At Arizona State University's School of Transborder Studies, a baker in residence is carrying on a family tradition while teaching students the basics of entrepreneurship and the cultural importance of bread.

Don Guerra grew up in Tempe eating his mother's cookies and his grandmother's homemade tortillas. After watching and learning from them throughout his childhood, he took his knowledge to create specialties of his own at his bakery, Barrio Bread. He is now combining his childhood knowledge with lessons of entrepreneurship to help the community understand bread is much more than food.

"Something that uplifts the spirit," Guerra explained. "When you make it, you realize that you can create something out of inert ingredients and make it come alive, and it's something to be proud of and give away. Creating social bonds with their neighborhood when they're giving it away. All those things make people feel good."

Guerra holds impressive culinary accomplishments, winning a James Beard award for outstanding baker back in 2022. He is also working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to revive a local, healthy grain economy in southern Arizona.

As the university's baker in residence, Guerra focuses in on the importance of using a college education to turn a business dream into a reality. He acknowledged it was not easy for him to turn Barrio into the community staple it is today.

"I know the struggles," Guerra noted. "I can identify, and I'm looking forward to even speaking with individual students, you know, a little bit of mentoring in that department."

His breads are low-glycemic and gluten-free. He added they offer health benefits commercially milled grains and breads often do not.

Source: Public News Service