Diana Asberry

(and I agree with the author! Let's open our windows on bakingday!<VBG>)!

Don't Close the Window on Baking Day
************************************************ (or institutional bread)
by Ann Murphy Wyoming Home Educators' Newsletter Spring/Summer 1986

Once there was a community in which most people had beenraised on
enriched, white, store-bought bread and saw to it that theirchildrenwere
fed the same. The hope was that the children would grow to bebig,strong,
and well-nourished so they could live productive lives and bea creditto
the town. The bread was provided for the children by means ofacommunity
tax and was distributed on a regular basis to all communitychildren
irrespective of size, shape, or color.
In this town there lived a woman named Matilda, who had threechildren.
She had given the matter some thought and had done somereading andhad
concluded that she could provide better nourishment for herchildrenby
making her own whole-wheat or even white bread. After furtherthoughtshe
decided she would try it out. Now, Matilda was aware that whatshe was
doing was decidedly "odd" and that she might get some flakfrom her
neighbors. She was, however, determined to provide what sheviewed asbest
for her children.
She began to make her own bread and no longer used the BreadDistribution
Service. She continued to pay the community tax for bread;and, in
addition, bought ingredients for her own homemade bread.Sometimeswhen
Matilda and her children were seen in public during the BreadDistribution
Hour, people would ask her, "Why aren't your children eating?"Shetried
to explain that she made bread for them and that they ate itwith the
family, but found that most people thought that was illegal.She beginto
fear that people would think her children weren't being fed(thoughthey
looked well-nourished) and that the City Fathers would thinkshe wasan
abusive parent. She began closing the windows on baking day sothearoma
wouldn't get out of the house and having the children eattheir bread
during the Bread Distribution Hour so they wouldn't beconspicuous.She
tried to keep a low profile to avoid detection.
However, rumor that there were some families making their ownbread
reached the offices of the City Fathers. The City Fathersdecided alaw
needed to be passed to deal with the situation and define whatwaslegal
There arose a great debate. Some said it was basically theparents'
responsibility and privilege to provide bread for theirchildren.Others
said parents didn't know how to make bread and it should bemandatorythat
they obtain bread from the Bread Distribution Service. Therewas somefear
expressed that children might starve if there weren't someguaranteethat
they were receiving bread at home when their parents took themoff the
Bread Distribution List.
Some wanted the law to require that the parents go to bakers'school;some
that they have required ingredients for the homemade bread,some that
there be a schedule of baking days and assigned times for theeatingof
the bread. Eventually, it was decided that the parents who chose to
maketheir
own bread needed to submit a recipe card demonstrating that thebread
theyfed
their children would have at least some sort of flour, oil,andliquid.
They also needed to be sure to feed their children on aregular basis.
Matilda was elated! She had been afraid that the requirementsof thelaw
would be much more detailed and demanding. She recognized thattherewere
those in the city who were violently opposed to the home-bakedbreadidea
and that they would probably seek to have the law changedsometime;but,
for the time being, she felt much easier in mind.
She was so used by this time to keeping a low profile in herbakingthat
it never occurred to her that that should change.
This writer how ever thinks that Matilda and other home-breadbakers
should let the delicious aroma out to waft over theneighborhood. Ialso
believe it would be beneficial if the community at largebecameaccustomed
to the idea and began to learn how tasty and nutritioushomemade breadcan
be. This would, I believe, help to counter the weight oftradition onthe
side of the Bread Distribution Service should opponents ofhome-baked
bread try to change the present law. People who bake their ownbreadto
feed their children need to work to educate the public as tothebeauties
and benefits of bread baking!
Author's Note--Since we lived in North Dakota at the time,where"homemade
bread baking" was clearly illegal (until after we had moved
away!), I wrote this response:
In another community, to the north of Matilda's, the sadsituation is
this: the Bread Distribution Service union is powerful, andfor manyyears
has opposed homemade bread baking. Some parents have tried it,anyway,and
most would be only too glad to share their recipe cards. Somewould be
willing to invite the Bread Distribution Servicesuperintendent intotheir
homes on baking day. Some are even willing to submit theirchildren toan
annual examination to prove that they are being well-nourishedon
home-baked bread.
Last year the local Parents' Association of Home-Bakers madevaliant
efforts in the city council to get the law changed, but to noavail.The
current regulation is that parents cannot bake bread at homefor their
children unless they hold a valid certificate from bakers'school--even
though Bakers' School concentrates on teaching institutionalbreadbaking,
and would be of little value to parents baking bread at home.
Parents who persist in making their children's bread at homeandrefusing
to obtain their bread from the Bread Distribution Service arehighly
subject to legal prosecution. In fact, five such families wererecently
taken to court and convicted. One of those families, like manyothersin
the past, has moved to a different community where home-bakedbread is
legal. (One frustration is that the communities directly tothe east,west
and south allow homemade bread baking.)
But at least three of the families are continuing to bakebread athome,
and are definitely keeping their windows open on bakingday--in spiteof a
threatened jail sentence for doing so. Unfortunately, otherfamilieswho
would risk losing their jobs must keep their windows closedandcontinue
to bake bread in absolute secrecy.
So, I would further encourage those who live in communitieslike
Matilda's where home-baking is possible to keep their windowsopen so
that the delicious aromas may waft even outside the communityand
influence other less enlightened communities to relieve theoppressionof
home-baked bread
families.---------------------------------------------------


_______________________________________________________________
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claudia partick

wow great story!!!! this story shows how silly it is to not let people "bake
their own bread"!! even people who don't understand homeschooling would
understand this story.
Claudia in KC
-----Original Message-----
From: Diana Asberry <diasberry@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Tuesday, June 08, 1999 9:24 PM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] nice "story"


