel by bus to Moxie Bread Co. (1820 Industrial Cir Unit B, Longmont, CO)

2:30pm – 4:00pm
Tour of Moxie Bread Co. with Laura Fessenden

4:00pm – 5:00pm

Bus returns to The Pig and the Plow in Fort Collins, CO

This field trip is a unique opportunity to connect with fellow bakers, explore the local grain chain firsthand, and deepen your understanding of growing resilient, organic grains in a changing climate. You’ll leave with fresh insights and a renewed appreciation for the bread you bake—from seed to slice.

Space is limited—register now to reserve your spot!

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 2: Planning, Pricing & Financial Basics (06/02/2026)

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 2: Planning, Pricing & Financial Basics

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

Session 2: Planning, Pricing & Financial Basics

Great baked goods are only as strong as the numbers behind them. Learn the financial fundamentals every bakery owner needs to know.

Understand the difference between startup costs and operating capital

Learn what it really costs to run a bakery, from ingredients to labor to utilities

Learn the basics of pricing baked goods for profitability

Understand cash flow—and why paying yourself matters

See how all of this comes together in a workable business plan

This session is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class (06/09/2026)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 14:00:00 GMT

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class

June 9 / 10am - 4pm ET

Join us in New York City for an immersive journey into the craft, culture, and business of bagels. This unique program connects professionals and passionate enthusiasts with the people and places that define the city’s bagel scene—and reveal its exciting career and profit potential.

Guided by Sam Silverman, founder of BagelUp and NYC’s “Bagel Ambassador,” who will provide expert insights into the city’s dynamic bagel scene. You’ll visit two iconic bagel shops in Brooklyn and hear directly from shop owners and operators, about the history, cultural significance, and lasting appeal of bagels, and what it takes to thrive in today’s market.

The day concludes with a hands-on class at Bagel Market, led by award-winning baker Reva Castillenti. Learn to refine your bagel-making skills by comparing dough formulas, mastering the rope-and-loop shaping method, and picking up pro tips to take your bagel game to the next level.

The Bagel Lineup (locations subject to change):

1. Russ & Daughters (Brooklyn Navy Yard)

2. Apollo Bagels (Williamsburg)

3. Bagel Market (Midtown Manhattan)

Presented in partnership with the King Arthur Baking Company

Getting There and Back: The tour will meet at Russ & Daughters, located inside Building 77 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Please allow extra travel time both to reach the Navy Yard and to locate the meeting point. The tour will end in Midtown Manhattan. If you need to return to Brooklyn afterward, plan to take public transportation, a taxi, or a rideshare.

Speakers:

Sam Silverman, known as New York’s “Bagel Ambassador,” is the Founder & CEO of BagelUp, the company behind NYC Bagel Tours, the New York BagelFest, and a growing portfolio of bagel-centric experiences.

Sam is dedicated to celebrating and elevating bagel culture through immersive classes, guided tastings, and large-scale events, most notably, the annual New York BagelFest at Citi Field, which now draws over 2,000 attendees and dozens of vendors from around the world. In 2023, he was named one of Brooklyn Magazine’s “50 Most Fascinating People” for building a national platform around this iconic food.

Before founding BagelUp, Sam held roles in business operations at Bridgewater Associates and Walmart, where he led complex projects and helped scale strategic initiatives, experience that shaped his unique ability to blend hospitality, storytelling, logistics, and community building.

Reva Castillenti is an award winning baker and service industry professional with over 12 years experience working in New York City kitchens.

Reva started her career as a sculptor, but eventually found her true passion in the art of bread-baking. Castillenti cut her teeth at bakeries such as Bakeri and Meyers Bageri, before opening her own micro-bakery Bread & Roses. Bread & Roses received accolades from US Bread Awards in 2018 and 2019 placing in the top 10 for all categories entered, and top 2 for Bagels both years. She has been featured in Time Out New York “New York pastry chefs are creating underground dessert pop-ups” in 2020 and Eater (Portland, Or) “A New Underground Bakery in Portland Teaches You How to Make New York-Style Bagels”.

