The big news for Southern California bakers and market goers is that Andrea Crawford (Kenter Canyon Farms) and her son Nate Peitso (Maggie’s Farm) are going into the grain business. According to Peitso, his mother recently got into baking “in a big way” and was disappointed in the commercial wheat available. On their first attempt at growing wheat, the two planted 50 acres – including heirloom varieties like Sonora Gold and Red Fife that have fallen out of favor as grain production has become more centralized. The Maggies_Farm instagram feed shows Peitso harvesting some of the wheat this week. Crawford was recently in Atlanta picking up a 100% American made stone mill which will cold-mill the grains. Keeping the grain at a low temperature during the milling process is said to offset any heat damage that occurs during milling and therefore retains more nutrients in the grain.
So what does this mean for consumers? Freshly harvested wheat berries (you cook them like rice) and freshly milled local flour will soon be available at a farm stand near you. Cue your old Sting cassette (or youtube) and scroll through the gorgeous photos of their wheat fields below.
