Norm Oeding
Janzen Family Farm/Little Red Hen Bakery
Newton, Kan.
Kansas grows more wheat than any other state in the country. Oeding grows grains organically and features his wheat in a line of tasty breads.
Why we chose these grains:
Oeding runs a 116-year-old, 400-acre family farm, which he helped convert from conventional to organic in 2007. He processes the wheat into flour himself and works with a local baker in Wichita to produce bread, which he sells locally: “[I’m] producing for a market that’s much closer to home, and keeping the miles-to-market down.”
On why locals love his loaves:
“Every once in a while, I will cross paths with a grocery shopper when I’m delivering bread, stocking the shelves,” says Oeding. “They might come up to me and just thank me for putting out a good local product that’s working with nature and avoiding chemicals. There are a growing number of consumers who do appreciate that.”