When our old grain mill opened its doors over 100 years ago, the health of the business went hand in hand with the health of the land and community; seeds and crops became food for the animals and the people who kept it all going.
Today, understanding the need for a healthy planet continues to be a part of the Ginger and Baker philosophy. It just makes sense. Because of this, we’re always looking for ways to make our business more sustainable, from our composting and recycling programs to locally sourcing as many ingredients as we can.
Restoration
When we set about restoring the old Mill, we sought ways to re-use, re-purpose, save, reclaim or recycle as much as we could from the historic building. Master woodworker Forrest Cramer transformed the old beadboard ceilings into shelving and cupboards and old wooden beams became beautiful tables. Grain bins and chicken feeders became planters, old conveyer belt wheels were turned into a chandelier and many more of the patinaed pieces of the Mill were retained.
Keeping It Local
We look to local Colorado farmers and ranchers for eggs, dairy, and produce as well as beef, bison, lamb, fish and wild game. It honors our roots as supporters of local agriculture, it lessens the environmental impact of shipping long distances, and we believe eating food in the place where it is grown tastes miles better. Local purveyors include Little Cranberry Ranch Wagyu, Little House of Tempeh, Wisdom Natural Poultry, Croft Family Farm, Happy Lucky’s Tea House, Morning Fresh Dairy Farm, MouCo Cheese Company, Old Town Spice Shop, Bindle Coffee, Swallowtail Foods, Teakoe, Hazel Dell Mushrooms and more.
Composting
We harvest fruit, veggies, herbs and flowers for The Cache and Café at Ginger and Baker’s Farm, located just up the road from our building. In turn, food scraps and eggshells from The Cache, Café and Teaching Kitchen food prep and coffee grounds from the Market are bagged up in compostable bags and returned to the farm as compost to help fertilize next season’s crops.
Reuse and Recycle
In the coffeeshop, we encourage everyone to take a break and enjoy their coffee in a real mug or their pie on a ceramic plate – better (in so many ways) than speeding out the door with a cup to go. But if you can’t sit for a spell, know that the majority of our to-go containers are compostable and we continue to look for more compostable options.
Additionally:
- All glass bottles, steel and aluminum, cardboard, plastic and other mixed recyclables stay out of the trash and instead go to recycling centers.
- Employees get a reusable tumbler to use for keeping hydrated at work and play.
- We’ve done away with plastic straws except for special requests. Check out the fun metal and paper straws in the gift shop!
- All day-old baked goods are donated to local service groups.
- Packing materials like styrofoam and bubble wrap go to local shipping companies to be re-used.
- We’ve installed bike racks around the building to encourage bike commuting.
If you have any thoughts on how to make Ginger and Baker even more sustainable, please drop us a line at info@gingerandbaker.com!
