Diversity at the Market: Establishing Food Security and Re-defining Food Supply Chains from a Grains Perspective

Written in 2014, I share the takeaways from the West Coast Whole Grains Adventure.

Sep 20, 2024

This essay was written in 2014 when I was in my peak baker-era. I had recently been a baker at the Big Sur Bakery, operated my own bakery Surf Muffins in Joshua Tree, and after attending the Grain Gathering in the Skagit Valley was inspired to learn more about locally produced flour. I took a road trip through California, Oregon, and Washington visiting farmers that were growing and milling grain, and the bakers using their local flour. I’ve linked to many of the farms and bakeries that are still in operation, but specific references may have changed since this was first published.

West Coast Whole Grains Adventure

During the Fall of 2014, Surf Muffins Bakery went on the West Coast Whole Grains Adventure to share local grain agriculture with communities in California, Oregon, and Washington state. A grant from the Small Planet Institute provided funds for transportation and development of educational materials to take on the road and share at farmer’s markets. Additionally, it enabled Surf Muffins to cultivate partnerships with farmers producing ingredients used in bakery production and to also expand educational programs through farmer’s market demonstrations.

Reflections on biodiversity in a local grain economy

Journeys and adventures begin with single steps, and the adventurer is often not very thoughtful of where these steps may lead. Reflecting on a recent intellectual journey I am reminded of a most famous perilous quest -

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” - The Hobbit

When I sought to begin baking professionally while attending grad school to earn a Master’s of Public Health, I would have never imagined where this supposed hobby would take me.

As a student of public health, I became increasingly intrigued with food systems and our modern culture of eating as determinants of health in populations. While I had no conclusive evidence to support many theories that had taken lingering walks in my consciousness, I sought to immerse myself in the food system to edify myself on the current workings of food systems in America.

I began a small baking business in Joshua Tree, CA. I had never run a small business prior, nor had I ever lived in the Mojave Desert. It was hot, and I was inexplicably compelled to bake bread in the stifling heat of July. I had a vision to create food using local, sustainable, organic ingredients. I sought to promote the nutritional benefits of whole grains, seeds, nuts, and California produce. I obtained a Cottage Food Permit to operate the business out of my home and began by simply bringing fresh bread to local businesses. It was astoundingly simple to start selling my baked goods - before I knew it I was putting a limit on orders.

While working as a small-scale baker in California I sought to source my baking ingredients from local, sustainable producers. I began my baking business to not only provide my community with a wholesome food product but also to teach myself about food systems. As retail markets for food range from the ultra-local Farmer’s Market to the unlimited choices of global trade found on the shelves of specialty markets, my quest to “thoughtfully source” my ingredients led me down a rabbit hole of discovery. It was simple to source fruits, nuts, eggs, and dairy from other vendors at the Farmer’s Market I sold at, but I soon found myself asking “Where does flour come from?”. I was somewhat surprised I hadn’t given this much thought before, and now the question nagged at my consciousness each time I took a step into the kitchen to bake. How could I be so diligent in purchasing California-produced organic olive oil, but never hold the same standards for my flour purchases?

Food trends and movements have been numerous and recurrent in modern history. From Rachael Carson’s Silent Spring bringing public awareness and outrage to pesticides in agriculture, to the establishment of Fair Trade standards on global goods, consumers and producers are constantly evolving and redefining “the right way to eat”. The last decade has brought extensive attention to “local foods” and with it a renaissance of Farmer’s Markets and public concern with transparency in food origins. A walk through any Farmer’s Market across the nation will showcase a region’s bounty reflective of the landscape. As a baker, I began to take notice that one large food group was often strikingly missing from this display - grains.

This led me on a month-long road trip along the West Coast of America. Preliminary research led me to find that there were indeed farmers growing grain, and some of them were milling it into flour as well. I sought to learn more about the place small-scale grain production had in agriculture if there were viable local grain economies, and if other artisan bakers were sourcing flours from their region. I documented my journey on my blog and after many conversations with farmers, bakers, millers, and others, I have had time to reflect on what I have learned from my foray into the journey of grains from farm to table. I had few expectations for what I might discover, and I found answers to questions I had not asked. My quest at its most elemental was simply driven by a desire to bake beautiful bread, and I found that the whole-grain, sourdough-leavened, wood-fired bread of my dreams is also a symbol of food security, biodiversity, and a key piece in establishing a sustainable food system.

