For Luke Adams, farming is a family endeavor. His family has been farming at Timm Adams farm in Rupert for decades.
"We love doing it, and we wouldn't work the hours we work if we didn't love being out here and growing food," Adams said.
Each spring, his family gears up for another year of planting, but this year has been little different because of the coronavirus. Adams says farming is pretty individual work, which makes social distancing pretty easy, but they still take precautions anyway.
"When we're changing who's in the tractor, we're wiping down the tractor to make sure everything is as clean and sanitary as possible. Trying to avoid riding together in pickups," Adams said.
Adams says life on the farm doesn't stop, and the crops keep growing.
"We're working in cooperation with Mother Nature too, you know, get these crops growing in a timely manner so we can take advantage of the growing summer," Adams said. "So we really can't pause operations right now. We need to make sure we continue with our planting plans."
From wheat to flour to bread, Timm Adams Farm has been partnering with Gaston's to keep it local from farm to table.
The wheat will starts out in the field in Rupert, and when it's time to harvest, it will be stored in huge grain bins. When Gaston's is ready for the grain, it will travel along a grain auger to a truck, where it will be taken from the farm to Gaston's Bakery, where it will be milled into flour--and eventually, turned into delicious baked goods.
Mathieu Choux, the owner of Gaston's Bakery, moved to Boise in 2001 from the French Region of Burgandy. The bakery, named after his grandmother, is a testament to the passion for making food that's been in his family for generations.
A couple of years ago, Gaston's added a unifine mill, which produces flour a little differently.
“Ever since people started getting sick with gluten I felt there was something wrong," Choux said. "Wheat is the most consumed cereal in the world and people have been eating bread or bread type products for thousands of years so why in the past so why in the past 20 years it is making us sick.”
That's why Choux doesn't add anything to the wheat.
“The flour made with this mill will have a lot more nutrients and minerals than any white flour you can get," Choux said.
Gaston's has a goal of converting their entire production to house-milled flour. If they do so, they would be one of just six bakeries in the country.
“I feel like it is very safe it is a good way to support local and eat better," Choux said.
Once the process is finished, Gaston's either sells the product locally, or it goes into their bakery and gets turned into our favorite pastries.
Like most local businesses, Gaston’s is transitioning to curbside delivery to keep business up.
“We have our own little retail shop here, and we deliver to peoples houses now so we’re able to make up some of that lost business from the restaurants with the retail,” said Choux.
The bakery remains selling their sweet treats but they too have felt the effects from the pandemic.
"A few weeks ago when restaurants closed, we lost about 75% of our business," said Choux.
Beyond the delicious taste, Choux hopes his treats can bring joy to those in the midst of all the coronavirus stress.
"I think it’s really important for us to stay open so people have access to good bread, pastries, and also the flour obviously, we’ve been the only one able to sell flour here for the last few weeks," said Choux.
Gaston's known for their artisan bread and their croissants. They also supply flour and goods to local grocery stores, since flour has been flying off the shelves.
“Our flour has always been available at the Boise co-ops but it is also available at the Boise Albertsons as well, we’re very grateful to be able to do that and that’s really helping us as a business," said Choux.
They’ve adapted their day to day operations to stay safe; limiting the number of people and spreading out shifts. In the mean time they’re getting ready to crank up the ovens for when doors open up again safely.
“We really have to adapt, and we really have to refine our craft and really be the, even better than before, be best bakers we can,” said Choux.
