9TIPS FOR ENJOYING GRAINS
Buy local. Until a little over 100 years ago when industrial agri-
culture started to take over, farmers would bring their grain
to a community mill. But local grain economies have largely
disappeared as production has instead become consoli-
dated in just a few parts of the country. Recently, however,
stone-milling techniques have made a comeback across the
United States. You can support local farmers while contribut-
ing to local economies through the range of players involved,
from millers to bakers. A resource for finding farms, mills,
and malt houses in your area is the Local Grains Map at
wholegrainscouncil.org.
Buy from manufacturers whose growing and milling practices are
aligned with your values. Food producers labeled as B Corporations
mean the businesses meet a high standard of verified social
and environmental performance, public transparency, and
legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. You can
search the B Corp website (bcorporation.net) for manufacturers
of whole-grain products. For the ultimate traceability, some
manufacturers tell you the specific farming practices, water
use, milling details, and harvest date and location of the exact
plot of land where the wheat in your box of pasta or the corn in
your bag of popcorn was grown.
Taste the rainbow. Yes, common whole-wheat bread and cheddar
popcorn are easy ways to up your whole-grains intake, but
there’s an exciting range of lesser-known options. The Whole
Grains Council’s website lists over twenty types of whole
grains in an “A to Z” resource, from ones milled into flours to
Stuff that Comes from the Ground 35