CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, US — Grain Craft and Shepherd’s Grain are partnering to mill sustainably grown wheat.
Grain Craft will mill Grain Shepherd’s sustainably grown wheat into Shepherd’s Grain flour products. According to Sosland Publishing’s 2021 Grain & Milling Annual the company’s overall daily wheat milling capacity is 153,500 cwts.
Shepherd’s Grain is a grower-owned company that connects growers and end-users. It is comprised of a select group of producers who use sustainable and regenerative farming methods, including the use of cover crops, crop rotations and no till/direct seed farming. They center the implementation of these practices around continuous research to improve conservation agricultural systems and environmental impacts.
Grain Craft will collaborate with the Shepherd’s Grain sales team to jointly sell the Shepherd’s Grain branded flour to wholesale, foodservice and retail partners.
Grain Craft also will join Shepherd’s Grain team in the research and development areas such as the nutritional effects on the gut biome, regenerative agriculture practices and carbon sequestration.
Both companies remain committed to ongoing quality tests and research to determine varietal effect on baking quality.
Grain Craft is a family-owned milling company that offers premium bulk and bagged flours for the baking, food service, pizza and tortilla industries. Headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US, Grain Craft serves its customers coast to coast through its 13 milling locations. Grain Craft is currently expanding a preferred variety program throughout Kansas in which the company has identified certain wheat varieties that generate ideal baking qualities.
Founded in 2003, Shepherd’s Grain is a farmer owned company and consists of 37 farmers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, South Dakota and Alberta. It is committed to utilizing the most sustainable agricultural practices to produce wheat varieties selected for their superior flavor and baking qualities. Shepherd’s Grain works closely with industry experts and the Pacific Northwest Wheat Quality Council to determine acceptable varieties that have high end use quality.
Shepherd’s Grain offers five wheat flours and semolina available to professional and home bakers, including low-gluten, high-gluten, cake, pastry, and whole wheat flours. All wheat sourced for the flours is grown and harvested by the Shepherd’s Grain Food Alliance Certified growers, which is a certification with standards for sustainability and land improvement.