THE

Kneading Conference

July 24-25, 2025

SKOWHEGAN , MAINE

A ONE-OF-A-KIND EVENT AND GOING STRONG SINCE 2007

The Kneading Conference brings together grainiacs and bread buffs from all over the country. Farmers, professional and home bakers, brewers, chefs, cooks, grain researchers, maltsters, food entrepreneurs, and wood-fired oven enthusiasts gather to educate one another about the art and science of growing and milling grains, baking artisan breads, and brewing delicious beer. Whether you are a professional, or just yearning to know more about the craft, this event is for you.

View the 2024 Schedule (The 2025 Schedule will be available soon)

LEARN ABOUT WORK STUDY

Indulge your passion for baking at The Kneading Conference in DOWNTOWN Skowhegan, Maine!

Ticket Price: $375 plus fees

Immerse yourself in all things local grain! Your ticket includes:

Two light breakfasts on Thursday and Friday
A locally sourced dinner on Thursday night.
Admittance to all workshops, demos, lectures, and discussions listed on the schedule

New this year: Don’t forget to enhance your experience with freshly made lunches from local businesses, available for only $15 each day.

In addition to lunch, you can choose to add our Welcome and Presenter’s Dinner on Wednesday evening, or even camping to your ticket.

Mark your calendar and secure your spot today to learn and connect with fellow grain aficionados!

Our 2025 Schedule and Keynote will be annunced soon. Below you can view the offering from our 2024 conference to give you a taste of what is to come!

Meet Our

2024 Keynote

Arturo Enciso - Gusto Bread

Arturo Enciso is a baker from Lebec, California that has called Long Beach his home since 2008. As a self-taught baker, for the last decade he’s grown his hobby into a career with his business Gusto Bread, a panadería in Long Beach. The bakery, once run out of his home as a cottage operation, makes breads and pan dulces with wild fermentation using masa madre (sourdough), embracing ancient knowledge and using the best quality ingredients to create nourishing food. He believes that bread provides a beautiful way for people to connect with one another and to past traditions to create community and a brighter future together.

This year we will gather in the heart of downtown skowhegan

We are thrilled to move our 2024 event into downtown Skowhegan. Through collaborating with local businesses that have supported us for many years, attendees will get to experience what makes Skowhegan such a special place!

Our downtown setting will open a whole new set of activities and opportunities that will excite visitors to the conference. Walking, hiking, and biking trails along the river, unique galleries, beautiful parks and more will welcome attendees!

2024 Conference schedule

Join us for dozens of workshops, demos, panels, and discussions led by grain leaders from around the world!

Our keynote, workshops, panels and more will be held across the downtown of Skowhegan, Maine!

View the Kneading Conference 2021 schedule & directory.

Explore Accommodations Options

Learn About Our Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Frequently Asked Questions

How to create a sched.com account (you have to do this in order to access the Zoom links)

When you registered to the Kneading Conference you were prompted to create a password to sched.com. After saving your password you are able to login to sched.com with the password you created. This will allow you to create your schedule.

How to create your Kneading Conference Schedule

Add any and all sessions/workshops you want to view to your schedule (below you will see where it says “click here to add to my sched).

If attending virtually, ten minutes before each workshop the zoom link will appear in the workshop information portion of the schedule. Below is a screen show of where you will find all the zoom links for the workshops.

Remember, if you are attending virutal workshopsyou have to add the workshops to your schedule to see the zoom links (you will see below in yellow it says “add to your schedule to view video stream” – this is where the zoom links will be 10 minutes before each sessions starts).

Where can I find the conference schedule?

The schedule can be found in two places:

https://kneadingconference.com/2021-kneading-conference/#schedule
Stay tuned

Forgot your sched.com password? Click here.

Questions and troubleshooting?

If you need assistance during the week please feel free to reachout to tristan@mainegrainalliance or [email protected] and we will be sure to help.

Work Study

The Kneading Conference Work Study Program is intended for those who show high interest in the field of baking and/or local grain growing and who need help in meeting the expenses of the July 25-26, 2024 conference. In exchange for a $325 scholarship and ample time attending conference workshops and lectures, work/study applicants will be asked to volunteer on Wednesday, July 24th through Saturday, July 27th (the day of the Maine Artisan Bread Fair). Duties will include helping with set up, clean up and other tasks in the kitchen, assisting presenters and helping around the conference grounds. You may also be asked to distribute posters and flyers in the months leading up to the conference.

Applications are reviewed and filled on a rolling basis. If you are accepted into Work Study a $50 deposit is required on notification. The remaining balance is due before July 1st, 2024.

Apply Online for a Work Study Opportunity

Print the Application and Send via Mail

“I have to admit that I was nervous before the weekend began, so many talented bakers and professionals in one place — the accumulated acumen was dizzying and I was prepared to feel a bit out of place. My assumptions, per usual, did not prove to be true. The open, welcoming air put off by every MGA board member immediately put my mind at ease. I was truly afraid of feeling like an outsider, and that wasn’t the case for a moment during the week. The event felt more like a celebration — presenters, board members, and other work study members coming together to educate and rejoice in our shared love of food. While I learned a lot about oven building, pasta rolling, and donut frying — the friends and connections I established left me feeling truly grateful for the opportunity. While I’m incredibly inspired to bake, eat, and write about food, I must admit my biggest takeaway from the week has to be the relationships formed. I made friends for life, and learned how to properly glaze a donut.”

Mike Hicks

2018 Work Study