Our monthly Partners in Design event series continued in September with a visit from Kate Slotman from Freshies Bakery. Partners in Design offers a unique opportunity to invite a range of local businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs to our Lansing, MI showroom. They come along to share their business journey and so much more! These events have truly become a highlight of our monthly event calendar, enjoyed by both McDaniels team members and the local community.
What is Partners in Design?
For the last several years, we have hosted our popular Partners in Design events each month, where we open our doors to local community leaders, business leaders, and volunteers. Presenters come to our Lansing, MI showroom and provide a one-hour presentation to our participants. Each monthly event is unique, so the content and structure can vary depending on the presenter.
Our design partners represent everything wonderful that our local area has to offer. They range from local food establishments to art galleries, gift shops, clothing stores, voluntary organizations, and much more. Participants at our event benefit from the design partners’ experience and expertise. They tell us about their background, inspiration, and entrepreneurial journey. They may also bring samples to taste, provide a demonstration, or even offer a range of their goods for sale. Join us each month to learn something new and to discover everything our local area has to offer.
Who Was Our September Design Partner?
In September, we welcomed Kate Slotman of Freshies Bakery to our Lansing, MI showroom. Freshies Bakery opened in May of 2024 with the goal of providing the community with breads and baked goods that are filled with more real, wholesome nutrition (from fresh milled grain) than what you can buy at the store. The owners of Freshies also had the desire to educate people about what is in their food and how that can affect them. They had started making these dietary changes in their own home a few years earlier. The owners also have a family farm on the west side of the state, where they had started dabbling in growing their own wheat. They decided to pursue growing on a larger scale to supplement their grain usage at the bakery.
What Happened at Our September Event?
We had a great presentation this week with Kate Slotman from Freshies Bakery. She talked about the different grain varieties, including ancient grains. She also discussed how they grow and mill their own flour and the importance of understanding what you want to bake and what you are baking with. She brought along some delicious breads, brownies, cinnamon rolls, and other samples. Everything they brought was super delicious and she ended the session with a room full of new fans and customers!
A Sneak Peak at Our October Design Partner
In October, we will be joined by Mitchell and Mackenzie Kokko of Dough by Kokko. They are passionate about sourdough and create small-batch artisan sourdough baked fresh in Williamston. Mark your calendars and join us for our next Partners in Design event on October 20, 2026 from 3 – 4:00 pm.