Her family couldn't eat it all, so she went into business

"I actually have always loved baking," said Devyn Johnson, of Moody Folks Bakery. "I baked with my mom growing up, and I baked for people all the time. ... It's my happy place."

Moody Folks Bakery is one of Wrangell's newer businesses. Johnson was running a child care out of her home before COVID-19 struck. When the pandemic reached Alaska, however, she closed it down out of safety. She found herself with more time, and started filling that time with more and more baking.

She was starting to make three or four loaves of bread a day, she said, and her family couldn't eat it all. So they started gifting her baked goods to friends and other family members. Then, one day, she decided to take a chance and turn her love of baking into a new source of income.

Going on half a year as an official business, Johnson said it was a big risk trying to start a new business during the pandemic. However, she said the community has been nothing but supportive of her bakery.

"I'm a little overwhelmed, in a good way," she said. "I'm just blown away by the support."

The name Moody Folks Bakery comes from her maiden name, Johnson said. She wanted something personal to her, for her business, and "Moody Folks" just had a good ring to it.

Moody Folks Bakery offers freshly baked bread on a weekly basis at Twisted Root Market, on Front Street. Johnson said she also bakes bread for individual customers who reach out to her with orders. She only works part-time for the bakery right now, working out of her home, but has long-term dreams. Johnson said nothing is officially in motion yet, but one day she hopes to own her own bakery downtown.

There have been some challenges getting her business up and running. A few months ago, there was a power surge that killed her oven, she said. For a while she had to run to friends' homes and use their ovens to bake bread, but a new double oven arrived and got things back on track.

One lesson she's learned, she said, is the importance of staying organized. Having spreadsheets and tracking costs is important not only to make sure her business is doing well, she said, but also to make sure she is selling her bread at a good price for her customers. "It's a constant learning journey."