Rehydrate
Combine the dehydrated starter with flour and water using the step-by-step activation guide.
Field Release 001 · Wild yeasts collected in the forest near Ishpatina Ridge
Ishpatina Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter
$20.00
A reusable sourdough culture developed with wild yeasts collected near Ontario’s highest point. Each 15 g package contains a dehydrated, shelf-stable copy of the Ishpatina production culture, developed from two wild yeast strains collected during documented fieldwork near Ishpatina Ridge and identified by Escarpment Laboratories.
- Origin
- Forest near Ishpatina Ridge, Ontario
- Landscape
- Boreal forest
- Format
- 15 g dehydrated culture
- Use
- Reusable sourdough starter
What arrives
A living culture, ready to be revived at home
Feed
Build the culture through regular feedings until it rises predictably and is ready to bake with.
Make it yours
Maintain it over time as a living starter that adapts to your flour, kitchen, and baking routine.
The field record
Developed from wild yeasts collected near Ontario’s highest point
Sterile flour-and-water cultures were placed in the boreal forest near Ishpatina Ridge to collect yeasts from the environment. The cultures were later analyzed by an Ontario yeast laboratory.
Identified yeasts from that field collection are used in the development of this starter.
Product details
A reusable sourdough culture developed with wild yeast collected near Ontario’s highest point.
Each 15 g package contains a dehydrated, shelf-stable copy of the Ishpatina production culture: a whole-grain sourdough starter developed using two wild yeast strains collected during documented fieldwork near Ishpatina Ridge and later identified by Escarpment Laboratories.
Rehydrate it with flour and water, feed it until it is rising reliably, then use the active culture to make naturally leavened bread.
Start here
What you receive
- 15 g dehydrated Ishpatina Wild Yeast Sourdough Starter
- A reusable culture developed using two wild yeast strains collected near Ishpatina Ridge
- A shelf-stable format that can be rehydrated when you are ready to bake
- Online activation, care, and bread-recipe guides
The place
Ishpatina Ridge is Ontario’s highest point at 693 metres. Located in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Wilderness Area, it sits in the boreal forest of northeastern Ontario.
Lodestar reached the ridge by canoe and on foot, following a backcountry access route. Yeast samples were collected along the trail and near the summit area, then brought home for cultivation and evaluation.
Read the Ishpatina Ridge trip report →
From field samples to a production culture
Fifteen active yeast cultures were initially propagated from the field samples. Seven showed different fermentation behaviours during sourdough trials.
Two cultures were selected for the final Ishpatina starter:
- Hanseniaspora uvarum
- Metschnikowia pulcherrima
The strains were later identified by Escarpment Laboratories in Guelph, Ontario. Those selected cultures were combined into one stable whole-grain starter, maintained through repeated feedings, then dehydrated for shipping.
Explore the Ishpatina fieldwork
Made in Ottawa, Ontario.
Ishpatina Ridge · Field Release 001
Questions
Before you begin
What makes this different from a generic sourdough starter?
This starter is defined by place. Its development uses identified wild yeasts collected in the forest near Ishpatina Ridge, connecting the culture to documented fieldwork in Northern Ontario.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes. The starter arrives dehydrated and shelf-stable, with detailed activation instructions. Sourdough requires regular feeding, but no previous experience is required.
How long does activation take?
Activation occurs through several flour-and-water feedings. Temperature, flour, and your kitchen environment affect the timeline, so follow the signs of fermentation in the guide rather than relying on the clock alone.
Will it remain exactly the same over time?
No living starter remains microbiologically fixed in a home kitchen. As you feed it, organisms from flour and the surrounding environment can join the culture.
Is it made in Canada?
Yes. The field collection, laboratory work, and production are based in Ontario, Canada.