Volume 76, Issue 4

Cover Photo: Close up of MATC’s cake that took second place in the 2012 Reinhart Food Show

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

259

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTMeet Cat Gescheidle

WBA PIG ROAST & FAMILY DAYRegistration and Nomination Forms

NEW BAKING COMPETITIONCreative Baking Display Contest

BOARD OF DIRECTORSChief Executive Officer

Dave Schmidt, CMB

Executive Committee President - Joe Crubaugh

Vice President - Mike Vande WalleTreasurer - Judy Baggenstoss

Allied Rep. - Joe Sanfilippo

Board Trustees Jim Grebe Bob Hiller

Directors-At-Large Eric Olesen Dawn Ebert Ken Heil Susan Runkel Judy Semrad

The WBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping members increase their baking and business knowledge, fostering the education of future bakers, keeping members informed about developments in the baking industry and legislative matters affecting them, and representing members’ interests at the state and federal government levels. Our office hours are Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. CDT

Student Spotlight Cat GescheidleBy Amy Behrendt Editor’s note: We launched this feature to high-light our student members who are the future of the baking industry. We reach out to the many schools that the Wisconsin Bakers Association works with to find our student spotlights. If you would like to suggest someone, please email amy@wibakers.com.

Continued on page 7

Cat GescheidlePhoto courtesy of Cat Gescheidle

Cat Gescheidle loves a good work of art, which is what led her to the Baking & Pastry Arts program at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). These days she still creates art, but she’s work-ing with baked goods versus paintings! “I hadn’t even considered baking as a career until I was stuck in a rut,” she said. “I was trying to apply for MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design), and needed 15 new works-of-art for my portfolio. I would get so stressed out trying to paint these pictures that I would find myself in the kitchen baking cookies or cheesecakes as a way to let out my stress. It was at that point that I realized that maybe I was applying for the wrong college, and my mom helped me find MATC.”

BEYOND BAKING APRIL 20123

Straight Dough from the CEOExercise your right to vote in upcoming elections!

When we take a look years from now back on the decade that we are in, will we fully understand the impact of what we are living today? Global challenges for commodity price swings unprecedented in history, market expansions stopped and restarted almost overnight, and energy costs that leave us all wondering how to bake more efficiently. We have seen so much change in a few short years. Business is rising and things appear to be continuing upward for the moment. So that being the case, how is it that we find this constant upheaval going on here in Wisconsin! Constant elections, recalls, rioting, political hell on earth is the only way to describe the climate in our usually beautiful mundane state! Hopefully the end will be in sight by the time we get into our busy tourism season which contributes so much to our precious state economy! Of course I am talking about a defining moment in time. The upcoming recall elections that have been certified by the Wisconsin GAB (Government Accountability Board) are slated to take place over the upcoming months of May and June! Only in our state would there be such disdain of the lust for power that we allow the rejection of political views and policies from one party to the next to lead to such extreme measures! Those measures which are normally left for violations of laws will act to defame the populous and every other limited purpose. And so we as bakery/business owners need to consider where we ourselves stand today! It would be easy and understandable to want to just ignore this constant barrage of political fighting, but noth-ing could be more important in the current climate of Wisconsin then to stand firm and decide where you believe the immediate future needs to be! Because the effects of this very short time will affect Wisconsin politics for many generations to come – MANY! We have all heard and seen the actions of each side. Sometimes not as we are accustomed to, but nevertheless, the issue of the political firestorm will only be solved by the outcome of this unprec-edented gubernatorial recall. Only the third in all of American history! The current side hopes for rerun and done, the opposition hopes for three strikes and you’re out! May 8th will determine the key players for the opposing side and by June 5th, at the end of the day, the decision will be final and the voice of Wisconsin voters will make history! The WBA does not endorse political candidates, but we do firmly believe that our government and all of our leaders through all levels of government should perform to the best of their ability, with impeccable integrity, respect for those with whom they work to govern and make laws, and foremost represent all of the people within their area of elected representation, not just the chosen few! We urge all of our members, bakery employees, friends, and others working within the baking in-dustry to take the time and vote during this unprecedented recall process! Whichever side you have chosen to support it is critical to take action and exercise the right to vote!The outcome will affect your future and Wisconsin’s, so make your hard work count and let’s help end this political turmoil, so we can get on with a wonderful summer and a solid future for business.

