Bone Appétit!

Jodi Maslanka definitely knows a thing or two.

She knows her last name means buttermilk in Polish.

She knows the importance of her life having meaning.

She knows—regardless of how it may appear—we all have abilities and talents.

She knows dogs don’t really care about how a treat looks as long as it tastes good.

Maslanka took her knowledge and created the nonprofit Buttermilk Mountain, a place where individuals with all different levels of abilities come together to make buttermilk dog biscuits sold at multiple Indianapolis farmers markets.

She spent her career as a financial planner in Chicago, where she worked with families who had disabled children. She worked with those families to ensure their children would be well taken care of after the parents die, thanks to life insurance and special needs trusts. When Maslanka moved to Indianapolis she knew she wanted to keep her connection to the special needs community.

“Our motto is ‘Made with pride, not perfection,’” she said. “Dogs are very forgiving since no two of our biscuits look the same, as we have bakers with a diverse mix of abilities.”

Maslanka tweaked a basic buttermilk biscuit recipe with the addition of pumpkin, turmeric (which is good for dogs’ joints) and vitamin E as a preservative. And four times a month, groups of mentally and physically challenged teens meet at the St. Alban’s Episcopal Church kitchen to make the biscuits.

It was also intentional that the biscuits would be made for dogs. “Dogs only care if it tastes good, not how it looks,” said Maslanka. “Also, for many of the bakers it is much easier for them to make a connection with a person if there is dog. They start with petting the dog and then talk to the person. Many of our bakers are autistic and nonverbal, but everyone— no matter their level of understanding or capabilities— can connect and communicate with a dog.” 

“Everything is made by hand. There are no electric mixers and the cookies are individually made using a dog-biscuit-shaped cookie cutter,” said Maslanka. “It is wonderful to see how proud the bakers are of their accomplishments. I have watched the kids develop their self-esteem and learn how to follow directions, measure ingredients, work as a team and—most importantly—have fun.”

A bag of 10 biscuits sells for $5. Maslanka explained the price for a bag of biscuits was knowingly chosen because many people with mental challenges are good at counting by fives, so it would be easy to add up when people purchase more than one bag and to make change for purchases. The money raised from selling the biscuits is used to cover the cost of ingredients, the kitchen rental, insurance and the two annual Buttermilk Mountain events it hosts for those with special needs.

Because Maslanka relies on biscuit sales, she is working with St. Alban’s Church on a new year-round farmers market that takes place on Tuesdays from 4–7pm. She hopes by selling the dog biscuits during the farmers markets that Buttermilk Mountain will be able to afford to pay the bakers for their work.

“In a perfect world, my dream would be able to provide those with disabilities the opportunity to have jobs that pay,” she said. Maslanka’s Buttermilk Mountain is definitely an example of how knowledge is not only powerful, but also impactful. 

• Visit ButtermilkMountain.net to learn more about Buttermilk Mountain. For the biscuits, head to the farmers market at 4601 Emerson Ave., Indianapolis on Tuesdays from 4–7pm.