A Year In Review 🌱

Traditionally, year-in-review features look backwards to highlight the ups and downs of the past year. But for our first newsletter of 2018, I decided that I want to look forward instead...to share a glimpse into the plans that will drive our focus here at C&C and what we will aspire to accomplish in the coming months.

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As some of you may know, I've been slowly inching through grad school over the last few years. In early May, I will finally get to graduate! While the thought of opening an artisan bakery didn't cross my mind when I first started school, that's all I'm thinking about as I'm getting ready to finish. Years ago when I applied to the market to be a vendor, it was simply because I wanted a job for myself. But one of the main things I've learned in business school is that the role of entrepreneurship lies really in creating jobs for other people and creating value for your community. I take that lesson to heart as we continue establishing the foundations of this dream venture.

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In order to provide opportunity for fellow bakers and make a place where bread lovers can gather, C&C needed the right space where we can grow and flourish as a business. I'm so thrilled to say that the search for a perfect brick & mortar location is over and we'll be opening our first retail bakery cafe at the new indoor Rockford City Market on Madison Street in early 2019! We will be pouring all our creative energy into this project over the next nine months as we get ready for the big move. I'm looking forward to sharing updates on the construction and development of our new space with you along the way.

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There are only a couple of months left till the beginning of farmer's market season. Friday, May 18th, is the opening day for the downtown City Market and on the following morning, we'll start at North End City Market as well as at the Downtown Beloit Farmer's Market. We'll continue with our CSB (community supported bakery) program through the summer because I realize not everyone can come down to our booth on the weekends. The April-June rotation is starting soon and the deadline to sign up for a bread share is March 31st if you'd like to get a new membership or renew your existing one. I will also be posting a new schedule of baking classes shortly.

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Lastly, I want to finish off by saying how thankful I am to all of you reading...we are a small operation, other than posting picture updates to our social media platforms and sending out these newsletters, we don't engage in traditional paid advertising or anything. Yet word has gotten out organically because of you...folks from all over Rockford, surrounding communities, Chicago, Madison, and as far as Milwaukee are seeking us out to try our bread and driving in to take classes. It's astonishing and it pushes me to be more loud & proud about the things we are doing because of your confidence in us. So I got over my shyness and got in front of the camera. Here's a video that has been released today by Our City, Our Story...I'm so very honored to be included in this series and grateful to Pablo Korona who believed that my story was worth telling.

When Jojo G. needed a job, she took a chance to call the Rockford City Market to pitch a booth. She bluffed her way into a path that has now become her career. See how this passionate mother and entrepreneur has become a model for what happens when you create opportunity.