Teresa Gordon's late start as a baker and entrepreneur blossomed from one loaf of Ezekiel bread—one very tasty loaf. So tasty, in fact, that soon friends and neighbors were calling in orders that Gordon could barely fill. When she sent a loaf home with her son's girlfriend, the girl's mother, Gale Green, called and demanded to know her secret. Soon Gordon and Green partnered up and turned out more loaves than ever, expanding to cookies, cakes, and other treats. Gordon's husband had to install a commercial oven in the garage and still the demand rose. Teresa Gordon and Gale Green took the leap and opened Daily Harvest Bakery & Deli in Monroe, Louisiana, in the spring of 2004. Soon afterwards, they opened a second bakery.
Gordon wanted to rise to the growing desire for healthy, delicious foods in her community. What set her bread apart was that she milled her own whole grains and used all-natural ingredients, flavoring with unprocessed sweeteners like sucanat and honey. The bakery's products expanded to include many varieties of muffins, pies, casseroles, and other baked goods, all included in Daily Harvest Bakery & Deli Cookbook. The bakery was featured in the June 2006 issue of Southern Living magazine and won the Small Business Award of Northeastern Louisiana, as well as the January 2007 “Best Bakery” category by Road Trip! Magazine.
The sole owner of Daily Harvest, Gordon collaborates with Gale Green on recipes and ideas for the business. She performs the Friday cooking segment of her local television station and often appears on brief radio spots. She speaks at Louisiana Tech University, health seminars, and church organizations on topics such as organic baking and women in business. She believes not only in the healthy benefits of her business, but also in the community created by good employees and great customer service. Gordon has two children and lives in Monroe, Louisiana, with her husband.
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