From Field to Flour: Grain Processing Workshop
Foodshed Alliance partnered with Marksboro Mills, River Valley Community Grains, and the Organic Growers Research & Information-Sharing Network for an engaging Grains Processing Workshop. Farmers, bakers, and community members came together to learn hands-on techniques for cleaning, milling, and tasting locally grown grains.
Why Grain Cleaning Matters
Grain cleaning is essential to produce safe, high-quality flour. Participants learned how to remove debris, chaff, and even contaminated kernels (like those affected by Fusarium fungus) using tools like the gravity table, Sosnowski cleaner, and Vac-A-Way Air Screen cleaner. These techniques help reduce harmful toxins while preserving the flavor and nutrition of grains like wheat, barley, rye, and ancient varieties like einkorn, emmer, and spelt.
Milling Mastery
Attendees also explored a variety of mills — from hammer mills that produce fine, nutritious flours to stone mills of various sizes and capacities. Demonstrations showed how different mills impact flour quality and processing efficiency. Participants learned practical tips for balancing speed and pressure, maintaining stones, and using byproducts creatively (like feeding bran to livestock or mushroom cultivation). View full description.
Tasting Local Grains
The workshop concluded with a delicious tasting featuring:
- Amaranth pancakes
- Black bean dishes
- Blueberry buckwheat cake
- Crowder pea hummus
- Heirloom cornbread
- Warthog wheat bread sourdough
- Einkorn sourdough loaves
These tastings highlighted the unique flavors and nutrition of locally grown grains, giving participants a firsthand experience of the value of supporting regional farmers.
Gratitude & Community
We are incredibly thankful for our farmers, and partners who made this workshop possible and for everyone working to strengthen our local food system, and keep healthy, fresh food accessible to all.
Looking Ahead
Workshops like this empower farmers and community members with practical skills to add value to grains, preserve heirloom varieties, and build a resilient local food system. Our next Value-Added Grains Workshop will continue this hands-on learning — covering pasta making, sprouting, baking, and more. Held on 12/6/2025 – Read the recap!
This event was made possible with support from the New Jersey Highlands Coalition.
