Field notes · ridgeline journal

Notes from the basin.

Sourcing, production, the occasional confession. We publish when there's something worth knowing — not on a content calendar.

Founder letter · Apr 30, 2026

The compostable wrapper saga, in three failures.

Year one, the film cracked in cold storage and we lost half a pallet. Year two, the seal held but the wrapper went translucent in summer warehouses. Year three — well, we think we got it. Here's what we learned and what we'd do differently.

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Sourcing · 6 min read

What "single-origin" actually means for an almond.

It's a phrase coffee people invented. We borrowed it because it earned its keep.

Production · 4 min read

Why we cold-press our bars instead of baking them.

Heat is a shortcut. Pressure, when you have the time, is honest work.

Recipes · 3 min read

Almond butter on rye, the way we eat it in the office.

Toasted dark, a quarter cup of butter, a stripe of honey, smoked salt. Done.

Packaging · 5 min read

A note about the new wrapper.

It looks the same. It is not the same. Here's what changed and what stayed.

Sourcing · 7 min read

A drought year in Capay Valley.

Our almond grower lost 40% of the crop. Here's why our price didn't move.

Press · 2 min read

Outside Magazine: "the bar to beat in 2026."

A nice writeup of the Cacao + Sea Salt bar, which we appreciate but are not going to put on the bag.

Production · 4 min read

The case for slow-roasting in 40-pound batches.

Industrial roasters move in tons. We move in pounds. Here's why that matters.

Recipes · 3 min read

Trail mix granola — a sheet-pan recipe.

A bag of Basin Trail Mix, some maple, some olive oil, a sheet pan. Forty minutes.

Sourcing · 5 min read

Why we still use Wisconsin cranberries.

There are cheaper sources. There are not better ones. We checked.