Bringing grain back to the region
Heritage and regional grains, small mills and the infrastructure that connects farmers to bakers.
Wheat, rye, oats and barley were once grown, milled and baked within most regions. Consolidation moved milling to a few large plants and narrowed varieties to those suited to industrial baking.
The revival
Over the past fifteen years, small mills, malt houses and bakeries have rebuilt regional grain economies. Farmers gain a higher-value rotation crop that improves soil when grown alongside vegetables; bakers gain flavour and a story; cities gain a market for local flour.
Bottlenecks
- Cleaning and drying equipment sized for small lots
- Storage that keeps grain dry and pest-free
- Variety trials suited to local climates
- Buyers willing to adjust recipes to variable flour
How institutions can help
Public procurement — for example requiring a share of regional grain in school bread — gives mills the steady demand they need to invest. Farmers' market programmes that sell local flour and grains help shoppers discover them.