Kneading Conference 2025

Join April for a morning flow for all levels. The practice will focus on present moment awareness and incorporate breathing practices with movement to nourish and uplift.  

Mats and blocks will be provided.

Farm-to-Table breakfast featuring pastries and locally sourced yogurt, granola, and fruit.

Marion Nestle is a consumer advocate, nutritionist, award-winning author, and academic who specializes in the politics of food and dietary choice. Her research examines scientific, economic, and social influences on food choice and health, with an emphasis on the role of food industry marketing. Her books explore how politics affects food production, dietary intake, food safety, and human and planetary health.

She is the author of the classic Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health which won awards from the Association of American Publishers, the James Beard Foundation, and World Hunger Year. Her second book, Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety, won the Steinhardt School of Education’s Griffiths Research Award.
Dr. Nestle’s book, What to Eat was named as one of Amazon’s top ten books of the year and a “Must Read” by Eating Well magazine; it also won the Better Life Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the James Beard Foundation book award for best food reference. She is currently working on an updated edition titled What to Eat Now (North Point Press, Fall 2025). An excerpt titled The Fish Counter will be published by Picador on June 10, 2025 as part of their “Oceans, Rivers, and Streams” series.

Dr. Nestle’s other books include Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine; Feed Your Pet Right, co-authored with Malden Nesheim; Why Calories Count: from Science to Politics, also with Malden Nesheim, which won book of the year from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP); Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics, which won an IACP book award; Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning), which won an IACP book award along with the James Beard Award for Writing & Literature; Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat which exposes how the food industry corrupts scientific research for profit and was one of Nature‘s Best Science Books of the Year; and Let’s Ask Marion: What You Need to Know about the Politics of Food, Nutrition, and Health with Kerry Trueman. Dr. Nestle has also written a memoir titled Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics.

Jon and Olivia started their story as partners, paired together by chance in the kitchen at Johnson & Wales University. They soon realized that they were not only great partners in the kitchen, but also in life. Wanting to create something of their own, they came up with "The Pastry Pair," a name that encompasses both their passion for the craft and doing what they love together. The Pastry Pair specializes in sourdough breads, laminated pastries, and handcrafted artisanal bonbons. As their business has grown, they have started selling at farmers markets all across Southern Maine. When it comes to their products, they emphasize the importance of freshness, using quality and local ingredients and turning them into something both beautiful and delicious.

Easy to make & long-lasting, super-adaptable, sanctified as Matzoh or Communion Wafers: otherwise known as Crackers! 
 
None of the scary performance anxiety of bread-making. A fraction of the assembly and waiting time. Few of the specialized tools. 
 
Yes, they can be naturally leavened! And made with a remarkable variety of flours, with off-beat inclusions such flax or fennel seeds, rubbed sage or dried onion, and almost anything else you can flatten into a thin dough with a rolling pin...
 
Join artisan baker Jonathan Stevens for a fun, illuminating, and flour-flecked exploration into the world of super-thin, crisp flatbread. We will be getting our hands sticky with some 18-minute matzoh, some Spelt-Sesame crackers, and some unadulterated "Graham" crackers (whole wheat without the honey). 
 
Bring an apron and an appetite!

In this talk, Natasha will share her insights and strategies gleaned from nearly a decades’ worth of fundraiser bake sales and culinary event production. How do these complicated, ambitious events come together? What tools do we already have, latent within us, to bring these ideas to life, no matter where we live or what resources we have available to us? We’ll discuss workable strategies and how to align your value system within budgetary, logistical, and philosophical parameters. We’ll review the fundamentals and nitty-gritty of event planning, from drafting a critical path to negotiating brand partnerships to chef curation to volunteer management. Together, we’ll write the perfect “recipe” to make your bake sale a reality. 

Lunch Options (Thurs.-Fri.):

1. The Maine Meal:
   • Main Course: Pasta dish TBD (vegetarian)
   • Sides: TBD
2. The Bankery:
   • Main Course: - 16oz Sesame Noodle Salad with tofu (vegetarian)
     
   • Sides: An apple and a classic whoopie pie for dessert
3. The Miller's Table at Maine Grains:
   • Main Course: Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
     seasonal greens, shaved cabbage, chicken breast, smoky bacon, red onion, cocktail tomatoes, house basil buttermilk ranch dressing
   • Sides: Sourdough country bread and a chocolate rye brownie for dessert
4. Joe's Flat Iron Café:
   • Main Course: Bagel sandwich with turkey and fresh vegetables
   • Sides: Sides or chips TBD

This is during lunch. Please bring your bagged lunch to Maine Grains with you. You will have about 30 minutes after the tour to eat.

We hope you’ll join us for a free tour of the grist mill, it is a one-of-a-kind experience.

