If you’re a fan of ADEC’s famous Bow Wow Dog Biscuits, have we got a treat for you: A very limited special edition batch of biscuits are coming to a Gaining Grounds Coffee House or downtown event near you, thanks to ADEC’s brand new partnership with Bonneyville Mill.

Dogs will soon be able to taste a bit of history when they chomp down on one of the biscuits, which will be baked with flour from the oldest fully operating grist mill in the state of Indiana.

In case you’re not already familiar, ADEC’s Bow Wow Pet Biscuits are scrumptious dog treats that are baked by the individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities we serve, and are sold year-round at our Gaining Grounds Coffee Shops in Goshen and Bristol – much to the delight of our furry companions.

“Traditionally the flour used in our biscuit recipe has been sourced from Hodgson Mill in Illinois,” according to ADEC Hospitality Manager Suzanne Bodenhorn. “However, we wanted to source some flour more locally, so we developed a new partnership with Bonneyville Mill near Bristol.”

Located a few miles east of the main ADEC campus in Bristol, Bonneyville Mill County Park is an unincorporated territory in Elkhart County which is home to the oldest fully operating grist mill in the state of Indiana (it was originally built in the 1830s). The mill is tucked back in a lush forested area where guests may spend a day hiking, biking, sledding or cross-country skiing.

In July, ADEC bakers had the opportunity to tour the mill, and got some hands-on experience. While at the mill, the bakers helped grind about 50 pounds of rye flour. This flour will be taken to four of our five day service locations, where – with the permissions granted by commercial feed licenses issued by the Office of Indiana State Chemist and Seed Commissioner – the individuals we serve will be able to make a special edition batch of Bow Wow Dog Biscuits (with fancy new labels and everything!) that will have your precious puppers and fur babies begging.

The biscuits will be for sale for the entire month of August at Goshen and Bristol Gaining Grounds Coffee House locations, and they will also be featured at Elkhart’s ArtWalk.

On the second Wednesday of each month — from April to October — artists of all kinds gather in downtown Elkhart for ArtWalk. Many of the individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities we serve at ADEC are not only bakers but also artists, and they have been getting creative with impressive paintings and woodwork designs which will be for sale to the public, alongside the biscuits.

We happen to serve many animal lovers here at ADEC, which means our artists are especially excited about ArtWalk’s August Dog Daze theme. If you’re a dog lover looking for some dog-themed art to hang in your home or office, the August ArtWalk on Wednesday, Aug. 14 in downtown Elkhart will be a great opportunity for you to buy some choice pieces and put a smile on the faces of our artists. It’s a confidence boost for the individuals we serve and it’s a way for them to give back to the community.

Through their experience at the mill and in baking biscuits, our bakers and artists learn critical life skills that contribute to their practical needs and develop their sense of personal identity. Learning to cook has benefits in day-to-day life in meeting basic needs and learning to express oneself through art teaches stress management skills and is one of many less obvious ways to acquire a sense of meaning and purpose in an individual’s life (and cooking is art in its own way).

When you purchase art or baked goods made by an ADEC artist or baker, you know that 50 percent of that proceeds goes straight into the artists’ or bakers’ pockets, and the other 50 percent goes toward programming costs; your purchase helps the individuals we serve live more independent lives by creating a source of income for them and helping ADEC teach them valuable life skills.

The special edition Bow Wow biscuits will be featured at ArtWalk in downtown Elkhart on Wednesday, Aug. 14. And in case you’re unable to make it to ArtWalk, they will also be featured at the August Goshen First Friday from 5-9 PM Friday, Aug. 2, at Gaining Grounds. In total, 100 bags will be available, priced at $4.00 each – ruff-ly speaking!

We sat down for an exclusive interview with Jude — the dog of Michelle Sokol, communications manager at ADEC – to get her thoughts on ADEC’s Bow Wow Pet Biscuits. She responded with a resounding: “WOOF!” You just know this means all the neighborhood dogs will be chomping at the bit to get their paws on some Bow Wow Pet Biscuits from ADEC!

Northern Indiana may be in the throes of the dog days of summer: the sun is out, everyone’s electric bills are skyrocketing, and you can fry eggs on the sidewalk. But we’re pawsitively excited about our cool partnerships with Bonneyville Mill and Elkhart ArtWalk for its August Dog Daze event.

See you at ArtWalk on Wednesday, Aug. 14 (or at Gaining Grounds in Goshen on Friday, Aug. 2)!