1. Castle Valley Mill and The rediscovery of local stone ground grains

2. Mills of Bucks County 1642 First mill in Blue Bell
Mills used for textiles, oil, plaster, snuff, pig iron, paper, etc.
Grain and Lumber biggest Bucks County Industries
Hundreds of mills powering industry
We have rich farmland, water power, Delaware River to get product to Philadelphia and ports to the world

3. The Classic Country (Custom) Grist Mill
One set of stones
Water or Wind power
Very Labor intensive
Receive and clean grain
Feeding the stones
Sifting flour
Packaging product

4. Mill Stone Basics
For over 5000 years the technology is basically grain goes in the middle and is ground between the stones with one fixed and one rotating. Flour is thrown to the outside where a hoop contains it and it eventually drops through a chute below to a packing bin.

5. Local Boy Makes Good Oliver Evans - Inventor 1755 – 1819 Born DE
Lived in Philadelphia
Inventor
Carding Machine
Steam Engines
Automatic Flour Mill 1782
Third US patent awarded in 1790

7. Roller Mills Invented ~ 1872
Gradual reduction of grain particles
Extensive Bolting to sift only the starch
Separation of grain components – germ and bran removed
Makes white flour - nothing to spoil, but no taste or nutrition

8. Industrial Revolution
Steam, Electricity, Internal Combustion
Location, Location, Location
Bigger, Faster, Cheaper
Small mills shut down due to economics
Milling centers move to Midwest
Water mills gradually fall into disrepair

9. Industrialization of Flour
Faster
Cheaper
Larger Volumes
Homogonous
Extended Shelf Life
“Pure White”
But poor nutrition
Basically tasteless

10. Whole Wheat vs Processed
Per 100g
Stone Ground
Roller Mill
Extraction
81%
72%
Protein
11.2%
10.7%
Fat
1.2%
0.7%
Carbohydrate
67%
80%
Calcium 50 22
Iron 4 1
Vitamin A
200
Vitamin B1
150
Calories
370

11. Why we are better Our grains are locally sourced
All products are Non-GMO
Freshly milled to order
Stone ground
Treat like produce, not salt
Flavor, nutrition, texture, buzz

12. Current Products Hard Wheat -Whole & Bolted Soft Wheat -Whole & Bolted
Spelt– Flour & Berries
Emmer– Flour & Berries
Rye – Flour & Berries
Yellow Corn – Grits & Cornmeal
Red Corn – Grits & Cornmeal

13. 1905
What have we done?
Castle Valley Mill about 1905 – the end of stone milling era

14. 1948
Castle Valley Mill about 1947 when purchased and saved by Henry Fischer.

15. Castle Valley Mill Today Fully restored and operational cleaning and milling

16. Preserving and restoring machines

17. Preserving and restoring machines

18. Operating Equipment Phillips 12” 1873
Nordyke Marmon Harrison Mill 12” 1880
2 x Meadows 20” Mills
30” Under runner Mill
Scalping Reel/Bolter
Single Sieve Scalper
1910 Carter Disc Separator
Cracked Corn Separator and Grader
Receiving Separator
Revolving Disc Aspirator
Wheat Scourer
Etc.

19. The Grain Train Farmer Miller Baker-Chef Distiller Consumer
Rebuilding the local grain economy requires all the cars to be moving at the same time. Growing-Production-Distrubution-Consumption.

20. Local Grain Challenges Some days it seems like we are making very slow progress
Scale
Storage
Availability
Price
Market Acceptance
Bugs - Vomitoxin

21. We are having some great success stories