Interview: Rising Above Bakery
Rising Above Bakery serves Bergen County (NJ) and Rockland County (NY) with premium breads and other baked goods made by hand from the finest ingredients. The bakers are mostly young adults with special needs and learning differences who are learning the ways of the bakery while acquiring valuable life skills, pride, and self-sufficiency through the craft of baking.
We had the opportunity to chat with founder Shiri Reuveni-Ullrich about what prompted her to embark on this unique project and what she likes best about River Valley Community Grains—both the products and the people behind them.
RVCG: Tell us about Rising Above Bakery.
SRU: We are primarily a sourdough bread bakery, using primarily organic ingredients that are sourced as locally as we can. We also make cookies and scones. Our mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is to develop independent, empowered bakers who possess the skills and self-confidence needed to live independent, fulfilling lives: Getting up each morning motivated to start the day and go to work, meeting people and taking part in social interactions in an inclusive environment. We aspire to achieve this while building a self-sustaining business that is a valued member of its local community.
RVCG: How did you get here?
SRU: I’m a pediatric speech therapist by trade. For many years I worked with young adults, and I began to realize how dire the situation is in the outside world after they graduate school at 21. I wanted to create something meaningful and help them find jobs. I wanted to give them something that makes them want to get up in the morning and do satisfying work.
Once the mission presented itself, I was determined to create the bakery. So I quit my job and went to school for restaurant entrepreneurship. I had always been a baker, but the formal education gave me the language and the terminology, the foundation to start a food service business. We raised a little bit of money and launched the baking operation in my dining room. Unfortunately, that’s when covid hit. So it’s been a challenge for the past few years, making bread and developing a line of products at home.
We slowly grew a crew of 25 employees working at Rising Above, and now we have a storefront in Nyack that’s open to the public, thanks to Rockland Community College. Our next goal is to secure a storefront location, ideally in Bergen County, where we can further develop our vision of a practical, financially viable, community-building business.
RVCG: What’s your favorite item to make with River Valley Community Grains products?
SRU: Probably the spelt flour and oat crackers that we sell at the farmers market; it flies off the shelves! I first ate crackers like this in Israel, which is where I’m from. I happened to meet a person who made these wonderful crackers, and surprisingly, she was also running a bakery for people with special needs! I knew I had to make them myself.
RVCG: How did you get connected with River Valley Community Grains?
SRU: In the very early stages, Lenny called me and talked about his products. I said, “All right, let’s try it.” He brought me a 5-pound bag of flour three years ago, and we’ve been cooking a signature loaf with RVCG flour ever since. The kids call it “Lenny bread”!
I wish we could use local heritage products for all of our baked goods, but it’s expensive. We do as much as we can, and working with RVCG has been a very satisfying friendship and collaboration. What RVCG is doing is absolutely phenomenal—bringing heritage wheat to our area and encouraging people to use it. I hope more and more people come on board.
RVCG: We hope so, too!
Visit Rising Above Bakery’s website to purchase products online and find pickup locations in New Jersey and New York.