Learning about nutrition, food and its processing, I knew I needed to be more aware of where my food was coming from, how it was grown or raised and the integrity of the farmer or rancher. I spent a lot of time reading and talking to people at farmer's markets to learn the pertinent questions to ask and how to best determine if the product in front of me met the standards I had come to believe would bring the best quality and nutrition to my family. This is what I have tried to apply to choose my two organic, family, grain farms for The Simply Filled Pantry to bring to the Tyler area community.
I started with a national distributor of many grains. I noticed that consistency in the quality and cleanliness of the grains was varying and I had no personal relationship with anyone connected to the end product. And, I wanted a family farm and to get as local as I could. Hard wheat, generally does not grow in hot climates, so Texas local is not very common for those grains and I would wonder about quality. Then add in that I wanted organic and glyphosate free and we have narrowed even further who the options are.
First I found my organic hard red and hard white family farm, now Yecora Rojo is also sourced here. They answered the phone with a helpful person on the other end, answered all my questions and were willing to do business with a little start-up cottage business. The farm has been in the family for 4 generations, since 1893 and has never used glyphosate and has agreements with nearby farms to protect from any overspray. The farm is committed to sustainable practices "to provide nourishing and wholesome products that...prioritizes the health of our consumer but also respects the well-being of our planet." After driving up to the farm with my husband to pick up our first order, we asked more questions about their practices, while we could look around and see the entire set up right in front of us. We left feeling even more confident that we had found a farm who lives out integrity.
Next, I wanted to fill out The Simply Filled Pantry's offerings to include corn, oats, soft white, and einkorn. I talked with a number of farms but just hadn't found the quality and integrity I wanted to bring in. Then I reached out to one more farm and they were just what I wanted for my family and to bring to you. This farm works with bakers to specifically grow grains for nutrient density and baking performance. Also recognizing that flavor comes from the nutrients - just what I am looking for too! One extra with this farm was their, 3rd party organic certification OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association), an organization who places blind orders to test for herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides and specifically glyphosate. They too protect from other farm's practices "drift" of chemical applications using a buffer zone - which appears to be working; every testing from OCIA has come back clear of any chemicals. This farm sources oats from the northern midwest of the United States. Many are out of Canada as they require a colder climate. This farm is our ancient grains supplier. We will carry einkorn, but offer emmer, kamut, and spelt for pre-orders.
This is our standards for the grains we offer both in 2-5 lbs packages every week or 2-4X/year in bulk pre-orders when we bring in our stores. We appreciate your support of our local, family business and want you to know we support as many local or as close as is feasible, family businesses. All our packaging is supplied locally too!
If you still have questions, please reach out to us and we will happily answer any further questions!