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Guerra graduated from the UA College of Guerra’s method of producing bread is costly.
Education in 2001 and taught health and physical His flour costs 50 percent more than commodity
education at an elementary school in Tucson. flour and each loaf takes 24 hours from flour to
Although he loved being a teacher and was fragrant brown goodness. This is reflected in his
recognized with awards, his earlier experience as prices, but there are plenty of people who see the
a baker in both Flagstaff and Oregon kept calling value in his exceptional product and are willing
him back. In 2009 he followed his heart and set to pay.
up a bakery in the two-car garage at his home. During the eight years Guerra worked out of
He also plunged into experimentation with the his garage bakery, he sold his bread out of the
local heritage grains that give his bread such rich trunk of his car, at a farmers market, at schools
flavor. and through a Community Supported Agriculture
“As an artisan baker, these grains have group. People could go online to reserve a loaf
opened up my world tremendously,” Guerra says or two for pickup; those who had not ordered in
as he slides the third tray of 15 loaves into the advance would get to the distribution centers
oven. “It’s not the shape or the flavoring. It’s about early, join the lines and take their chances.
the grain itself. Like an artist that blends paints, During those years, Guerra was constantly
I blend grains to produce the color and the flavor thinking through the details of running a
profile of the bread. It’s that innovation that keeps storefront bakery again. He had begun saving
me excited. It’s just flour, water and salt, but it’s funds for the move, but his plans took a leap
how you combine them that is key.” forward when he won a $100,000 USDA Local
To source the specialty grains essential to Food promotion grant. As part of Guerra’s grant
his bread, Guerra works with the Wong family proposal, he vowed to operate using 20 percent
at BKW Farms just up the highway in Marana. local grains in the first year of operation. His
In addition to planting their usual crops, they bread already contains about 50 percent grain
support Guerra’s mission by growing small from local sources. Guerra bakes
plots of spelt, white Sonora wheat, einkorn (the The grant gave him the capital to set up his
most primitive form of wheat), and Khorasan small retail store and also the flexibility to hire 600 loaves a day
(also called kamut), an ancient form of durum staff so he can spend time away from his bakery,
wheat from Iran. They also supply Guerra with educating the community on the importance of in an oven that
organically grown durum and hard red spring heritage grains.
wheat, the more modern varieties. Guerra calls himself a community baker. customers can
“BKW and I have an awesome collaboration,” When he isn’t baking, he is sharing his passion,
Guerra says. “We are working on developing a spreading the word about heritage grains. This see in the front
local grain economy. Some of these varieties educating — this sharing that he does constantly
were in danger of disappearing, but through our — is as important to Guerra as the flavorful of the store.
partnership we have an opportunity to change golden loaves with the deep brown crust that
the course of history.” he turns out five days a week. He is an energetic