In the midst of these chilly winter days, there’s a special comfort that many can find from turning on the oven and whipping out some mixing bowls to bake. The main dry ingredient in many time-honored bread, cookie, and cake recipes is of course four.
Luckily there’s a nutritious flour made right in the Finger Lakes that’s available in stores throughout the state: Farmer Ground Flour.
Organic farmer Thor Oechsner and millers Greg Russo and Neal Johnston started creating this vibrant flour in 2009 from grain grown in the Finger Lakes, according to its website. They designed a milling process that preserves the three parts of the whole grain, the seed of a plant: the endosperm, germ, and bran. This process uses sleek, pink granite millstone. This allows the flour to retain the nutritious benefits—and flavor—of the whole grain.
In the consolidated world of milling flour, Farmer Ground Flour—based in Trumansburg—has remained a cooperative enterprise, supporting local farmers. Certified organic Oechsner Farms in Newfield produces most of the grain used by Farmer Ground Flour, however they also use grain grown by other farms in and around the Finger Lakes including DG Farms in Enfield and Running Creek Farms in Groton.
You can find Farmer Ground Flour at stores across New York State, including the Wegman’s in Canandaigua, Ithaca, Rochester, and Syracuse.
To learn more visit: www.farmergroundflour.com.
Made in the FLX is a weekly column highlighting the small scale food producers of the Finger Lakes. Each week we will feature a locally made food product that is distributed widely throughout the region and beyond, showcasing the strength and quality of our local resources.
