I grew up on an 88 acre organic farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. My experiences on the farm gave me a strong connection to food, from tinkering in the kitchen with my mom as a child to working at the family farm stand as a teenager.
A few years ago I met the love of my life, Rob, and on our fourth date he almost died at dinner when his meal was cross-contaminated with nuts. The next day, I got rid of all the peanuts and tree nuts from my kitchen to help make Rob safe. I have no food allergies, but because of his, how I thought about food began to change.
We always struggled to find healthy, convenient snacks that Rob could eat but I would love as well. So I began experimenting at home with craft seed bars. We would take them on bike rides, and hikes, and throw a few in our bags to enjoy at work. Soon enough friends, both with food allergies and without, started to steal bites and place orders. After lots of rave reviews, we realized maybe we were on to something and the journey of 88 Acres began.
– Nicole, Co-Founder of 88 Acres
88 Acres’ recipes started in Nicole and Rob’s kitchen. In order to provide the same baked at-home quality and feel of an original creation and safety for those with food allergies, they built their own small-scale bakery in urban Boston. They knew they wanted to open a bakery in an area of need to drive job growth. Nicole and Rob then partnered with a neighborhood economic development group and a local food startup accelerator to make it happen.
Mission and Value-Driven
- Economic Development: Hire from inner-city community and support team member growth
- Sustainably Minded Sourcing: Work with partners who share the same values
- Supply Chain: Provide ingredient and supply chain transparency
- Education: Foster wellness and sustainability in the community
Small Batch Baking
Since the first batch of bars made in Rob and Nicole’s Boston basement apartment, baking has been a simple process. It starts with great ingredients, a sheet pan, and an oven. The bakery today looks no different. 88 Acres’ ingredients are still mixed by hand and baked on sheet pans, but they do have a bigger oven. They bake in multiple small batches each week as a team and touch every aspect of the process. By doing this, they can provide the best possible experience for the consumer and ensure they keep that same made at-home goodness that they started with!
What’s in Store at Harvest Market?
- Bars
- Apple & Ginger
- Triple Berry
- Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt
- Seed Butters
- Pumpkin
- Vanilla Spice Sunflower
- Dark Chocolate Sunflower
88 Acres products are handcrafted with love in Boston in a dedicated bakery free of peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs and soy.