Profitable Baking,

Dave Schmidt, CMB BB

REGISTER NOW

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 Saz’s Hospitality Village

Wisconsin State Fair Park

Tour the Original Cream Puff Pavilion

Enjoy a buffet lunch

Meet WBA members

Win great prizes

Live music throughout the Fair Park

Enter the Creative Baking Display Contest

Bakery Operation of the Year announced

Hall of Fame Inductees

2012 Hiller Scholarship Recipient

Guest speaker TBA

WBA Pig Roast & Family DayRegister Now!

Receive two (2) complimentary admission tickets as a bakery owner member of WBA in good standing (dues up to date). Additional admission tickets may be purchased with this order from form special price of just $5.00 per person. Children 11 and under are free for the day with an adult admission on Tuesday, August 7, 2012. All tickets must be ordered through the WBA to register for the pig roast and family day events.Tickets are not refundable and can be used any day of the Wisconsin State Fair for admission only August 2-12, 2012. WSFP policy on admission. All orders must be received by noon on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. Cash, check, or credit (Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc) are accepted for payment. Tickets will be sent by Tuesday, July 10, 2012 to address provided below along with further information for the day’s events. Please complete the registration form below. You can download the form by clicking here. The Pig Roast & WBA Events from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM at Saz’s Hospitality Village are complimentary for all pre-registered members and guests listed. When entering Saz’s Hospitality Village and the special tent all guests will receive a name tag and packet of tickets for each individual. Name badges must be worn during our event. Thank you and enjoy your day at Wisconsin State Fair Park! We are so glad you could join us!

Joe Crubaugh, WBA President BB

WBA Pig Roast and Family Day Registration Form Name ________________________ Bakery Name ___________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________

City __________________________ State _____________ Zip ________________

Phone _________________________ Email ________________________________

WBA Member (circle one): Yes No WBA Membership Fee, if applicable $125.00

_____ Yes, please send me two complimentary tickets

_____ Number of additional tickets requested x $5.00 $______

_____ Approx. number of children under 11 attending

_____ Total number of adult admission tickets TOTAL $______

Payment: Check or Charge Card (circle one): MC Visa AmEx DISC

Card No. _____________________________ Exp. _______ Security Code _______

Signature ____________________________ Date _________________________

(Office Use) Rec’d By ____________________ Date _________________________

Names of attendees: _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________

Please complete the form and email info@wibakers.com; fax (414) 258-5582; or mail it along with payment to Wisconsin Bakers Association, 2514 S. 102nd Street, West Allis, WI 53227 on or before June 5, 2012.

NOMINATION FOR BAKERY OF THE YEAR

Complete the following form for Bakery of the Year nominationsand return via fax to the WBA office at (414) 258-5582.

You also can email your nomination to info@wibakers.com

BAKERY___________________________________________________________

OWNERS___________________________________________________________

ADDRESS__________________________________________________________

CITY_____________________________ STATE______ ZIP________________

PHONE__________________________________ FAX_____________________

E-MAIL____________________________________________________________

Nominated By (Optional)__________________________________

Briefly state your reason(s) for nominating this bakery forBakery Operation of the Year!

Please include any participation and/or non-monetary contributions the bakery has made to their community and WBA within your statement.

