I've been thinking about grinding my own wheat for flour, but I have no idea where to get wheat. Hubby wondered about the feed store, but I don't think that would be food grade. Do any of you know or can tell me where you get yours? Thanks . sherry

-- sherry (Calfarm@msn.com), November 24, 2000

Answers

There is no food grade wheat. There is cleaned and uncleaned which only relates to cleaning the chaffe, and that can be done at home with the window screen. There is red wheat and white wheat and I prefer the red for making bread. We buy at a mennonite farm co-op however a feed store could also order you some ---cleaned red wheat. Hope this helps.

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), November 25, 2000.

You could try your local organic food co-ops. Ours sells it either in 20 lb or 50 lb bags, also in 45 lb nitrogen-flushed buckets for longer term storage. You can also buy it by smaller quantities at grocery stores like Whole Foods if you just want to try it first before jumping into quantity. I prefer to buy from an outfit like that over a feed store. I always wonder what's been running around in the bin with it at the feedstore, or whether they've treated it with something I'd rather not be ingesting, like fungicides.

-- Julie Froelich (firefly1@nnex.net), November 25, 2000.

Sherry, if you decide to buy it at your local healthfood store, ask them about bulk discounts for advance orders. If you walk in our store and ask for 50 lbs., we'll scramble around and come up with it somehow. If you come in and inquire about ordering ahead, you'll save around 15-20%, and usually only have to wait a couple days. We take orders over the phone, too, so you may want to check it out. You definitely want hard red wheat for bread.

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), November 25, 2000.

Check the archives for a thread on food co-ops. The main one I order from,(Something Better Natural Foods, 25# of organicewheat berries for $10.50. + whatever mark up the co-op would charge, if any. You might see if you can find one of these co-ops in your area.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), November 25, 2000.

I have bought from the mill and cleaned it myself before. On a windy day it can be done very nicely. Hard Red Winter wheat makes the all- time best whole wheat bread, the white makes a nice pasta. Good luck, I even grew my own for a couple of years and harvested it with a scythe. What a neat feeling to put a loaf of bread on the table and have it made with what you grew. diane

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 25, 2000.

I don't worry about buying grains at a feed store -- they don't have any more rodents running around in their warehouses than the grocery stores do. (My husband's uncle used to be an 'expert witness' in a lot of food contamination cases, and he's told us some real horror stories.) And you can't feed fungicides and stuff to livestock -- farmers have to be even more careful about what they feed their animals than we are about what we feed our children. You would want to worry about fungicides, etc., if you were buying grains intended for *seed*, but not if it's meant for *feed*. Hope this helps -- feed store ought to be cheaper than a health food store.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 25, 2000.

It is nice if you can get it from the farmer that grows it....he knows what was done to it. I made many a loaf of bread from winter wheat grown across the road, when I was a kid.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), November 25, 2000.

Sherry, go to www.wheatbin.com- they have red wheat 25lbs. for $7 and 50lbs. for $12.00, and white wheat 50 lbs. for $14.00. These are sack prices, but they also have 45 lb. buckets for a slightly higher price. They're in Kansas- you can check shipping at ups.com or usps.gov. Hope this helps!

-- Kristin, in C. Alabama (positivekharma@aol.com), November 25, 2000.

Sherry - We live close to Louisville which is not in a big grain growing area, but we were still able to locate a grain mill downtown where we bought wheat. My husband just pulled a heavy-duty pick-up under the chute and the operator "down-loaded" about a ton. It only cost $90. I would guess most cities have a local mill for local businesses. Good luck.

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), November 25, 2000.

Sherry, we get organic red wheat from the Amish bulk food stores, they are happy to order it for you. It is generally less than 50 cents a pound, in 50 pound quantities. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), November 26, 2000.

Hi, Might want to try Country Life Natural Foods, www.clnf.org, POB 489, Pullman, MI. 49450. They sell many things that are of value to homesteaders and are a not for profit religous organization.Also offer free catalog.

-- Gene (shafteryachtclub@yahoo.com), November 26, 2000.

There are at least a half dozen types of wheat available. You didn't say where you are located, so don't know if these are close. Try: http://www.happyhovel.com/ http://waltonfeed.com/

-- JLS in NW AZ (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), November 26, 2000.

Thanks for all the responces. I just sent for the catalog at country life natural foods. I'll also check out our local amish bulk store. I don't know why I didn't think of them to begin with. Since I've never ground wheat before, I may need to post back later and find out how to do it. lol sherry in south central IN

-- sherry (Calfarm@msn.com), November 26, 2000.

Sherry, the Amish bulk food stores also carry organic ground whole wheat, if you want to eliminate the grinding part, 27.00 dollars for 50 pounds. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), November 27, 2000.

It sounds like the Amish store would be your best bet. How fortunate for you that you have one near. For everyone else though it does make a difference where you buy your seed and what it has been treated with. If wheat is grown in your area you can go to the grain silos where they clean and store wheat and tell them you would like to buy wheat to make your own flour and they will clean it up really well for you. It's worth it to let them do it. It only costs us $3.42 a bushel[ that's 60#'s] for wheat last year. No where but no where have I found it cheaper, and I get raves notices for my bread.

-- Artie Ann Karns (rokarns@arkansas.net), November 29, 2000.

I agree with Artie. Three and a half a bushel is good price. I can't believe people pay close to 30 dollars a bushel through stores and websites. Also, don't forget you can get corn there, too for grinding. I also got clover for sprouting.

-- David A Jones (jonesey65244@yahoo.com), December 01, 2000.