Maine Grains is housed in the historic former Somerset County Jail building, which is also the home of The Miller’s Table café, Crooked Face Creamery, Happyknits yarn shop, WXNZ community radio & the weekly Skowhegan Farmers Market. The mill has been an engine of entrepreneurship and resides in the heart of historic downtown Skowhegan.

During our tours you will learn about our unique history, the process of transforming a jail into a mill, how stone milled flour is made, and what we’re hoping to accomplish in the years to come. We’ll tour the facility from the bottom up, so you can see our team of talented millers at work and our beautiful Austrian stone mills busily humming away, transforming whole grain into beautiful & delicious flour.

Please be aware that your safety is our priority. We are a food producing facility & you’ll be venturing near machinery. Please refrain from wearing dangly earrings and loose clothing, tie back long hair, wear comfy shoes (we’ll be climbing stairs), and feel free to look but please don’t touch the equipment. Hairnets and earplugs will be provided.
***We will be climbing up/down flights of stairs 6+ times during the tour. We understand that not everyone can make this journey! It can be a workout. Please wear comfortable closed-toed shoes.

https://mainegrains.com/tours/

Discover the art of oven building with Scott Barden, master oven-builder and heater builder from Maine Wood Heat. Join us as Scott leads an immersive workshop delving into the fundamentals of oven construction, fire building, and heat management. We'll gather at the Maine Wood Heat (MWH) oven near The Kitchen at 185 Water St. before carpooling to the MWH facility for hands-on learning. Maine Wood Heat Co. upholds a philosophy centered on crafting the greenest, most efficient, and aesthetically pleasing products possible. Our Le Panyol oven stands as a testament to this ethos, constructed solely from 100% pure materials, offering unparalleled quality and performance.

Sonoko and Fuyuko are sisters based in Los Angeles who bring extensive experience working in the food world. Today, Sonoko and Fuyuko run their own cottage food businesses in Los Angeles to create unique culinary experiences honoring their heritages while celebrating local and seasonal ingredients.   
Join Sonoko and Fuyuko for a hands-on workshop featuring their award-winning wafu miso pie recipe born from cherished childhood memories. As children, they would wake to the irresistible aroma of their mother's apple slab pies in the middle of the night. After their mother passed away, the sisters recreated her recipe with a Japanese twist, adding Sonoko's homemade miso to the filling—a "hidden ingredient" that won second place in the KCRW pie contest.
You'll learn to make a flaky, tender crust using locally grown and milled Maine flour, prepare a seasonal fruit filling enhanced with handcrafted miso, and master the techniques that bring these elements together. Sonoko and Fuyuko will demonstrate how small adjustments in technique and flavor can elevate familiar recipes into something memorable.
Perfect for both professional and home bakers, this class offers insights into cross-cultural baking and the art of subtle flavor enhancement. You'll leave with not only a delicious pie but also a deeper understanding of how traditional Japanese ingredients can transform Western classics.

Your recipes are perfect, your social media fans are excited, and you love baking for your community. But how do you actually turn your passion into a real business? There's a lot more to ownership than just baking great loaves and pastries, and a number of things you'll want to consider before taking the leap to opening your own place.

Zach Martinucci is a baker and culinary anthropologist who founded Rebel Bread in Denver, CO in 2018 with a few thousand dollars and a dream. He has spent the last five years growing the artisan wholesale bakery into a multi-million dollar business with 30 employees, and is excited to share the lessons, tools, and spreadsheets that have helped contribute to a sustainable business. 

Zach simplifies business ownership into three steps: Making a Plan, Figuring out the Finances, and Taking Action. In this workshop, we'll explore each step in detail, including crafting a comprehensive business plan beyond menu items, understanding finances for profitability, building meaningful community connections, and navigating operational challenges.

Whether you're considering bakery ownership, expanding a side hustle, or seeking fresh perspectives for your existing business, this workshop will leave you with a confident understanding of how it all works, so you can take the best next steps for your baking journey.

This workshop has two parts:
Hour 1: "How Entrepreneurs Figure Things Out and Make it All Happen" – a presentation about what it takes to start and grow a business
Hour 2: "Cash Flow Planning Exercise" – hands-on work with a technical, financial planning tool to help you figure out your business model and operate your bakery

Take a leisurely stroll to a nearby local business, where you can savor a delicious cup of coffee or bubble tea with friends and fellow attendees. It's the perfect opportunity to network, unwind, and recharge before the next session. Whether you're catching up with colleagues or exploring the charming surroundings, enjoy a refreshing pause in your day filled with camaraderie and relaxation.

All levels welcome, mats and blocks will be provided.

Kick back and relax among old friends and new! The Grain Gab will feature grain-based specialty cocktails, local beer, wine, cheese, and a spread of locally made delights. 

We are thrilled to offer a locally sourced, potluck style community supper!

Menu details coming soon