Nose to the grindstone at Farmer Ground Flour

Farmer Ground Flour, a mill in Trumansburg, specializes in grinding grains grown by Caygua Pure Organics.  The grain arrives at the mill in "tote bags" that hold 35 cubic feet. In batches of 300 pounds, grain goes into the hopper and is ground between two circular vertical stones before being sifted.

Greg Mol, the farmer who grinds the flour, says that he produced about 10,000 pounds of flour in November and expects that number to grow to about 15,000 pounds within the next year.

Running a small operation is challenging economically.  Home cooks often don't know what to do with anything other than all-purpose flour.  But Mol says he's found that chefs in NYC savor the unique qualities of his products.  He is constantly experimenting with different products, including whole wheat bread flour, "half white" flour, pastry flour, polenta, and cornmeal.

But the business is not just about artisan-quality flour, the mill represents a step towards a local food system, providing processing of local grains for local consumption.  In 2009, Farmer Ground Flour was recognized as a "Sign of Sustainability" by Sustainable Tompkins.

Consumers in the Finger Lakes can buy Farmer Ground Flour products in bulk through Regional Access or in smaller quantities at Greenstar or Garden Gate Delivery.