Finally our hand-powered grain mill is up and running. We’ve mounted it on a wooden butcher’s block that we bought at a garage sale. So far, it seems to be working really well — achieving a nice fine grind without taxing our arm muscles too much! We’ve already milled wheat to make a batch of scones and a loaf of sourdough bread. We thought the results were very tasty! We are very pleased with the 25 kilo bag of organic hard wheat berries that we ordered direct from the supplier. I’m amazed at the subtle scent of the freshly ground wheat flour. It smells nutty and sweet.
Kevin mills wheat with the Country Living Grain Mill
Once we’ve developed a bit more garden space, we hope to experiment with growing and milling our own grains to eat. Hard wheat wouldn’t be a good choice to grow in our bioregion, so we’ll be trying other grains — corn and amaranth, perhaps.
What kind of grain mill is it? It’s a Country Living Grain Mill. We bought it before we left the USA, and shipped it out to New Zealand with some of our other personal effects. We did some reading and asking around before we purchased the mill, and this one seemed like the best choice. The grinding plates are made of forged steel, which means they should be very durable. It also got good reviews for ease of use and the quality of the flour it can produce.
When I called to place an order for a Country Living Grain Mill, I found myself talking to the man who actually designed the mill. He obviously (and justifiably, we think!) takes real pride in his grain mills, and was very kind and helpful. We ordered a mill with a superficial blemish, in order to pay a lower price, but I’m not even sure I can see a blemish on our mill. Actually, we think it looks beautiful. It has the elegant solidity of a machine designed with care and built to last — something that has become rare in this age of plastic and flimsy throw-out appliances.
