I hope you’re making the most of all that late summer has to offer!
We’ve been hard at work preparing a very special Oktoberfiesta event honoring our 10th anniversary and we want you to be with us. This is YOUR celebration as much as it is ours! YOU are the reason we are building our 30th oven in 10 years. YOU are the reason we have nearly 100 women in Panama interested in owning ovens. YOU are the reason we have staff, partners, a proven and reliable business model, and a mobile oven that captivates people wherever we go.
YOU believe in us; let’s celebrate together. The link to get tickets is below. I can’t wait to see you there!
¡Pura vida!
BRICKS TO BREAD
August 2026 Newsletter
NEWS FROM LATIN AMERICA
As part of our ongoing exploration of expanding Bricks to Bread to other countries, we have been meeting with women in Panama, supporting them with information and documentation, building partnerships, and beginning to organize the logistics of construction.
A crucial step in successfully replicating our brick oven bakery model in other countries is the partnership. Our partners need to be dedicated, like-minded, in-country organizations that believe in our mission as strongly as we do.
On August 19, we had the pleasure of welcoming our partners from Panama’s Ministry of the Environment (MiAmbiente Panamá) to Costa Rica. Regional and central office representatives joined us for visits to two of our projects — Fila Pinar and Las Mellizas de Coto Brus — giving them a firsthand look at both a group project and a smaller family-based project.
Their enthusiasm was clear: They want to start building with us as soon as possible. While they work on coordinating a call with some of the 97 women in Panama who have expressed interest in our Empowering Women Entrepreneurs program, we are preparing lists of materials and tools.
Together, we will continue developing a road map and planning a pilot project in Panama before moving toward a more formal, ongoing agreement.
OVEN #30 IN PROGRESS
in Buenos Aires de Caño Negro, Alajuela, Costa Rica
Ester María García Telles is a housewife and baker who is unable to work outside of her home due to a physical disability. Her husband, Henry Antonio, helps with bread making along with her sister Cándida, her elderly father Cipriano, and her 15-year-old nephew Matías. Their home has no electricity and they do all of their baking in a hazardous, unvented oven made with volcanic mud. Through Costa Rica’s Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje (National Institute of Learning), Ester learned how to make dough for bread and cookies.
With her Bricks to Bread oven, Ester plans to create a gathering place where visitors and tourists would stop as they traveled on their way to the wildlife refuge and other area attractions. She wants to bake an assortment of homemade goods — such as empanadas, biscuits, and sponge cakes — and serve them alongside coffee or healthy drinks to provide a welcoming space for families.
Our in-country staff is hard at work preparing the base of Ester’s oven and soon they will build the oven itself!
Enjoy your favorite all-you-can-eat soft pretzels hot from the oven, our signature cheese dip, grilled brats-on-a-stick, an assortment of sides and desserts, and local craft beers and spirits.
Bid on silent auction baskets. Win one-of-a-kind experiences in a fun and fast-paced live auction. Play interactive games. Meet oven owner Doña Marjorie. Bring your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers and spend the evening in a casual, festive atmosphere filled with excitement and celebration.
Much more information to come!
Add nalvarado@brickstobread.org to your Contacts so you don’t miss event updates and announcements.
♥ THANK YOU TO OUR OKTOBERFIESTA SPONSORS! ♥
ANNIVERSARY SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
If you wish to sponsor this event, please email Nancy Alvarado (nalvarado@brickstobread.org) before September 1.
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
SAM Sensory and Consumer Research
♦ DON’T MISS THIS SPECIAL END-OF-SEASON BREAD BAKE! ♦
On Saturday, August 29, our bread bake in St. Louis Park is being sponsored by our friends and partners at SAM Sensory and Consumer Research. Their volunteers will be at the oven greeting bread lovers who come to pick up their orders. We thank them for their leadership, generosity, and heart for our mission!
SAM Sensory and Consumer Research helps leading brands develop and improve products through consumer feedback and sensory research. By sharing your opinions, you can help shape the products and services of tomorrow.
Interested in participating in future taste tests and research studies? Join our consumer panel at Tasteocracy.com!
Our Contact Information www.brickstobread.org info@brickstobread.org 3870 Yosemite Ave. S. St. Louis Park, MN 55416
