We picked up a flaker mill attachment for our mixer from Pleasant Hill Grain this past week. Tried it out on some oat groats and will be testing the results in tomorrow’s oatmeal 😁.

I'd say that this story illustrates the ideal situation for a farmer trying to build up their businesses within local and regional food systems. We'd like to be able to help facilitate the expansion of local Grain Chains by creating the digital infrastructure to help augment word-of-mouth business relationship connections with a web-based resource. Our Map Explorer is just a small example of how we want to approach simplifying the connection making process. 

As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time over the last several months researching small mills as well as small grain growers, I can say it is a lot of work just trying to find them an understand the products they offer and how to get them. On the other side of that work though, I see a large potential for new markets for farmers if the connections between them and the food creators can become easier to discover and, in turn, establish.

Deep Roots Milling get extra Grain Chain points for running their milling operation out of an actual historic mill 😁.

Two parts to this post: First, if you are not familiar with The Land Institute, they are working to rewire our existing industrial agricultural systems with a focus on replacing annual crops with perennial crops. That, of course, does not do their work justice, which is why you have links 😁. 

Second, the program mentioned in this older Instagram post highlights one of many opportunities I am coming across to actively engage in Grain Chain rebuilding. The link they mention does still work, but I am not sure of the status of this exact program. Now is your chance to go find out.

I'm circling back to Sarah Mock since she popped up in my Twitter feed via the The Female Farmer Project and their latest podcast. I don't often make the time to take in podcasts, but I did for this one. I've been thinking a lot about the place for small farms in a revived Grain Chain and I couldn't get too far without running into the reality of the economics for local and regionally focused farmers. Definitely a problem in the numbers from a high level. Lots of good stuff in this podcast across a wide swath of topics. I haven't read Sarah's book yet, but it is on the list.

Pure inspiration! Well, at least for me. 😁 When you think about reviving local Grain Chains across the country, looking at the story that Maggie Harkins Kraft's Instagram feed tells is very inspiring. We all fall victim to romanticizing visions of the types of businesses we would want to be part of or own, but when you actually come across actual people and their enterprises (small or large), it tells you it is possible to start one from your home.

Every business, even the size of bristle cone bakery, contributes to new market potential for the farmers that could grow the grain and the millers that could process it.

As we explore (and drag you along) the various corners of the Grain Chain, one of my favorite things is learning about new grains and the farmers and millers that are working with them. This week it is the ancient grain, einkorn. We ordered some organic Einkorn from Bench View Farms out of Idaho and Ashley baked up a loaf…

Finally launched our new Map Explorer this week. You can explore a number of small operations that are selling grains and flour they mill from their local grains. We'll be adding more entries over time (we are manually reviewing all the data before we publish), so go have a look and check back often.

Our order of Kernza grain arrived and was put to use over the weekend.

To call Proof Bread the mother lode of information for anyone dreaming about starting a bakery as a way to jump into the Grain Chain would be an understatement. This video, of which there are many created and shared by Proof Bread, is by far their most viewed on their YouTube channel, but also the most informative. 

Jon Przybyl gives a tour of their old space right after they where forced by the city to move their operation. Not only does he gives the tour, but also provides a very comprehensive oral history on how they evolved their bakery from their garage...literally in this case. 

The video is over an hour and a half, so turn up the video speed to 2x and carve out the time if you can. I've watched this video and a few others to get up to date on their story and move into a commercial space. Jon has a lot to offer on the trials and tribulations of starting a micro-bakery as well as some deeper business philosophies I find myself readily agreeing with.