Serving Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and New Mexico

Upper Midwest Bakery Association

National Organizations

American Culinary Federation
Updated frequently. Contains links to ACF chapters and apprenticeship programs as well as information about certification and ACFEI accredited culinary programs.

American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute
A source of information about academic books, certification, research and web services.

American Society of Baking
A professional society comprised of members who are either engaged in, involved with or interested in wholesale or large-scale bakery production.

The Bread Baker's Guild of America
This is the site for information about traditional breads. They have a section on bread books you may want to review.

Foodservice Educators Network International
FENI's is for everyone involved with teaching foodservice (instructors from high school, vocational schools, colleges, nontraditional programs, job corps programs, as well as corporate trainers).

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America
Click on "Programs/ STAR events" for information about their national culinary competition.

Institute of Store Planners
Serves as a professional association for interior retail planning, design and visual merchandising specialists. The membership includes store planners, designers, visual merchandisers, associate planners, educators, students and industry contractors and suppliers.

International Cake Exploration Societé
ICES is an organization of over 4000 members worldwide. Its members share one thing - a love of sugarcrafting. They create works of confectionery art with buttercream, gumpaste, pastillage, fondant, and many other edible media. The site has information about chapters, recipes, scholarships, decorating events and links.

The International Dairy, Deli, Bakery Association
This site offers information about the association and training materials.

National Association of College and University Food Services
Contains links to publications, job bulletins and networks.

National Council for Occupational Education
NCOE membership includes occupational, vocational, technical and career educators, economic development professionals, business, labor, military and government representatives. Those interested in vocational education should bookmark this site.

National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
Information and order forms for product and services, including the ServeSafe (sanitation) program.

Organic Trade Association
OTA reports that organic product sales totaled $3.6 million in 1996 and is expected to grow annually. Here is an easy way to learn about organic principles, values and roles in the marketplace.

Produce Marketing Association
Founded in 1949, the Produce Marketing Association is a not-for-profit trade association whose members market fresh fruits, vegetables and floral products worldwide.

Retail Bakers of America

We're a trade association. That's a business partner. We create industry-specific training programs, develop profit tools and connect retailers with suppliers and experts to help build profitable bakeries.

We've been around since 1918, yet our programs are geared to meet the challenges of doing business in the 21st century.

We have more than 3,500 member companies who bring consumers quality bakery foods from independent bakeries to supermarket bakery departments and foodservice facilities. We're also proud to have baking instructors, students and suppliers of ingredients, equipment, supplies and services as members of RBA. Together, these individuals are redefining the bakery industry – and they're willing to trade ideas.

We're creating industry standards through our Master and Journey Baker certification programs, baking school and onsite training programs and intensive industry research. Our price sensitivity and profit studies are just two examples

SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Business
The SCORE Association is a national, non-profit association dedicated to entrepreneur training and education. SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a 501 (c) 3 public benefit organization. SCORE is a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

SkillsUSA-VICA
A national organization serving more than 240,000 high school and college students and professional members who are enrolled in technical, skilled and service occupations, including commerical baking programs, all across the United States. RBA sponsor the annual SkillsUSA-VICA national Championships in Commercial Baking held each June in Kansas City, Mo.

International Organizations

Baking Association of Canada
The Baking Association of Canada is the national trade association representing Canada's $3.2 billion baking industry. BAC's members include retail, in-store and wholesale baking companies along with the allied trades. RBA has a joint membership program with BAC for its members in Canada.

The Baking Industry Association (NSW Employers)
The BIA (Australia) is committed to providing exceptional value to it's members through advice, products, events and programs of the highest quality, ensuring the success of their businesses and fostering the growth and development of a dynamic NSW baking industry.

The Baking Industry Association of Queensland - Australia (BIAQ)
A non-profit organization and state representative body for employers, the Association plays an important role in the development, education, protection and promotion of the Queensland baking industry. BIAQ focuses on education and training, industrial relations issues, political lobbying, workplace health and safety issues, industry promotion and human resources matters.

