Teamwork is Baked in at the Grain Chain
Baking with Blue Grouse
From milling 50-pound bags of Colorado wheat to shaping over 600 loaves, the Colorado Grain Chain team experienced the full journey of grain to bread at Blue Grouse Bread. This two-day bakery stage in Norwood showcased how Blue Grouse is connecting Colorado farmers' grains with local tables through beautiful, naturally leavened bread.
Milling house at Blue Grouse Bread with CGC Team
October 30th, 2025
On October 8th, the Colorado Grain Chain team headed to Norwood, Colorado for two days focused on all things breadmaking and freshly milled Colorado grains at Blue Grouse Bread. Co-owners Hannah Rossman and Colby Brown generously opened their doors and welcomed the CGC staff and board president Nels Wroe for team development and a hands-on bakery stage.
Since opening in 2016, Blue Grouse has been a staple of Norwood and Southwest Colorado, showcasing the diversity and versatility of Colorado grains across a range of beautiful loaves. Hannah started the bakery with her cousin Ben, bringing a slice of the Vermont baking tradition she grew up with to the region. Since then, their team has grown Blue Grouse into a vibrant hub, connecting Colorado farmers’ grains with local businesses and community tables.
As Audrey Paugh shared, “Spending time with Hannah and her team at Blue Grouse is a beautiful reminder of why the Colorado Grain Chain exists. Tracing a 50-pound bag of wheat from field to freshly milled whole grain flour to fermented loaf is something special and not to be taken for granted. Food connects us to land, seeds, and community in ways that give me hope for the future. I love how Hannah's bread shares this story."
Our visit began by highlighting this network through a tour of the bakery’s stone mill, housed just steps from the bakery and surrounded by neat stacks of Colorado grains, with Rocky Draw spelt, Mountain Mama spring wheat and Jones Farms Organics rye, and some fresh Troubadour Antero wheat all awaiting milling.
Back in the bakery, we were introduced to the Blue Grouse starter behind their naturally leavened breads, and admired the massive hearth where their loaves develop their signature crackling crust and airy crumb.
By Thursday afternoon, we gathered around the workbench as Hannah and Anne Lefevre, another amazing Blue Grouse team member, folded, stretched, and shaped hundreds of loaves. Soon, we were invited to join in, guided step by step as the team slowed their movements to demonstrate each step. As we worked, the team shared how their recipes and processes have evolved over time, responding to community needs, seasonal changes, and the unique character of freshly milled Colorado flours.
Friday started early (though the oven was already roaring by the time the CGC team arrived). We shifted back into shaping and pan dusting, and watched as Colby moved loaves in and out of the oven with practiced movements. By the end of the day, the bakery shelves overflowed with more than 600 beautiful loaves: baguettes, seedy sourdoughs, country loaves, and others, ready for delivery around Southwest Colorado.
"It was inspiring to participate in the entire baking process from start to finish.” Lisa Boldt noted. “Our team admired the variety of Colorado grown grains that Blue Grouse freshly mills on-site, then we mixed, shaped, and baked, and ultimately watched the finished product get lovingly packed up and driven away in the delivery van. Plus the smells and tastes along the way were wonderful!"
Throughout our stay, the Blue Grouse team kept us nourished, from warm slices fresh from the oven and topped with Anne’s tomatoes, to spelt cake paired with local pears. After two days of learning and deep appreciation for the craft and grains that brought us together, we left with loaves and Norwood farmers market treasures.
A huge thank you to the incredible Blue Grouse team for opening your doors, sharing your expertise, and welcoming us with such warmth and generosity.
Ready to experiment with Colorado-grown grains in your kitchen? The first 13 people who donate to CGC's Colorado Gives campaign will receive a bag of fresh-milled flour from one of our five partner mills. Special thanks to Moxie Bread Co., Mountain Mama Milling, Dry Storage Mill, Sunrise Flour Mill, and Roaring Fork Mill for making this possible!
CLAIM MY FLOUR + SUPPORT THE CHAIN
Ready to experiment with Colorado-grown grains in your kitchen? The first 13 people who donate to CGC's Colorado Gives campaign will receive a bag of fresh-milled flour from one of our five partner mills. Special thanks to Moxie Bread Co., Mountain Mama Milling, Dry Storage Mill, Sunrise Flour Mill, and Roaring Fork Mill for making this possible!
CLAIM MY FLOUR + SUPPORT THE CHAIN