FOR GREAT HARVEST BREAD CO., BREAD-MAKING A LABOR OF LOVE

Jackson– Nestled in its own corner of Parkway Drive off Old Canton Road is Great Harvest Bread Co., a whole-grain bread bakery, where making bread loaves, scones, muffins, cookies and teacakes is more than a job– it’s a passion.

On one hand, there’s a passion for quality breads. After all, at Great Harvest Bread Co., each day begins at 4 a.m. with the baking of sweets and at 5 a.m. with 200 pounds of wheat grinding. Next comes the mixing of the yeast, water, flour, honey and salt. Once the bread finishes its several hours of rising and the remaining ingredients are added, the bread is cut into loaves, weighed, hand kneaded into shape, set aside for more rising and finally baked. And all of the baking wraps up around 10:30, said Great Harvest owner Mike Young.

On the other hand, there’s a passion for service. On Saturday, Nov. 10, Great Harvest will sponsor its third-annual “Baker for a Day” program, in which all proceeds from bread sales go to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM).

As Great Harvest’s “Baker for a Day,” the DFM will assist the bakery’s skilled loafers in bread making, kneading, baking, slicing and bagging. Great Harvest– a fresh whole grains bakery using no preservatives– makes a number of breads that fit the dietetic needs of customers with diabetes and others watching their sugar, carbohydrate and fiber intake, said Young.

“Not only does the program bring people into Great Harvest and get them involved in the bread-making process, but it also is a good way to support a cause that reaches out to more than 300,000 Mississippians,” said Young.

One of the best things about the Diabetes Foundation is that all of the money stays in
Mississippi to provide a wide-range of services for people of all ages who have diabetes, he said.

“We are honored to have been selected as the ‘Baker for a Day’ for the third consecutive year,” said DFM Executive Vice President Mary Fortune. “With people like Mike Young on our team- people who have a genuine interest in making Mississippi a healthier place,-we are making strides toward providing more comprehensive care for the 346,500 Mississippians with diabetes.”

  The DFM provides life-saving medical supplies to individuals who cannot afford their medications through a patient-assistance program. The organization also sends representatives into classrooms around the state to educate teachers and staff on how to recognize and manage diabetes in their students. DFM representatives visit newly diagnosed children in the hospital to provide them and their parents with information about healthy management of diabetes.

“Mississippians need one organization working solely for them, providing them with the educational materials, medical supplies, advocacy services, children’s programs and support that they need to keep their diabetes under control,” said Fortune. “And we are happy to be that organization.”

A few years ago, a Great Harvest employee sought help in dealing with her diabetes, which is how Young first heard about the DFM.

“One of our workers has Type 2 diabetes, and the Diabetes Foundation has been very helpful in finding her a doctor as well as the other resources that she needs to help her live a healthy life,” Young said.

And Young’s grandfather lost his leg to diabetes– another reason that diabetes is a subject of great importance to him.

“Everyone knows someone with diabetes,” he said, which is why Great Harvest always has at least two or three breads that can fit into the lives of those with dietary restrictions.

“We want people to know that they can still enjoy bread without sacrificing taste and quality,” he said. “And our breads are a safe gift for someone who, for example, cannot have candy on Valentine’s Day.”

 Great Harvest strives to have an assortment of baked goods for the health-conscious. The bread-making process is one that requires precise measurements and all of the morning’s hours to complete, but in the end, there is a little something for everybody, Young said.

“Our bread makers are both artists and scientists,” said Young, who moved to Jackson nearly four years ago from Denver when the opportunity to buy the local Great Harvest franchise presented itself.

Now three and a half years and thousands of bread loaves later, his decision to come to Jackson is not one that he regrets. People call in days in advance to order some of the bakery’s specialty breads, and frequently, bread will come out of the oven and leave moments later in a customer’s hands.

“Great Harvest encourages community outreach,” Young said. “We want people to adopt healthy-eating habits.”

The Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi (DFM) is the state’s only nonprofit health organization that provides diabetes research, information, patient services and advocacy, and its mission is to provide hope through research, programs and service to the 346,500 Mississippians with diabetes. Every dollar raised by the DFM stays in the state to support these efforts. In addition, 90 cents of every dollar raised goes towards the organization’s charitable purposes. The DFM is the one diabetes organization totally dedicated to all Mississippians– from children to seniors– who live with diabetes.

Great Harvest is located in Colonial Mart off Old Canton Road on Parkway Drive. Orders may be placed in advance by calling 601-956-4406. Bakery hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and don’t forget Bread Day on Saturday, Nov. 10.  For more information about Bread Day or the DFM’s programs and services, call 601-957-7878 or visit www.msdiabetes.org.