Gescheidle currently is in the Baking and Pastry Arts Program, and plans to graduate in May 2013. She said her favorite class so far, hands down, is the artisan breads course. “It’s challenging, but not stressful, and I love the feel of the dough,” she said. “Our instructor Deb (Socha) is really encouraging and laid back, so if you have a flavored bread combination you want to try (say, olive and feta), she’s open to let you try it, which makes it a really nice outlet for having to follow recipes by the book for the last couple semesters.” In addition to her classroom work, Geschei-dle builds on her skills in activities through the school. Last semester, she said she participat-ed in a Gingerbread House Competition. “We baked our own gingerbread, and had creative reign over our own house,” she said, adding the competition was “probably the most stressful competition she’s ever done.” “Between baking pies and packaging them, we only had about 3-4 days to do it, so it was a lot of 6-8 hour days just working with gingerbread and royal icing. “At the moment, I’m entering a competition at school to create the bust of a dress to be put on auction at the 5-star event. I’m modeling mine after a monarch butterfly dress, and I am really enjoying how it’s turning out so far!” Between school work and industry-related activities at school, Gescheidle also works at Simma’s Bakery in Wauwatosa, Wis. She calls the experience, “a huge eye-opener for her in the industry.” “The two head decorators at Simma’s make absolutely phenomenal wedding cakes, and every time I come into work, there are at least three or four in the coolers,” she said. “I feel like I learn so much just by watching them work with fondant, or piping with buttercream. But, what I really love about my job is when I get to help out at wedding shows. I mostly just hand out pastries to brides, but it’s exciting to me to

Student spotlightContinued from page 2

Continued on page 11

Wisconsin Bakers Association

Baker’s Hall of Fame Nominations Please submit nominations by June 1, 2012. Inductions into the

Baker’s Hall of Fame will be announced at the WBA Pig Roast & Family Day on August 7, 2012 at Wisconsin State Fair Park.

I would like to nominate:

Name:_____________________________________________________________

Bakery Name: _____________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________

Nominees must be past or present members of the Wisconsin Bakers Associationand must have given outstanding service to the WBA and the baking industry over the years.

Mail, fax or email completed form to: Wisconsin Bakers Association 2514 S. 102nd Street Suite 100

West Allis, WI 53227 Fax: (414) 258-5582 Email: info@wibakers.com

Nomination submitted by:

Name: ____________________________ Signature: ________________________________

Company: ________________________ Relationship to nominee: ____________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________ Email: ___________________________________

Please list the reasons you think this person should be included in the Bakers Hall of Fame below. You may use the other side of this sheet if you need more space. In the information, please include

the years this person was involved with the Wisconsin Bakers Association.

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Creative Baking Display Contest Registration Form Entry Name _______________________________________________________

Type of product (circle one): Cake Tiered Cake Bread Sweets Other Combination

Bakery Name ______________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________

City _________________________ State _____________ Zip _______________

Phone _________________________ Fax _______________________________

Email ____________________________________________________________

WBA Member (circle one): Yes No WBA Membership Fee $125.00

Entry & Registration Fee (includes parking) $ 25.00

TOTAL _______

Payment: Check or Charge Card (circle one): MC Visa AmEx DISC

Card No. _____________________________ Exp. _______ Security Code _______

Signature ____________________________ Date _________________________

WBA Approval _______________________ (Office Use) Entry # ______________ Gate 5 entry off 84th street only. Parking will be in State Fair lots based on availability—no guarantee of location. Displays will be dropped off at Original Cream Puff Pavilion. Entrant responsible for display set-up.