Reva discovered her passion for teaching while leading bread-making workshops at The Brooklyn Kitchen and has since taught thousands of students how to bake their own bread. She is the owner and operator of Small Good Bakery, a consulting firm that helps new and established businesses with recipe development, equipment sourcing, staff training, and operational systems.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 3: Business Set Up, Funding & Legal Considerations (06/09/2026)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 3: Business Set Up, Funding & Legal Considerations

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

This exclusive six part webinar series guides aspiring and early-stage bakery owners through the essential steps of building and running a successful bakery business. Led by experienced bakers and industry experts, each 2-hour session delivers practical strategies, real-world insights, and useful tools to help you turn your vision into a viable, working business.

Session 3: Business Set Up, Funding & Legal Considerations

The decisions you make early on can save—or cost—you money. Learn how to set up your business the right way from the start.

Choose the business structure that makes sense for you (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation)

Assemble your professional team—banker, accountant, and other advisors

Explore realistic options for accessing capital

Navigate taxes, permits, insurance, and other regulatory requirements

This session is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 4: Designing the Bakery Operation (06/16/2026)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 4: Designing the Bakery Operation

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

Session 4: Designing the Bakery Operation

Behind every great bakery is a system that works. This session shows you how to build the foundation that keeps things running smoothly.

Decide what products to offer—and how to keep your menu manageable

Learn how to stay organized with purchasing and inventory

Understand the essentials of food safety and sanitation

Create clear routines and guidelines so your bakery runs consistently

This session is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Guildhall Gathering in New York City (06/22/2026)

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Guildhall Gathering at Brooklyn Granary & Mill (New York City)

Monday, June 22

5pm - 7pm

Join us for a behind-the-scenes visit to Brooklyn Granary & Mill, a unique operation in Gowanus dedicated to bringing fresh stone-milled whole grains to New York City bakers.

Founded by baker and miller Patrick Shaw-Kitch, Brooklyn Granary & Mill is built on the belief that better bread comes from fresh stone-milled whole grain flour. Grains sourced from farms across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are milled on two 40-inch stone mills made by New American Stone Mills, allowing bakers to work with flour at its freshest and most expressive.

Participants will tour the mill with Patrick and see how the on-site bakery and café showcase what’s possible with 100% whole grain, freshly milled flour and regionally sourced ingredients. Come nosh on snacks and beverages while connecting with fellow bakers.

Guildhall Gatherings are all about community—a place to kick back, swap stories from the bench, and meet others who care deeply about the craft. Whether or not you're a Guild member, you’re invited to talk shop, make new connections, and experience the spirit of the Guild.

Register by Monday, June 15, 2026.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 5: Staffing, Training & Daily Management (06/23/2026)

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 5: Staffing, Training & Daily Management

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

Session 5: Staffing, Training & Daily Management

You can’t do it all alone—at least not for long. Learn how to build a team and structure that supports your bakery (and your sanity).

Figure out when it’s time to hire—and who to hire first

Train staff to work efficiently and consistently

Build schedules that support production without exhausting your team

Handle communication and performance issues with confidence

Manage your own time and energy to avoid burnout

This session is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 6: Marketing, Growth & Long-Term Sustainability (06/30/2026)

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Building Your Bakery: From Vision to Viable Business - Session 6: Marketing, Growth & Long-Term Sustainability

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET Via Zoom

Ready to turn your bakery idea into reality?

Session 6: Marketing, Growth & Long-Term Sustainability

Opening is just the beginning. This session focuses on building a bakery that lasts.

Define your brand and get the word out

Build and retain a loyal customer base

Track key metrics like product sales, labor, and waste

Recognize when it’s time to grow—and when it’s not

Learn from common mistakes that cause bakeries to struggle or close

This session is presented in partnership with Cybake.

Craft • Culture • Careers• Community

Lamination Production Fundamentals (07/27/2026)

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Lamination Production Fundamentals
In-Person Class at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Monday, July 27 | 12:00pm–5:00pm MST
Tuesday, July 28 | 9:00am–5:00pm MST
Wednesday, July 29 | 9:00am–4:00pm MST

In this intensive three-day, hands-on workshop, renowned baker and educator Alan Dumonceaux will help you strengthen your lamination skills and apply proven techniques to produce consistent, high-quality laminated products in your bakery.

