Gracious Day Grains was conceived in 2016 as a way to reconnect farm communities and the heritage grain breeds rooted in them.
In 2017 we plowed, rotary tilled, and planted 2 rented acres of Wapsie Valley corn with a 1953 International Harvester corn planter loaned from a friend.
Our vision is to one day raise all the grains we mill, to include ancient wheats (Einkorn, Kamut, or Spelt); Danko or other ancient European steppe rye; North American Wapsie Valley, Bloody Butcher, and Neal’s Paymaster corns; millet; and buckwheat. Through our web presence we intend to reach and respond to the desires of our larger community.
Our organic methods and inputs yielded a remarkable 50 bushels per acre that we harvested by hand, so in 2018 we expanded from growing solely for the local distillery to offering grits at the Floyd Farmers Market. The grits were a hit, as was the cornmeal that followed, leading us to mill a buckwheat flour mix and a corn flour mix.
To help clear our food chain of the indiscriminate chemical fertilizer, pesticide, and desiccant applications that we see as contributing to the increase of such digestive ailments as ‘gluten intolerance’.
To sustain genetic diversity by selecting heritage landrace small grains and heritage corns like Wapsie Valley and Bloody Butcher with more distinctive tastes and more locally adapted growing characteristics than common hybrid and GMO varieties.
To provide healthy grain alternatives with the security of local production and milling, resilient to distant shocks and shortages. Gracious Day Grains fed our community customers when local stores were empty, and at a fair pre-pandemic price.
To return milling to Appalachia as a contribution to the local culture, in gratitude for the abundance that makes up our community. Only decades ago, water mills dotted the countryside, milling local grain products that assured good nutrition for the community. We need that now.
To take joy in growing, harvesting, and milling grains. To see the corn piled into a gravity wagon after picking and the stream of ground corn spilling out of a stone mill, to experience the aroma that emanates through the millhouse as grits are separated from meal and packaged for someone who appreciates taste and freshness.
To keep this covenant with our customers – The Best and Most Flavorful Grains Available, Every Time. By milling artisanal batches and refrigerating before packaging and delivery, our grain products taste like they do when milled. There is no substitute for freshness. Standard milling practices keep the mill temperature below 107F to keep the grain oils stable and palatable. Our standard is under 86F throughout, and we believe it proves out in freshness.