I thought this was interesting. So I am adding it so any of you who
are interested can read it.
Reggie
Best Heirloom Wheat Producers
Bluebird Grain Farms; Winthrop, Washington
"Ancient wheat varieties have this incredible history in other
countries, but we couldn't find many farmers growing them in the US,"
says Brooke Lucy, who co-owns Bluebird Grain Farms in Winthrop,
Washington, with her husband, Sam. After searching for inspiration
(and seeds), the couple decided to focus on emmer wheat, also known
as farro, beloved by Egyptian bakers in the days of the pharaohs.
This past spring they introduced protein-rich einkorn, which they are
calling einka, a teeny variety of wheat berry popular in Germany;
dating back to about 7,500 BC, it was one of the first species of
cultivated wheat.
Each time the Lucys work with a new grain, it takes them years to
bring it to market: Once they get their hands on starter seed (often
from a university in Germany), they have to plant several harvests,
amassing more seeds each time, until they can grow enough grain to
sell. Even now, the Lucys only produce enough einka to sell at local
farmers' markets and on their website.
Rarity isn't the only reason their grains are sought-after. Bluebird
is one of the few farms in the US to mill its own grains. "It's more
common to find farms doing that in Germany and Austria," Brooke says.
When the Lucys decided to launch a mill, they connected with
producers abroad to learn their methods-and then took them a step
further. When most millers remove the supertight, papery husks of
ancient grains, they rub off part of the bran layer in the process,
selling the results as "pearled." The Lucys wanted to keep the bran
intact, so they got creative. They worked with an engineer to develop
a machine that whisks off the husk by centrifugal force. "Why would
we go through such great lengths to raise a healthy grain, only to
shave off most of the nutrients?" Brooke says. From $7 per lb of
einka; <http://bluebirdgrainfarms.com>.
Carolina Ground; Asheville, North Carolina
Former bakery owner Jennifer Lapidus has made it her mission to turn
flour into a locavore food. With both a grant and money raised on
Kickstarter, she purchased a stone mill from Austria, launching
Carolina Ground last year and an online store in April. Most mills,
large or small, blend flour from different farms so it always has the
same protein level (essential for consistent baked goods). "But we
want to embrace where the flour comes from," says Lapidus, so she
mills what the local farmers harvest and helps bakers find ways to
use the flour. For instance, when she received hard wheat flour that
didn't have enough protein for bread, she recommended that her
wholesale customers use it for crackers. If the protein isn't even
good for crackers, she sends it to nearby Riverbend Malt House, which
turns barley, rye and wheat into malts for beer brewers.
Because Carolina Ground's flours are so flavorful and fresh, they
have a passionate following among local bakers-Lionel Vatinet at La
Farm Bakery in Cary, North Carolina, for example, goes through 500
pounds a week and extols Carolina Ground in his forthcoming book.
Recently, Lapidus started working with restaurant chefs. "They love
creating new recipes that can really showcase the different flour
flavors," she says. Chef Jacob Sessoms of Table in Asheville makes
gougmousse. Lance Gummere, chef and co-owner of Atlanta's Bantam + Biddy,
uses all of the flours at home for his sensational biscuits. Gummere
recently wrote in an email to Lapidus, "Like a crackhead, I'm
addicted to your flour, and the world is going to come to a
screeching halt if I don't score more." From $5 for 2 lbs;
<http://carolinaground.com>.
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/best-heirloom-wheat-producers#bluebird-grain-farms