Designed for working professional bakers and aspiring professionals seeking a strong technical foundation in lamination, this workshop will focus on the principles and processes that drive successful lamination in a production setting, including:

Ingredient selection and dough formulation

Balancing sugar, butter, hydration, and salt in the détrempe

Use of preferments to enhance flavor, fermentation control, and dough rheology

Techniques for forming the beurrage

Temperature management throughout the lamination process

Folding techniques and their effect on layering and crumb structure

You will produce a range of laminated products, including classic and filled croissants, while also exploring techniques commonly used in more advanced production, such as bi-colored laminated products and cross laminated products.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with practical skills you can immediately apply in your own bakery—along with a deeper understanding of the techniques and processes needed to create visually appealing, production-ready laminated products.

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday, but you can also bring your own.

This program is presented in partnership with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Alan Dumonceaux has been in the baking community for the past 40 years, for the last 24 years he has been an instructor and the Academic Chair of Baking and Pastry Arts at NAIT.

He has competed for Baking Team Canada in Viennoiserie, in two Louis Lesaffre Cups, Las Vegas USA 2010, Buenos Aires Argentina 2015, then the Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie in 2016 and competed in 2018 in the World Bakery Master’s Competition in Viennoiserie.

He also served as coach for Baking Team Canada for the 2026 Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie.

He has been a great supporter to Skills Canada for our young bakers for the last 24 years. Is the World Skills Expert for Canada since 2015, and is the Chief Expert for World Skills in Shanghai China in 2026.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Lamination Production Fundamentals (07/28/2026)

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Lamination Production Fundamentals
In-Person Class at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Monday, July 27 | 12:00pm–5:00pm MST
Tuesday, July 28 | 9:00am–5:00pm MST
Wednesday, July 29 | 9:00am–4:00pm MST

Ingredient selection and dough formulation

Balancing sugar, butter, hydration, and salt in the détrempe

Use of preferments to enhance flavor, fermentation control, and dough rheology

Techniques for forming the beurrage

Temperature management throughout the lamination process

Folding techniques and their effect on layering and crumb structure

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday, but you can also bring your own.

This program is presented in partnership with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Alan Dumonceaux has been in the baking community for the past 40 years, for the last 24 years he has been an instructor and the Academic Chair of Baking and Pastry Arts at NAIT.

He also served as coach for Baking Team Canada for the 2026 Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

Lamination Production Fundamentals (07/29/2026)

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Lamination Production Fundamentals
In-Person Class at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

Monday, July 27 | 12:00pm–5:00pm MST
Tuesday, July 28 | 9:00am–5:00pm MST
Wednesday, July 29 | 9:00am–4:00pm MST

Ingredient selection and dough formulation

Balancing sugar, butter, hydration, and salt in the détrempe

Use of preferments to enhance flavor, fermentation control, and dough rheology

Techniques for forming the beurrage

Temperature management throughout the lamination process

Folding techniques and their effect on layering and crumb structure

A light breakfast and lunch will be provided on Tuesday and Wednesday, but you can also bring your own.

This program is presented in partnership with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Alan Dumonceaux has been in the baking community for the past 40 years, for the last 24 years he has been an instructor and the Academic Chair of Baking and Pastry Arts at NAIT.

He also served as coach for Baking Team Canada for the 2026 Coupe de Monde de la Boulangerie.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class (09/08/2026)

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:00:00 GMT

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class

September 8 / 10am - 4pm ET

The Bagel Lineup (locations subject to change):

1. Russ & Daughters (Brooklyn Navy Yard)

2. Apollo Bagels (Williamsburg)

3. Bagel Market (Midtown Manhattan)

Presented in partnership with the King Arthur Baking Company

Speakers:

Reva discovered her passion for teaching while leading bread-making workshops at The Brooklyn Kitchen and has since taught thousands of students how to bake their own bread. She is the owner and operator of Small Good Bakery. a consulting firm that helps new and established businesses with recipe development, equipment sourcing, staff training, and operational systems.

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

From Seed to Slice: Virginia Field Trip (09/22/2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:45:00 GMT

From Seed to Slice: Virginia Field Trip

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 9:45am–5:45pm ET

This From Seed to Slice field trip takes us to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley at the start of the winter wheat season. We’ll explore a regional grain economy in action and meet a new generation of growers, millers, and bakers who are redefining what it means to work with local grains.

We begin at Mill Song Bakery, a one-of-a-kind home bakery run by Nico Melas in the Harrisonburg area. Nico’s work is a true expression of full-cycle baking: he farms, mills, and bakes, producing naturally leavened breads using flour he stone-mills on-site. His grains are sourced exclusively from the Chesapeake Bay watershed, an inspiring example of hyper-local grain sourcing and craftsmanship.