Creative Baking Display Contest

Planning to attend the WBA Pig Roast & Family Day August 7th at Wisconsin State Fair? We would like to invite you to showcase your talents by entering the Creative Baking Display Contest! Bring in a cake, bread, or other related baked food to display the Best of Wisconsin! Our fair guests will be given the chance to vote for the Best Display with the top display receiving a people’s choice award for their efforts! This is a great way to show off your business and build some connections with thousands of potential guests that visit the Original Cream Puff Pavilion every day! Join the fun and register today! Here is how to register and a few things to consider for the Creative Baking Display Contest! 1.) All entries must be pre-registered by Tuesday, June 5, 2012 to guarantee placement and pre-entry credentials. No onsite registration allowed – cutoff date is FINAL. 2.) Display is limited to maximum space of 24” x 24” in base, dimensions not to exceed 96” in height! 3.) Product displayed will not be for tasting; display and appearance only. Non-baked items may be used for structural support or balance. 4.) Styrofoam or other type dummies are permitted for cake displays. All decorating must be consumable. 5.) No movable or electrical parts allowed. 6.) Entrant must be a member of the WBA at the time of pre-registration (June 5, 2012). 7.) Registration fee $25.00, includes gate entry and onsite parking in designated lot at Wisconsin State Fair Park. Unload display at the Original Cream Puff Pavilion. 8.) All Creative Baking Display entries must be brought in by the pre-registered party submitted to the WBA on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012, only during the hours of 6:00 AM until 8:00 AM! Due to traffic within the park a designated route will be given to each entry that must be followed. Violations will be cause to remove any vehicle not in compliance! Please stay in designated areas only! You will have 10 minutes to unload and remove vehicle. 9.) We will provide a map for you to use on that day. 10.) The WBA, WSFP, and OCP Bakers, LLC are not responsible for the placement of displays or damage that may or may not occur during your time at Wisconsin State Fair Park. 11.) All displays will be removed by OCP staff at the end of the day 11:00 PM Tuesday, August 7th, 2012. 12.) Additional information will follow by July 1, 2012 to all pre-registered participants. Please register by completing the form below and email to info@wibakers.com; fax it to(414) 258-5582; or mail to our office Wisconsin Bakers Association, 2514 S. 102nd Street, West Allis, WI 53227 on or before June 5, 2012

http://www.aramark.com

see the whole set-up: The wedding cake displays, the precise order of the pastries, explaining to brides what’s what. I love every part of it!” In fact, Gescheidle said Simma’s is her favorite bakery, and was so before she started working there. She said she would make the 1.5 hour trip from Appleton, Wis. with her mom to get the cheesecakes! Now that she works there, she said she loves the bakery on a whole new level. “I’m great friends with everybody that I work with, and I have learned so much about the industry working there the last couple years,” she said. “Every time I walk through the bakery to clock in, it seems like I am watching a new technique with fondant, or a short-cut to ice cakes. It’s really been a lot more than just a job for me, which is great.” When she finishes school, Gescheidle said it’s a toss-up about what career path in the baking indus-try she would like to follow. “I’d love to continue working with bread, but I think a career in decorating would also be exciting,” she said. “It’s all so open for me right now, I feel like I could do anything! To get wherever I decide I want to be, I definitely think networking is the best way to get there.” As with any industry, there are rewards and challenges to face. Gescheidle said if she decides to own a business down the road, getting through the first few years of owning the business would be one of the challenges. “Bakeries are a lot more popular now than they were several years ago, and they have so many trends (cake pops, fondant-covered cakes, cupcakes, etc.), it would be hard to find my own niche to get people coming back,” she said. “But, if I am able to survive those first couple years, then the rewards would really be the people that keep returning for their favorite (product), whatever it is. Knowing that you make something so good that they wouldn’t go anywhere else to get it really says a lot, and that’s something that I would want.” Gescheidle originally is from Appleton. “I always pictured myself moving states away when I was younger, but just moving less than two hours away from my family was really hard in the beginning,” she said. “Now, I’ve gained so many friends in my classes and at Simma’s, that it feels like I have my own Milwaukee family.” In her free time, Gescheidle said she enjoys photography. “I just received a new camera for Christmas, so just recently I’ve been spending a lot of my time driving/biking/walking around Milwaukee and tak-ing pictures of buildings and anything that catches my eye,” she said. “I’ve lived here for almost two years, but every time I go out, I find something new in the city that I didn’t know about before. It’s really a neat thing.” BB

Student spotlightContinued from page 7

Copyright © 2012 Wisconsin Bakers Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Duplications prohibited in whole or part in any medium without prior consent from the publisher/editor.

Wisconsin Bakers Association2514 S. 102nd St., Suite 100

West Allis, WI 53227Phone: (414) 258-5552 (800) 542-2688 Fax: (414) 258-5582

info@wibakers.comwww.wibakers.com

Editorial Staff

Publisher

Designer

Editor

Dave Schmidt, CMBdave@wibakers.com

Jessica Hooverjessica@wibakers.com

Amy Behrendtamy@wibakers.com

Check out our service providers!Alternative Communications, Inc.

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John Gay, (800) 767-2484, ext. 54587 West Bend Mutual Insurance

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