More than the Daily Grind By Emily-Sarah Lineback
Stone to plate, think of it as the farm-to-fork equivalent for traditional stone-ground flour, the kind your grandmother used to make high-rise, fluffy biscuits. “Stone grinding makes a better meal than the industrial ground variety,” says Eugene Phillips of Boonville Flour & Feed Mill in Boonville. It doesn’t grind as much away, milling the grain gently, which also retains more of the nutrients. In the 1800s and early 1900s, small, locally owned mills were plentiful across the country, but as with most endeavors, time and technology changed the landscape and, many would argue, the taste of things. As milling and other enterprises were swallowed up by giant corporations, small operations closed. Today, roughly 35 independently owned flour mills exist in the country; North Carolina has six of them, and our area has two: Boonville Flour & Feed Mill and Old Mill of Guilford in Oak Ridge. As one might expect in such a small circle, the owners are friends and the two mills sell one another’s products. “One of the mills in Greensboro that we got some of our grain from closed, and that’s when Charlie (Charles Parnell, former owner) found Boonville,” says Annie Laura Perdue, Old Mill of Guilford’s miller since the 1970s. Old Mill of Guilford, recognized by its red water wheel (and on the National Register of Historic Places), marks 250 years of operation this year. Currently 56
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owned by Darrell and Amy Klug, the mill still produces all-natural, stoneground, whole grain foods. Some of its most popular offerings are its mixes, especially its signature Sweet Potato Muffin Mix. “I love it, that’s why I do it,” says Perdue. People need to know about things like this and the history of them. It s important to know where things come from. Boonville Flour & Feed Mill, circa 1880, was first powered by a large engine and boiler, which was fired with four-foot corded wood bought from local farmers. The family-owned and operated business, bought by Sammie Phillips in 1979, specializes in stoneground cornmeal, grits and wheat, and they manufacture them much the same way as when the mill was built. They grind daily, a happening you can hear, smell, and see. The ancient building vibrates from the activity, and everyone involved can’t help but wear a bit of the fine powder by the time they re done, proof of a good day’s work. “We get our corn and wheat from Dobson,” says Eugene, “and our cornmeal comes from Mocksville.” The mill makes Daniel Boone cornmeal and grits and Our Best plain and self-rising flour; these and other local products are sold
interior photo by Benita VanWinkle
onsite in the mill store that sits just atop the hill from the mill. They also grind for individuals, mainly farmers who want feed for their livestock. “It’s a landmark,” says Sammie of the mill and adjacent mill store. He turned 93 years old in July and has been milling all his life, growing up in and then co-owning his grandfather’s mill in Virginia before purchasing Boonville’s mill. He still shows up at the mill most days. “I piddle more than work, but it’s how you make a living,” he says with an easy smile, and I enjoy it. With a growing appreciation of local food, sustainable agriculture, and artisan food production, the handful of locallyowned mills offers a desirable alternative for individuals as well as restaurant buyers. For the millers, it s more than a business; it’s a labor of love wrapped up in hard work and old-fashioned integrity. “You have to treat people right and keep a good product,” Sammie reminds. “And you have to have a good grain for a good product.” Eugene nods in agreement. It sounds simple, much like how flour seems simple. Yet that ingredient shapes our food just as our beliefs shape our lives. And everyone who’s ever made biscuits knows that the right flour, the best flour, makes all the difference.
Boonville Flour & Feed Mill, 203 Carolina Ave. S., Boonville, is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 336-367-7999 or visit boonvilleflourmill.com to learn more. Old Mill of Guilford, 1340 NC Hwy 68 N., Oak Ridge, is open daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call 336-643-4783 or visit oldmillofguilford.com for more details. yad kin valley ma gaz ine.com