PANEL DISCUSSION: Food-Grade Grains: Best Practices from Seed to Loaf

This panel discussion featuring a farmer, a miller, and a baker will discuss what it takes to grow and process food-grade regional grains. We’ll be talking about variety selection, food safety tests and protocols, best practices in the fields and kitchens, and how to work with what Nature gives us. While this panel features some voices outside of the agricultural sector, increased understanding across the grain value chain leads to stronger relationships between farmers, middle-of-the-supply-chain processors and end users. Panelists include Tim Schacht, Kirk Smock, Jill Brockman-Cummings, and Halee Wepking. Halee Wepking is co-owner of Meadowlark Organic and Meadowlark Community Mill, a diversified grain and cattle farm and on-farm stone ground flour mill in Ridgeway, WI. Together with her husband, John, and their team of farmers and millers, they manage 1,000 certified organic acres and produce and distribute thousands of pounds of flour weekly. Jill Brockman-Cummings is the Manager of Janie's Mill. Together with Harold and Ross, Jill was involved in the research and planning for Janie's Mill, and has worked on the mill floor from day one. She oversees all of the Mill's day-to-day operations - from monitoring quality of grains and milled products, to developing new products, to working with bakers and wholesale customers. Kirk Smock is the owner and head baker at ORIGIN Breads, a small bakery in Madison, WI that specializes in naturally leavened sourdough breads, pastries and pizzas made from 100% regionally grown organic and stone milled grains. Kirk started the bakery in 2016 after 11 years or ardent home baking. Tim Schacht is a first generation farmer from central Ohio. He and his wife, Michelle, operate Ohio Till Farmstead, a certified organic grain farm that produces crops for commodity markets, specialty crops for wholesale buyers, and a line of direct-to-consumer products under their own brand.