THE MILL
WHAT WE DO:
THE MILL
Here at Elmendorf we mill more than 20 varieties of grain in small batches to make the freshest, most flavorful flour you can possibly imagine! Our grain comes to us directly from small family farms, locally whenever possible, which allows us to offer a range of really special options, including a large selection of heirloom and organic grain.
Our gorgeous Vermont-built stone mill is the heart of our shop, grinding the incredibly fresh and flavorful flour that goes into our retail packages and gets baked into many of our pastries. Our goal is to bring the extraordinary work of local farmers to you with as little processing as possible so you can taste the splendors of grain in all its unedited glory.
The main mill at the shop is a New American Stone Mill built in Vermont by Andrew Heyn. What we do at the shop is pretty much what millers have been doing for thousands of years: milling grain in a single pass through two granite stones quarried in Vermont. It's pretty simple. And that's the point: grain is pretty awesome in its most simple form.
FARM TO MILL
THE GROWERS
Working with small family farmers is incredibly important to us, strengthening the connection between farmer, miller, and baker. We think it's integral to a properly functioning food system. Small farmers care deeply and personally about their crops, and that love translates to the flour we mill.
Whenever possible we work with local farmers to support a regional economy. If the grain can grow well in our area we're committed to sourcing it locally.
We do bring in a smaller selection of grain from other parts of the country when it doesn't grow well in our region.
FARMER SPOTLIGHT
Granite Grain
We were introduced to Tyler Murray (owner/farmer) through a mutual friend a couple of years ago and immediately clicked. Tyler has a ton of energy and is incredibly excited about growing grain on his farm in Amherst NH. He's a bit of a farm nerd, admitting he even plays farm simulators in the off season.
Tyler grows a number of grain varieties on his farm including redeemer wheat, oats, and Wapsie valley corn. He's constantly experimenting with different methods and varieties as he cheerfully navigates the difficulties of running an organic grain farm in NE. We've been lucky enough to take our staff to tour Tyler's farm the past couple years, deepening the connection between our work as a mill, the farmers that grow for us, and the customers that keep us going!
WHAT WE'RE MILLING
FROM THE HOPPER
OUR CURRENT GRAIN LIST
(changes frequently; call for availability)
Bread Wheat
Red Fife, Gianforte Farm, NY, heritage/organic
Glenn, Buck Farm, ME
Redeemer, Granite Grain, NH, organic &
Nitty Gritty Farm, VT, organic
Pastry Wheat
Frederick, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Sonora, BKW Farms, AZ, heritage/organic
Beans
Kidney, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Black Turtle, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Pinto, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Cranberry, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, heritage/organic
Navy Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, heritage/organic
Corn
Ruby Red popcorn, Hurricane Flats Farm, VT, organic
Shaman's Blue popcorn, Hurricane Flats Farm, VT, organic
Wapsie Valley dent, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic & Granite Grain, NH, organic
Narragansett White Cap flint, Harry Here Farm, RI, heritage/organic
Longfellow Yellow flint, Harry Here Farm, RI, heritage/organic
Beans
Winter Lentils, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Adzuki, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Light & Dark Kidney, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Rojo Chiquito, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, heritage/organic
Ancient Grain
Danko Rye, Oechsner Farm, NY, organic
Durum, BKW Farms, AZ, organic
Khorasan, BKW Farms, AZ, organic
Einkorn, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Spelt, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Emmer/Farro, Peter & Hanna Martens Farm, NY, organic
Tibetan Barley, Granite Grain, NH, organic
Oats
Rolled Oats, Granite Grain, NH organic
Oat Groats, Gianforte Farm, NY, organic
STORAGE
We recommend storing all of our flour and grain in the freezer if possible to maintain maximum freshness and quality. Fresh-milled grain is more perishable than the stuff you buy at the supermarket. While our flour should stay fresh and delicious for several months at room temperature it's more susceptible to spoilage, humidity and temperature variations, and pests (most of our grain is organic!). The best way to ensure fresh, delicious flour is to order in small quantities and use it relatively quickly.
BAKING & COOKING
We could go on all day about what makes our grain special and different than the stuff you're used to buying. We won't. Instead we'll highlight a few general things that make our flour different to help you use it successfully and enjoy it as much as we do.
Because our flour is so fresh and comes from a variety of farms with different climates, harvest, and storage conditions, it tends to be more variable than the flour you're used to. If you've ever bought a farmers market tomato you understand that even the same varieties change from farm to farm and year to year. We think this is part of the fun of working with fresh-milled flour. But it can also make it more challenging. Sometimes it will require more or less liquid in your recipes. We always recommend following your recipe the first time you use a flour, and then adjusting it the next time. We also find that allowing our flour to sit a bit longer in doughs and batters to hydrate before baking tends to help as well. That's because it's not ground as finely as industrial flour (which uses a different type of milling).
Our best advice is to trust your instincts and have fun. Industrial flour is designed to be super consistent but at the expense of flavor (and with the addition of loads of processing). Our flour is all about flavor. Getting back to the basics. The difference between a good muffin and a great one. Play with it and enjoy the results.