From there, we head into the field with Gary Knicely, an organic farmer with more than two decades of experience in regenerative agriculture. Gary’s work focuses on building resilient systems through practices like cover cropping, interseeding, and soil health management. His approach to farming offers insight into how grain can be grown in ways that support both the land and long-term farm viability.

Finally, we travel to Lowesville, VA, home to the historic Woodson’s Mill. Originally built in the 1790s, this mill stands as a remarkable link to America’s grain milling past. Here we visit Deep Roots Milling, where millers Aaron Grigsby and Ian Gamble and their team continue to operate the mill using traditional methods while supporting a modern, values-driven grain economy. Deep Roots Milling sources 100% of its grain from family farms across the Mid-Atlantic, producing high-quality flours from wheat, corn, rye, and other grains.

By the end of the day, you’ll see how grain moves through a region—from soil to mill to bakery—and the people who make that possible. Whether you’re a baker, miller, farmer, or simply passionate about good bread, this trip offers a closer look at the relationships and practices shaping the future of regional grain.

A boxed lunch is included.

Presented in partnership with Common Grain Alliance

Our Guides:

Nico Melas

Nico is the baker, miller, and farmer behind Mill Song Bakery in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. At Mill Song, Nico produces naturally leavened breads using local grains sourced from organic and biological farms within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Flour is stone-milled on-site a few days before each bake, and doughs are naturally-leavened, hand-mixed, and hearth-baked to create breads that are flavorful, nutritious, and deeply connected to the region. Nico trained in traditional wood-fired and fresh-milled baking in France before continuing his grain-focused baking education at Seylou Bakery & Mill.

Gary Knicely

Gary is an organic farmer with over 20 years of experience focused on regenerative agriculture. At Hilltop Farm in Dayton, VA, he experiments with cover crops, interseeding, soil micorbiology, and nutrition management to buildresilient cropping systems and solve practical field challenges.

Aaron Grigsby

Ian Gamble

Aaron and Ian are the millers behind Deep Roots Milling at the historic Woodson’s Mill in Lowesville, VA. Aaron started his journey in traditional foodways working on small vegetable farms in southwest Virginia, the vineyards and cellars of Tuscany, and Sri Lankan communes. While apprenticing at a bakery in Floyd, he developed an affinity for small grains, natural leaven, and wood-fired cookery, experiences that eventually led him to become a miller and help establish a lynchpin for the regional grainshed at Woodson’s Mill.

Ian, a longtime friend and collaborator of Aaron’s, came to milling through his interests in good food, diverse economy, and sensible work. Upon visiting the mill you will find him greasing, packing, hauling sacks, milling, cleaning, and, of course, joking around with David Woodson.When not at the mill Ian pursues his crafts as a potter and oven-maker in rural North Carolina.

Itinerary (subject to change):

9:45am – 10:00am
Meet at Mill Song Bakery at 1130 Lincolnshire Dr, Rockingham, VA 22802

10:00am – 11:30am
Tour of Mill Song Bakery with Nico Melas

11:30am – 11:40am
Travel by bus to Hilltop Farm at 6675 Horeb Church Road, Dayton, VA 22821

11:40am – 1:00pm

Tour of Hilltop Farm with Gary Knicely

1:00pm – 1:45pm
Lunch in Harrisonburg

1:45pm – 3:00pm
Travel by bus to Deep Roots Milling at 3211 Lowesville Rd, Lowesville, VA 22967

3:00pm – 4:30pm
Tour of Deep Roots Milling with Aaron Grigsby

4:30pm – 5:45pm
Bus returns to Mill Song Bakery

Space is limited—register now to reserve your spot!

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class (12/08/2026)

Tue, 08 Dec 2026 15:00:00 GMT

BagelUp Industry Pro Tour and Class

December 8 / 10am - 4pm ET

The Bagel Lineup (locations subject to change):

1. Russ & Daughters (Brooklyn Navy Yard)

2. Apollo Bagels (Williamsburg)

3. Bagel Market (Midtown Manhattan)

Presented in partnership with the King Arthur Baking Company

Speakers:

Craft • Culture • Careers • Community