Dexter, Oakridge enterprises team up to provide locally produced delights

By LINDA WALLING/For The Herald — Two entrepreneurs in Highway 58 communities 20 miles apart have teamed up to provide fresh produce and home-baked bread to customers in the Upper Willamette area. Here is a look at Wild Rye Bake Shop of Oakridge and Fat Cat Farm of Dexter.

Wild Rye Bake Shop

This small in-home business specializing in sourdough bread is owned by Hannah Holmes, who lives on School Street in Oakridge. Hannah’s job is simply doing what she loves and that’s baking.

You might say she makes magic with her hands and it shows in every loaf. Hannah explained that a loaf of sourdough bread started it all. She is gradually adding more to her menu, like bagels.

Also, Hannah would like to add roasted garlic bread along with a sandwich loaf and more fun pastries.

However, for all you cookie lovers she has a couple options available for you, too. You can find out more by going to her website.

You can order from her website and have your bread delivered to your home on Wednesdays. Other options: Pick it up from her directly or add it to your “CSA box.” And what’s that? See below.

Fat Cat Farms

If you’re looking for certified organic fresh fruit and vegetables then check out Fat Cat Farm in Dexter. One of the great things about this business is that you do not need to make that trip. If you live in Oakridge, you can order your produce box online and it will come to Willamette Mountain Mercantile for pick up.

Erik Dietz is the owner of Fat Cat Farm and has 70-plus varieties of fruits and vegetables — raspberries, peaches, artichokes, grapes and many more to choose from. This month there will be cherry tomatoes and red slicer tomatoes. In late summer there will be nice melons to choose from including watermelons.

Erik delivers boxes of fresh produce every Thursday to the bike shop (Willamette Mountain Mercantile) in Oakridge.   His website explains how to sign up for a weekly (or every other week) CSA box (his term).  He will prorate the cost for customers who sign up later in the season.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and a “CSA farm” like Erik’s is one that has a relationship of commitment between the farmers and their customers, who subscribe as members.

So how did Hannah and Erik team up?

You can order from her website and have your Wild Rye Bake Shop order added to your Fat Cat Farm box or just pick it up from her directly.