BEMA
BEMA is an international, non-profit trade association representing leading bakery and food equipment manufacturers and suppliers whose combined efforts in research and development of equipment have lead to the mechanization process and continual improvement of the baking and food industries.

The International Union of Bakers and Bakers-Confectioners (UIB)
An alliance of vocational organizations of bakers and bakers-confectioners. The UIB goals are: to represent the cultural, economic and social interests of its members; to treat problems regarding formation, engineering, quality, sale, tax, and all other problems being connected directly or indirectly with the trade: to consult its members, to represent them and to protect their interests before international authorities and organizations.

National Association of Master Bakers (England)
The NAMB represents the craft baking industry in England and Wales. It lobbies government on its behalf and provides many support services to its members. It also provides in-the-workplace training through its subsidiary Anglo Welsh Bakery Training.

New Zealand Baking Society
Founded in 1967, The Baking Society had as its prime objective the fostering of craft baking, providing support by way of advice and encouragement to its members to raise standards.

Baking Information and Resources

Bakery-Net Magazine
The professional bakers' online magazine. This includes a Bakery Buyer's Guide, classified ads, magazine articles and links to other organizations. To use the site, you must register online.

Bakery Online
Resource for professionals in the baking industry. Information on ingredients, food additives, baking, freshness enhancers, bakeries, food scientists and more.

BakingBusiness.com
An online community for baking industry executives whose mission is to be the most comprehensive, user friendly information resource for the baking industry. Ingredient markets, product and industry news, Ask the Expert, formula exchange, and resource and job centers.

Baking Buyer Magazine and Milling & Baking News
This site has a number of interesting features, including a calendar of industry events, current industry news summary and a search engine to find articles on baking subjects of interest.

Baking Management Magazine

Baking Masters
(Yeart Publishing Company) This site has a large and diverse list of related baking sites. There are web and e-mail addresses covering ingredients, tools, organizations and bakery service people. Check out their Hot Links and Pick of List.

BakingNetwork.com
This is a one-stop business-to-business e-marketplace for baking professionals worldwide.

Breadlady's Kitchen
A collection of information, formulas, ideas and resources for serious professional and passionate amateur bread bakers.

Escoffier On-line
This site has links to all culinary education and hospitality education sites on the Internet and to scholarship/financial aid information for culinary, hospitality and foodservice schooling. These industry links are billed as the best collection of foodservice links and resources on the 'Net.

FoodNavigator.com
FoodNavigator.com is a European-driven portal on food ingredients, technology and food markets. It offers a series of databases in the field of Internet research, ingredients and companies, and market trends, in addition to daily food news, research and product innovations.

Foodservice.com
Supplier listings, employment boards and 'talent available' postings. Trade show information, industry data, discussion forums, classified ads,  and a foodservice bookstore!

just-food.com
This on-line publication provides up-to-date news and information to food industry professionals.

Modern Baking Magazine

Pastry Chef
The best features are the "Ask the Pastry Chef" and the "Directory of Baking Sites." The directory is a rich source of baking/culinary related sites.

Progressive Baker
This site is dedicated to scratch baking. Interesting features include Baker's Toolbox and on-line technical assistance.

Baking Competencies, Skills Standards and Education Resources

All Culinary Schools
A comprehensive database of U.S. culinary schools where users can search for everything from culinary arts to restaurant management by location, degree type or specialty. It is a free resource for all students interested in culinary school.

Curriculum & Instructional Materials Center
A source of baking competencies, curriculum and a rich source of links to books, web sites and vocational curriculum information.

Educational Technology
This site has very good links to other site files, plus information about web authoring tools.

National Skills Standards Board
Learn more about the National Skills Standards project. You can read about the work being done in 13 of the 16 economic clusters, including culinary and retailing.

School to Work News
The homepage to a monthly publication that features STW news and profiles of schools and programs that received STW grants.

Vocational Education and Industry Training
Information, resources and many links to vocational topics.

Product Boards and Councils

Industry Statistics

Trade Publications

Bakery Supplier Links