Thoughts on Homestead Grist Mill?
Hello Everyone -
I am considering making a bulk purchase of stone-ground whole wheat and sifted whole-wheat flour from Homestead Grist Mill near Waco Texas. I've searched TFL and found several references to this mill, but no sense of what people think of this flour. I've been in touch with them to ask some questions and found them friendly and responsive. I'm told that their flour is not certified organic but the wehat is grown in a chemical free field in Montana. Soon they will be sourcing their wheat locally in Texas, a factor I find important as I live in Austin and would prefer to buy local.
Any thoughts on the quality of their product? They offer a bulk wholesale price - $1 per pound for stone ground red whole weat - that seems quite good.
I come from a dry dirt farm in Saskatchewan. Our Father would take his own wheat into the grist mill in town. Much latter in the day we would pickup about 10 sacks of flour, some bran and some shorts. The way mother made bread from that flour is a lot different that we do today.
To start it wasn't so many cups, it was measure in sifters. Four to start, sourdough for the yeast and skim milk for the liquid. A great deal of kneading or what she called 'punching down'. It was baked in 2 batches, a great wood burning stove.
In Keremeos BC they have a Heritage Park and a grist mill (built in 1877) that have been resurrected. It is still powered by an overshot waterwheel. I bought some of the flour from the mill and discovered just what our mom went through to make that wonderful bread that she did.
Sure hope you have good luck with.
Tyro
"I'm told that their flour is not certified organic but the wehat is grown in a chemical free field in Montana."
You might want to ask exactly what this means. I got this same story from the people at Wheat Montana and when I pressed them for the actual details, it was revealed that they used chemical fertilizers but allegedly not chemical pesticides or herbicides. To say that it "is not certified organic but..." is an implication that it is very similar to organic but not certified. This is a condition that does in fact exist in many farming situations but not at Wheat Montana. In my mind, "chemical free" is chemical free. If you are using chemical fertilizers, just how in the heck can you call your product chemical free.
Ask and be certain is my advice,
Jeff