Upcoming

Events

Mark your Calendars!

 

Wednesday, Mar 5th

Meeting & presentation

by La Saffre Yeast & National FLavors at Crowne Plaza Pfeiffer Rd

Wednesday, Apr 2nd

Dave & Busters,

Bakery Craft Presentation

Wednesday May 7th

Meeting TBA

Welcome to the GCRBA website!

GCRBA - Greater Cincinnati Retail Bakers Association

"An Association of retail bakers and allied companies
working together to make a strong baking industry"

Retail Bakers of America

Bakers Band Together to March on Washington

To All RBA Members

MARCH ON WASHINGTON
March 12, 2008

PURPOSE
To let our government officials know that there is a "CRISIS" happening to bakers of every type and size. Commodities prices for every item we use are out of control and rising faster then we could ever hope to catch them. If there is not some type of relief many small businesses will not survive.

This march is in conjunction with the American Bakers Association (ABA) and bakers from around the country will be in Washington. Meetings have been set up with government officials including the Secretary of Agriculture for the board members of ABA and RBA. It is our hope to show just how much of a crisis we face. This issue is not about the "big guys" vs. the "little guys". This issue is about how our industry will survive the next 12 to 18 months. By standing side by side we can implement change.

If you can attend, please make an appointment with your Representative and/or Senators. Contact information for Congress is at www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm. RBA will make every effort to help with hotel reservations and logistics but we will need to hear from you ASAP. There is no time to hesitate. This is the very important first step to solving this crisis.

Please be aware that we are just starting to make plans for this march. We have not had the luxury of time. We will continue to post information on the RBA website as we make arrangements.

If you cannot attend you can still help. Call, e-mail, fax or snail mail your opinions to your legislators. Let your voice be heard. They will listen especially in an election year.

RBA NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ISSUE.

OUR INDUSTRY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT ON THIS ISSUE.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOUR VOICE TO BE HEARD.

Michael Kalupa
President
Retail Bakers of America

Please contact Monica Chinisaz: mchinisaz@rbanet.com or 1-800-638-0924, for information on how you can participate in this important event for the retail baking industry.

Also, please visit http://www.americanbakers.org/MarchonWashington.htm for recent media coverage regarding the current state of wheat supplies.

And if you would like to share an important message from RBA with your customers regarding the increasing wheat costs, please visit http://www.RBAnet.com.

 

Robert Ayres announced the winners on the decorating contest. 

Overall 1st Sarah Profitt, 2nd Sarah Crews, 3rd Cami Smith.  Thanks to judges: Charlotte Swango, Servatii; Megan Kedover, Midwest Culinary Institute; Mike Van Fleet, Krogers.  And Robert Ayers coordinator. And to all the allied who donated materials: Honeymoon Paper, Bakemark, Decopac, Dawn, Bakery Crafts, General Mills, Paper Products, and Xpedx.

 

 

Check out our Bakers and Allieds directory pages.

Members: to update your information, please fill out the
Membership Directory form by clicking the button below.

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8 GREAT Reasons to Join the
Greater Cincinnati Retail Bakers Association

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count on since 1868"

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www.bakerycrafts.com

 

Sample letter

INSERT YOUR BAKERY LOGO AND ADDRESS]

[INSERT DATE]

The Honorable [INSERT NAME]

United States [INSERT: House of Representatives or Senate]

[INSERT ADDRESS]

Dear [INSERT Representative or Senator] [INSERT NAME]:

I own a retail business located in your district and I am writing to you today on behalf of myself and other members of the retail baking profession to ask for your support in taking action on the increasing cost of wheat.  Wheat prices are putting enormous pressure on the baker's ability to produce affordable, healthy products for our consumers.  I am very concerned about the price increases that will have to be passed on to consumers as bakery owners take action to ensure the survival of their businesses.  As a retail baker in U.S., I am facing escalating costs for commodities that I have never experienced before and that are threatening to overwhelm the entire industry. 

With critically low reserves and the severe conditions in the wheat markets, the baking industry is at a crisis point.  I am asking you to support an early out of the non-environmentally-sensitive acreage from the Conservation Reserve Program.  Wheat is in short supply with three of the five wheat categories extremely short.  I also urge you to curtail wheat exports until bakers and other domestic users are guaranteed the supplies they need.  Other countries are stockpiling their strategic grain reserves; the U. S. should do the same until the USDA can ensure an adequate supply.

I urge you to approve a Farm Bill that restores balance between the need to provide Americans with affordable healthy food products and the desire for renewable fuels such as ethanol.  With the ethanol program, acreage is being taken from food production to produce grain for bio-fuels.  This is hitting the baking industry hard with escalating costs in all commodities and ingredients making this a concern for consumers and bakers alike.

I urge you to take action to ensure that consumers and the retail baking industry both continue to have access to affordable food products and ingredients.

Sincerely,