>From: Diana Asberry <diasberry@...>
>
>(and I agree with the author! Let's open our windows on bakingday!<VBG>)!
>
>Don't Close the Window on Baking Day
> ************************************************ (or institutional
bread)
> by Ann Murphy Wyoming Home Educators' Newsletter Spring/Summer 1986
>
>Once there was a community in which most people had beenraised on
> enriched, white, store-bought bread and saw to it that theirchildrenwere
> fed the same. The hope was that the children would grow to bebig,strong,
> and well-nourished so they could live productive lives and bea creditto
> the town. The bread was provided for the children by means ofacommunity
> tax and was distributed on a regular basis to all communitychildren
> irrespective of size, shape, or color.
> In this town there lived a woman named Matilda, who had threechildren.
> She had given the matter some thought and had done somereading andhad
> concluded that she could provide better nourishment for herchildrenby
> making her own whole-wheat or even white bread. After furtherthoughtshe
> decided she would try it out. Now, Matilda was aware that whatshe was
> doing was decidedly "odd" and that she might get some flakfrom her
> neighbors. She was, however, determined to provide what sheviewed asbest
> for her children.
> She began to make her own bread and no longer used the BreadDistribution
> Service. She continued to pay the community tax for bread;and, in
> addition, bought ingredients for her own homemade bread.Sometimeswhen
> Matilda and her children were seen in public during the BreadDistribution
> Hour, people would ask her, "Why aren't your children eating?"Shetried
> to explain that she made bread for them and that they ate itwith the
> family, but found that most people thought that was illegal.She beginto
> fear that people would think her children weren't being fed(thoughthey
> looked well-nourished) and that the City Fathers would thinkshe wasan
> abusive parent. She began closing the windows on baking day sothearoma
> wouldn't get out of the house and having the children eattheir bread
> during the Bread Distribution Hour so they wouldn't beconspicuous.She
> tried to keep a low profile to avoid detection.
> However, rumor that there were some families making their ownbread
> reached the offices of the City Fathers. The City Fathersdecided alaw
> needed to be passed to deal with the situation and define whatwaslegal
> There arose a great debate. Some said it was basically theparents'
> responsibility and privilege to provide bread for theirchildren.Others
> said parents didn't know how to make bread and it should bemandatorythat
> they obtain bread from the Bread Distribution Service. Therewas somefear
> expressed that children might starve if there weren't someguaranteethat
> they were receiving bread at home when their parents took themoff the
> Bread Distribution List.
> Some wanted the law to require that the parents go to bakers'school;some
> that they have required ingredients for the homemade bread,some that
> there be a schedule of baking days and assigned times for theeatingof
> the bread. Eventually, it was decided that the parents who chose to
>maketheir
>own bread needed to submit a recipe card demonstrating that thebread
>theyfed
> their children would have at least some sort of flour, oil,andliquid.
> They also needed to be sure to feed their children on aregular basis.
> Matilda was elated! She had been afraid that the requirementsof thelaw
> would be much more detailed and demanding. She recognized thattherewere
> those in the city who were violently opposed to the home-bakedbreadidea
> and that they would probably seek to have the law changedsometime;but,
> for the time being, she felt much easier in mind.
> She was so used by this time to keeping a low profile in herbakingthat
> it never occurred to her that that should change.
> This writer how ever thinks that Matilda and other home-breadbakers
> should let the delicious aroma out to waft over theneighborhood. Ialso
> believe it would be beneficial if the community at largebecameaccustomed
> to the idea and began to learn how tasty and nutritioushomemade breadcan
> be. This would, I believe, help to counter the weight oftradition onthe
> side of the Bread Distribution Service should opponents ofhome-baked
> bread try to change the present law. People who bake their ownbreadto
> feed their children need to work to educate the public as tothebeauties
> and benefits of bread baking!
> Author's Note--Since we lived in North Dakota at the time,where"homemade
> bread baking" was clearly illegal (until after we had moved
> away!), I wrote this response:
> In another community, to the north of Matilda's, the sadsituation is
> this: the Bread Distribution Service union is powerful, andfor manyyears
> has opposed homemade bread baking. Some parents have tried it,anyway,and
> most would be only too glad to share their recipe cards. Somewould be
> willing to invite the Bread Distribution Servicesuperintendent intotheir
> homes on baking day. Some are even willing to submit theirchildren toan
> annual examination to prove that they are being well-nourishedon
> home-baked bread.
> Last year the local Parents' Association of Home-Bakers madevaliant
> efforts in the city council to get the law changed, but to noavail.The
> current regulation is that parents cannot bake bread at homefor their
> children unless they hold a valid certificate from bakers'school--even
> though Bakers' School concentrates on teaching institutionalbreadbaking,
> and would be of little value to parents baking bread at home.
> Parents who persist in making their children's bread at homeandrefusing
> to obtain their bread from the Bread Distribution Service arehighly
> subject to legal prosecution. In fact, five such families wererecently
> taken to court and convicted. One of those families, like manyothersin
> the past, has moved to a different community where home-bakedbread is
> legal. (One frustration is that the communities directly tothe east,west
> and south allow homemade bread baking.)
> But at least three of the families are continuing to bakebread athome,
> and are definitely keeping their windows open on bakingday--in spiteof a
> threatened jail sentence for doing so. Unfortunately, otherfamilieswho
> would risk losing their jobs must keep their windows closedandcontinue
> to bake bread in absolute secrecy.
> So, I would further encourage those who live in communitieslike
> Matilda's where home-baking is possible to keep their windowsopen so
> that the delicious aromas may waft even outside the communityand
> influence other less enlightened communities to relieve theoppressionof
> home-baked bread
>families.---------------------------------------------------
>
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
>
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