Since the Green Revolution in the 1970s grain agriculture has transitioned from rotational pasture methods to large-scale commodity crop production. As a commodity crop wheat has been bred to grow fast, and hardy, and is sold at a low price to be primarily used for seed and animal feed. The majority of America’s wheat is not sold as a food crop as it once was, and this presents a challenge to small farmers seeking to grow wheat to feed their communities.

For a farmer to produce a bag of flour, acres of wheat are grown, a combine is used to harvest the grain, the grain is cleaned by a seed cleaner, the cleaned grain is stored in a dry, cool place, and then the farmer must either mill the grain, or find a miller to do so. If you walk into a grocery store many conventional bags of flour run $1/lb, if you can imagine the labor and time the farmer has invested to cultivate 1 lb of flour it is simple to see that the market price is much less than the effort involved. For a small farmer growing grain, selling flour is not profitable, especially when crops like tomatoes and carrots can harbor $3/lb or more.

While speaking with Paul at Full Belly Farms, and also Earl at Eatwell Farms (both located in the Capay Valley of California), both farmers discussed that while their fresh milled flours were popular with customers at the Farmer’s Market, it was economically difficult to justify increased production of flour. Commodity prices of wheat are at (50 cents/lb for conventional, and .75c/lb for organic). Both farms were producing beautiful, delicious whole grain flours, but their production was not the focus of the farm.

Willow of Greenwillow Grains in Oregon told her story of becoming an organic grain farmer before there was any market demand for organic food grains. The only way her farm was able to succeed was through the support of a guaranteed market at a competitive sale price offered by a local food co-op grocery. If Greenwillow Grains had invested time and money in organic grain cultivation without a guaranteed sale, the farm may not have been able to develop into the successful organic farm it is today. Nash’s Organic Farm in Sequim, WA has developed a strong grain program, but the farm is greatly diversified and was able to depend on the profits of their many other crops to support the multi-year development of their grain program. Sam, the man who initiated Nash’s grain program a decade ago, attributed their success to (impressive!) operational innovation, and the ability to slowly build the grain program as one piece in a larger diversified system.

Diversity in skills & products

In Southern Oregon, Dunbar Farms demonstrated what establishing food security for a small community could look like. At the heart of the farm is David, a man who values diversity, engineering, and thoughtful hard work. I went to Dunbar Farms out of my interest in fresh rye flour, and upon speaking to David about the farm’s grain program I quickly became aware that the farmer’s interest in grain is not primarily to provide for bakes, but a piece of a larger vision. David seeks to establish a closed sustainable system at Dunbar farms, and including grains in pasture rotations is one step in establishing this. The subsequent harvest of grain can be used for seed, animal feed, or as a food crop.

Grain production is a key component of a sustainable farm - it contributes to soil quality, provides pasture and feed for animals, and most importantly provides food security. While fruits and vegetables are the poster children of the local food movement, they are perishable and don’t provide complete nutrition. Grains, legumes, and nuts are agricultural products that can be stored through the seasons and contain valuable proteins and complex carbohydrates not offered by fresh produce. At the entrance to Dunbar Farms, is an ‘Honor Farmstand’ where community members may purchase the farm’s offerings, paying by the honor system. Kale, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, fresh ground flour, beans, sourdough bread, and cornmeal can all be purchased. With the inclusion of grains and beans, Dunbar Farms can provide their immediate community with complete nutrition through the seasons. This diversity in crops is key to establishing food security, and diversity in crops is the way that Dunbar farms can become self-sufficient and sustainable for the future.

I observed multiple successful collaborations between small grain farmers and artisan bakers in many of the regions I visited on my trip. This cooperative feedback not only supported farmers in grain cultivation but also distributed healthful whole grain foods to the community in the form of sourdough bread which renders the nutrition of whole grains most accessible.

In Springfield, Oregon Leda of the 100 Mile Bakery Project has committed herself to sourcing all of her ingredients from within 100 miles of Springfield. Her baked goods were not only scrumptious but also an impressive statement in sustainability. Taking a bite of one of her fruit strudels is the most convincing campaign for local foods and environmental stewardship that I have encountered. She sources her flour from Camas Country Mills, Greenwillow Grains, and Lonesome Whistle Farms - strengthening the local food shed by providing farms with a consistent market and the community with a value-added product.

