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Buckwheat is gluten-free seed that is often referred to as a pseudo-grain. It is nutrient dense and a fast-growing cover crop that helps to regenerate unhealthy soils. Read our “Hey, Buckwheat” blog for more.
BAM stands for Because Agriculture Matters. We are on a mission to diversify the crops our farmers grow and the foods we consume with an emphasis on climate-resilient crops, like buckwheat. Why? We believe in supporting soil health, personal health, and improving American agriculture.
The word BAM is simple and catchy and you can decide how much (or little!) you want to pay attention to our mission, but we hope it serves as a friendly, subtle reminder that everything we eat starts with, and is dependent upon, our soil.
They are similar but not quite the same and typically refer to both diets and products. From a diet perspective, a vegan eats absolutely no animal based products whereas a plant-based eater eats a diet from plants, e.g., seeds, legumes, fruits, veggies, etc., which are all vegan, but might also include some animal products in their diet.
A plant-based food product means the finished product is made of primarily plant-based ingredients. BAM is made primarily from buckwheat, a seed, so BAM is both vegan and plant-based.
Our buckwheat is 100% Organic and grown in North America. Buckwheat grows well in many parts of the U.S., especially in states like New York, Minnesota and North Dakota, as well as in Canada.
BAM Buckwheat Milk launched in select Southern California retailers in 2023. During BAM's expansion, our production volumes increased and we encountered what are known as "scale up challenges" on the manufacturing end. We updated BAM customers in Sept. 2024 that we'd be on a retail pause. Fortunately, our step back has turned into what we know will be an amazing leap forward. BAM is gearing up for relaunch in California soon with plans to expand. Sign up for our Newsletter and follow BAM on Instagram for the latest!
Yes. Despite having “wheat” in its name, buckwheat is not wheat! It is a gluten-free, grain-free seed. Because BAM’s products are free from gluten, they are not certified by a third party. According to Beyond Celiac, buckwheat “can be an important part of the diet for anyone with a gluten-related disorder.”
Yes. At BAM we believe in using the highest quality ingredients possible and supporting farmers that grow organically. We are in the process of getting our products Regeneratively certified.
Yes. When you see a product is certified Organic, this is an indicator that the product is also Non-GMO as Organic products do not allow GMOs.
Yes. A vegan product is one that does not contain any animal-derived ingredients. All BAM products are vegan.
We are so excited to announce BAM 2.0 soon! Read more about our changes here and sign up for our Newsletter and follow BAM on Instagram for the latest information.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations first defined this term in a 2010 report as “a method for farmers to address the dual challenges of climate change’s impact on agriculture and agriculture’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, all while maintaining yields.” You can think of Climate-Smart Ag as an integrated, holistic approach to managing how we produce food. Buckwheat is a powerful soil-building, pollinator-friendly crop that the USDA has deemed “climate-smart.”
Regenerative agriculture is a farming approach focused on improving and restoring soil health. It emphasizes biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable land management. California recently adopted an official definition, which you can read in full here.
Buckwheat is naturally regenerative because it helps improve soil health. Many farms practicing regenerative agriculture include buckwheat in their crop rotations for this reason. BAM is actively working toward official certification for our products to ensure they meet rigorous regenerative agriculture standards.
BAM considered a number of options when deciding on a bottle to use. We landed on a recyclable plastic called PET as the best option from an environmental and cost perspective. Think glass is always better than plastic? Think again! Check out our interview with sustainable packaging expert for more information on sustainable packaging.
Yes! Please consider removing the outside label before recycling.
On a daily basis, most of us might not think about how our food gets from A to B. The fact is, while our food system is amazingly efficient, our resources are finite. There’s a widely used phrase that puts it well: “we’re treating soil like dirt.” This idea was first explored in 1984, and according to a more recent National Geographic article, it “remains as relevant today as it was more than 30 years ago.”
In 2022, the UN said that “a full 90 percent of the Earth’s precious topsoil is likely to be at risk by 2050.” This is a problem for many reasons, which, according to the NRDC, includes “when soil becomes degraded—as through deforestation and poor farming practices—it can release carbon back into the atmosphere. The loss of healthy soil—by wind and water erosion, poor management, wildfire, or other means—represents the loss of one major tool we have to fight climate change.”