Our Story

The seeds for Milestone Mill were planted more than a decade ago when a research project on local food infrastructure in the Hudson Valley revealed a growing interest in local grains.

The Only Problem: Grains such as wheat, barley, and rye hadn't been grown at a commercial scale in generations.

To help figure out how to revive grain production, we organized a conference. Farmers, brewers, distillers, maltsters, researchers, and more came together for a day to share their thoughts on the problems facing local grains—and ideas for how we could work together to solve them.

As a result, the small grains research project at the Hudson Valley Farm Hub was born. Together with Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County, the Farm Hub tested more than 100 varieties of wheat, rye, barley, oats, and ancient grains.

Dig deeper into the origins of Milestone Mill

This short film was created in 2018 in partnership with Oceans 8 Films and Hudson Valley Farm Hub, and tells the story of the small grains research project.

IT TOOK YEARS OF GROWING, MILLING, BAKING, AND EATING TO PROVE THAT YES, THE HUDSON VALLEY CAN GROW GRAINS THAT MAKE DELICIOUS, NOURISHING FOOD.

At the same time, we realized that ramping up grain production required something more. Farmers continue to face post-harvest challenges and are increasingly vulnerable to weather fluctuations due to climate change, volatile global commodity markets, and ongoing supply chain issues.

To address these gaps in the local food system, to support local farmers, and to more sustainably feed our community, we founded Milestone Mill in 2022. We began operating as an initiative of the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, before stepping out on our own in 2023 as an independent organization.

WE’RE STARTING SMALL, WITH JUST A HANDFUL OF PRODUCTS-WHEAT AND RYE FLOURS, AS WELL AS CORNMEAL, TORTILLAS, CHIPS, AND BEANS-AVAILABLE AT SELECT FARMERS MARKETS. BUT WE ARE EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE, FOR CONTINUED COLLABORATION WITH THE LOCAL GRAINS COMMUNITY, AND FOR EVERY MILESTONE ALONG THE WAY.

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