Welcome to the operational journal of Parchment and Pawprint, a small-batch, all-natural artisan dog treat bakery designed around high standards and ever increasing independence for our son, Zach, who loves baking and who also happens to have Down syndrome.

We are rooted in analog experiences and in our hyperlocal food community. If we’re being 100% honest, digital is not our first choice when it comes to interaction. That being said, we feel like some readers, particularly parents and caregivers of young adults aging out of public education (at 22 years old in the US), may want to read about our journey.

"Back of the House" is our space to document the kitchen logistics, workspace ergonomics, and business mechanics required to build a market-driven, community integrated, family enterprise from the ground up and with no prior business experience or expertise. 

While we certainly don’t have all the answers, we took the leap to make this little enterprise real and we hope reading about our experiences, past and present, good, bad, and in between, will help in some small way.

What We Write About

• Kitchen Logistics & Ergonomics: How we adapt workflows, design repeatable routines, and develop tools to maximize task independence in production.
• The Reality of Multiple Roles: How we balance a full-time corporate day job with the rigorous schedule of a bakery.
• Market Mechanics: Moving past the "disability bubble" to participate in the larger community economy based on product excellence and premium quality.

Why We Are Writing This

We are building a permanent, searchable archive of our processes to serve as a practical toolkit for other parents and families. Our goal is to share a transparent look at what it takes to build and run a social enterprise centered around your loved one’s skills and interests.

Thanks so much for reading.

Christine (aka Zach’s Mom)