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By: Nicole Buffie Posted: 3:04 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 1, 2022
Morris resident Joan van der Linde began baking bread at the beginning of the pandemic as a way to spread kindness. Two years later, she’s surpassed 3,000 loaves baked for the immediate and wider community.
If a baker’s dozen is 13, Joan van der Linde needs one more bread machine.
If a baker’s dozen is 13, Joan van der Linde needs one more bread machine.
Over the last two years the Rosenort native, turned expat in South Africa, turned Morris resident has established a routine: in the morning she fills her 12 Black and Decker machines with all the necessary ingredients, flips the switch to let the bread paddles and yeast do their work, then four hours later packages them in paper bags, fastens a label with a number to it and waits for the arrival of that day’s recipients.
Last week, she reached a milestone: 3,000 loaves of bread baked for friends, neighbours, and complete strangers alike, all requesting the loaves of white and whole wheat for reasons of their own.
Like some, van der Linde began baking bread in the beginnings of social distancing as the novel coronavirus began to make its way overseas to Canada which prompted the vast majority to isolate themselves in the name of communal wellness.
On March 22, 2020 van der Linde had what she calls a "divine download."
"I just had such a strong impression that I was supposed to start baking bread and give it away," she said.
"I felt that many people in that time were thinking about creative ways to bring just a lightheartedness and some joy into the world because we were all coming to terms with this pandemic."
She left the fresh loaves in a basket adorned to a light post in her front yard then sent out messages to friends informing them the baking was free to take.
Van der Linde has an entire room dedicated to baking bread and making videos for her fans on social media. To prevent short circuits, she eventually had to spread operations throughout her home.
Soon, the project grew legs.
"People started catching the vision," she said.
The first 1,000 loaves came and went in one year; the second thousand came in just seven months upon van der Linde stepping up operations with donated bread machines.
After the 2,000th loaf The Bread Basket took on a new meaning to her.
"So many people have commented when they’ve been eating the warm, fresh bread that is really has felt like a hug," she said. The feedback kept her going since then to surpass her goal of 3,000 in just five months.
Van der Linde’s love for baking stemmed from many a year perfecting her cinnamon bun recipe for her three children. The tried and true recipe was especially tested when van der Linde baked over 100 dozen of her famous pastries as a way to fundraise her children’s way to their home of South Africa for missions trips.
The former became mere practice for what was to come with The Bread Basket.
Since she started churning out a dozen loaves per day van der Linde now encourages recipients to take the whole day’s bake to distribute among those who need — or just want — to keep distribution organized for the one-woman show.
Some of the loaves go to schools to feed hungry students and staff while others make their way down Highway 75 to Winnipeg by those passing through town; some of the bread has made it as far west as Alberta and north to Swan River by travellers demanding their destination has a taste of fresh bread. Van der Linde also makes a weekly delivery of bread to the Red River Valley Food Bank.
Van der Linde offers white and whole wheat bread on a daily basis. She also has a machine entirely dedicated to gluten-free loaves.
Van der Linde said it’s not only the stories from happy customers which fires her up, but baking brings her "absolute joy."
"There were days if I was tired, then I just wouldn’t bake that day. By the next day, I could hardly wait to do it again," she said.
Her secret ingredient to the loaves which keeps people coming back? Real ingredients.
Since a few months after its inception The Bread Basket has sustained itself through charity; donations of ingredients and cash to cover costs go into each loaf.
However, van der Linde does not imagine a time in which she would charge for the eats.
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"If and when there comes the time I have to start charging for it, I’d have to reconsider the whole thing," she said.
She also said the baking came as personal healing for her.
"It’s given me a focus to look beyond myself…it’s easy to look inward and be sad but there’s also a part of this when we do look beyond ourselves and start to serve others in the midst of our sadness," she said.
While COVID-19 restrictions have eased up and many have packed away their own bread machines in favour of in-person activities, the thought of a time in which she will stop The Bread Basket comes every now and again.
But for now, van der Linde said as long as people ask, they shall receive.
"I’m finding that it’s really touching a deep place in people and I’m planning to carry on as as long as I have the nudge to carry on."