California-grown and -milled flour
Farmer to miller to you
A Grist & Toll and Farmer Mai Nguyen Collaboration
What is the SoCal Flour Share and why do we need it?
Creating a California wheat flour economy based on ecology, fair compensation, health, and quality requires effort and investment. There’s a great deal of work left to make local grains easily and abundantly available, and we’ve come up with a way for you to enjoy our achievements thus far and to help us build a robust regional grain economy.
Grist & Toll and Farmer Mai Nguyen are piloting a tiered grain share program that includes rare wheat selected from over a decade of trials for what thrives right here in our special coastal climate and grown using ecological practices. Then, they’re stone milled into distinctive, flavorful flour incomparable to anything you’ve ever eaten.
By participating in the SoCal Flour Share, you will receive 10 pounds of fresh flour milled from Farmer Mai’s incredible heirloom grains, Chiddam Blanc de Mars and Wit Wolkoring, on an alternating basis each month Feb 2021 – July 2021, for a fixed price. These grains are grown in limited quantities and may not be available through other outlets. In an effort to keep costs down and the process streamlined, the inaugural shares are available to Southern California customers, or those who are able to pick up at either Grist & Toll in Pasadena or a designated location in San Diego.
Your contribution to the share gives us a fair price for our efforts AND financial support to acquire the equipment we need to save, store, and process these rare wheat seeds for farm and food. There are 3 levels to the SoCal Flour Share, Levels A, B and C, allowing you to participate at the commitment level that works best for you. For all the finer details, including the price levels and how to purchase, click on this link:
http://farmermai.com/flour-shares/
One More Level of Engagement: The Power Flour Share
Separate from the SoCal Flour Share, we are introducing the Power Flour Share. The ever supportive grain community has continually asked how you can support our work of producing healthier crops and whole grain foods in a more meaningful way. The Power Flour Share is our first attempt at creating that option. By participating at this level, you are ensuring a fair price for our work AND financial support/investment to acquire the equipment we need to save, store and process these regionally-adapted, climate-resistant, rare wheat seeds for farm and food. Specifically, this next phase of collaboration will depend greatly on our ability to raise funds for cleaning, storing and transportation needs.
Members at the Power Flour Share will:
- Receive 10 lbs of a single variety of freshly milled whole wheat flour once a month
- Wheat varieties include heritage and heirloom grain
- Some heritage varieties will be exclusively available in this share, not in retail or through the SoCal Flour Share
- Be able to get their share
- By mail ($15/month flat rate shipping charge in addition to share)
- Be invited to meet Nan and Farmer Mai once a month in a virtual setting to learn about building a California whole wheat ecosystem and other nerdy details!
Sign-up by February 1st, 2021 – OR – right now via this link:
https://farmer-mai.myshopify.com/
Testimonials
- “Grains grown by Farmer Mai and milled by Grist and Toll is magic,” — Sarah Owens, cookbook author of Sourdough, Toast and Jam, Heirloom
- “Your Chiddam Blanc makes THE BEST pancakes!!!” –Samin Nosrat, cookbook author of Salt Fat Acid Heat
About the wheat
- Resilient and adaptive varieties: centuries-old varieties that have stood the test of time and selected for drought tolerance, disease resistance, high yield in organic farming systems
- Grown with care for people and the environment using practices of dry farming (rainfed with no irrigation), intercropping, low-till, sheep-mowing, all local inputs, and living wages
- For the future: varieties are non-patented, non-proprietary, and can legally be saved and shared
About Farmer Mai
Mai Nguyen, known as Farmer Mai. grew up in California and has been farming in Northern California for eight years. They’re dedicated to ensuring we have diverse, whole diet foodsheds that include healthful staple crops. To that end, Mai is a co-founder of the California Grain Campaign and is proud to be the youngest and only womxn of color wheat farm owner-operator in the West. Mai infuses climate research and social justice experience into farming, and has been recognized as a Grist 50 Catalyst, Berkeley Food Institute Changemaker, and Rachel’s Network Catalyst. Mai has been featured in media such as VICE, Edible Marin + Wine Country, Yes!Magazine, and NBC.