About Us
Bloom and Bark
Not just a Dog Bakery...but a way of life!
 A long, long time ago (March 2002) in a town far, far away (outside Keosauqua, Iowa in scenic Van Buren County) a young girl fancied upon the idea of making treats for man’s and women’s best friend, the dog. The treats needed to be pure, without the additives and preservatives of the day and baked with love in her own oven. Thus began the story of Bloom and Bark.
About 5 years ago, my wife (Kim) and I (Tim) were discussing her recent venture into growing flowers and vegetables to sell at the local farmers markets. She had just added unusual jellies, such as pepper, dandelion, and clover to her already diverse product line and business was really taking off.
We, as a family, had been kicking around names for sometime and had finally settled on Bloom and Bark. The “Bloom” was obvious with the beautiful flowers Kim had nurtured, but we were having difficulty coming up with the “Bark” product line.
It was about that time when our youngest child Alé chimed in, “I’ll make homemade dog treats. That will be the Bark!” And an idea was born.
Kim and Alé researched appropriate foods for dogs as well as experimented with recipes. They were determined to provide a healthy dog treat and refused to allow any additives, preservatives, sugar or salt to find their way into their treats. It was a difficult time for our Research and Development Team (Jake and Dugan). They were forced to put in extra hours for the taste testing required to provide a quality product, but they seemed to muddle on.
Dugan, our 120 lb Yellow Lab, is as laid-back as they come. His one refined talent is jumping flat footed into the air, touching all 4 paws together before landing with a thud. We call him the “Ballerina Dog”! He generally likes anything, especially if it involves a pat on the head or ride in the car.
Jake, our Norwegian Elkhound mix, being the elder of the brothers is a bit more reserved. He heads up security at our farm and has high hopes to train Dugan to take over when he retires. We wish him luck!
Hours of taste testing and experimentation have occurred since that first idea. Alé and Kim have taken the treats, jellies and flowers on the road to many markets and craft shows in Iowa since. Dugan occasionally gets to join in on the fun if we are not too far from home. Jake however insists on staying home and protecting the farm.
Chef Alé continues to be involved with Kim (“the mom”) in the baking and marketing of her products. I, Tim (“the dad”) am excited to help out in any way I can.
We hope you enjoy our site and products. We bring our love for animals to you by way of our treats.
Bone Appetite!
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