Another model of baker-farmer collaboration is bringing the grain directly to the bakery for milling, rather than sourcing flour from either a mill or farm. Fol Epi in Victoria B.C. shortens the food supply chain by storing organic, heirloom grains at the bakery in large grain silos. This not only guarantees a large consistent purchase of grain for the farmer, but it also allows the bakery to craft a consistent, unique, high-quality flour for use in artisan baking. The grain is milled daily in the bakery, and all of the elegant sourdough bread and pastries are made with 100% Canadian Red Fife or Rye flour. The streamlined system at Fol Epi is elegance in simplicity at its finest. Fol Epi is an inspiring example of how village bakers could design their operations to bake with 100% locally produced flours and develop value-based supply chains to bolster local economies.

Various farms I visited were successfully incorporating flour milling into their operations, and subsequently supplying their local food sheds with whole grain products.

Outside of Eugene, OR Camas Country Mills is a warm example of how a commodity-focused farm can transition to organic food crops and be embraced by the community. A 3000-acre family-owned farm, the Huntons sought to feed their community and transition from commodity grass seed cultivation to organic grains. They now have a bustling mill and distribute a large diversity of grains, seeds, and legumes throughout the West Coast. They have also partnered with local food banks, churches, and school cafeterias to supply wholesome nutrition in the form of Lentil Soup and Emmer Applesauce Cake. With a vibrant educational program gleaming on the horizon, much can be learned from Camas Country by farms with established infrastructure interested in diversifying their fields and role in the community.

On a smaller scale Oh Yeah Farms! is ambitiously growing, milling, and baking with Hard White Winter Wheat in the small mountain community of Leavenworth, WA. Founder and Farmer Chris began growing grain to tap into a diverse niche at the Seattle-area Farmer’s Markets as a beginning farmer, and to also establish food security for his CSA subscribers. In the magical coastal town of Pescadero, CA the Pie Ranch - a diversified organic farm- cultivates a variety of heirloom wheats, stone mills the grain fresh in their charming Highway 1 Farmstand. A key component of the mission of the Pie Ranch is to educate their community on sustainable farming, and they live this mission through many local partnerships with Companion Bakery, UCSC, Google, and children’s groups. Grain has become an integral part of a larger program, further enforcing the importance of diversity in building strong local food systems.

Read a full essay about the Pie Ranch here

Rise Up! Bakery in Apple Valley Oregon is using Dunbar farms flour in their breads; The importance of diversity in food production was echoed by co-owner and baker Danny while I observed him shaping loaves of ciabatta for the next day’s Farmer’s Market. As a small-scale bakery, he elaborated on how important it was for the artisan baker to find diversity in markets. By providing schools, hospitals, markets, and grocery stores with fresh bread the baker is able to make a living, and the many sects of the community are able to include fresh wholesome bread in their diets.

Challenges to the farmers and the future

Occasionally a farm may have a few humble bags of wheat berries on their table, often overshadowed by ruby beets or succulent heirloom tomatoes. Grains are by no means as sexy as fresh produce, and they demand a much lower sale price for the farmer than a basket of berries.

Another solution to the economic challenges of small-scale grain production could come in the form of cooperative grain processing facilities that allow farmers to share equipment and aggregate grains for streamlined regional distribution. Shepard’s Grain in the Portland area is one example of this, coalescing local grains for cleaning, storage, milling, and flour distribution.

2024 update: In San Francisco, Capay Mills is my present go-to for local flour, and they source grain from California farms to mill in Yolo County not far from San Francisco. Kandarian Farm on the Central Coast is another fine purveyor of ancient grains. Tartine Bakery is a quiet champion of small flour mills and whole grains for being such a powerhouse of a bakery. They source flour from Cairnspring Mills based in the Skagit Valley north of Seattle.

I encourage you to see if there is a local farm growing and milling flour to try. Fresh flour has a nuanced flavor profile, and experimenting with different grains adds a new dimension to baked goods. Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain is now a classic guide to doing so at home, and Tartine 3 honed the craft of whole-grain baking. The more foods sourced from local producers, the more resilient food systems become, and our palettes are delighted.