Local product feature: 1847 Stone Milling flours

Last week on the blog, we talked about some awesome granola from a local food producer. With so many new products in stores and online, we’ve got more exciting items to talk about—so let’s not waste any time! Today, we’d like to introduce you to 1847 Stone Milling—a local food producer who makes exceptional, high quality flours. Here’s everything you need to know. We hope to see you in store soon!

Their story

1847 Stone Milling is a family-owned and operated business located on a farm in Fergus, Ontario. The farm produces crops as well as traditionally-made organic flours that are certified by Foodland Ontario. Started by Melissa McKeown, her husband and her brother, 1847 is named after the farmhouse Melissa lives in with her family—one of the oldest buildings in the county! Here’s the story in her words:

“After our parents purchased the farm in 2009 from a family friend, we asked him the history of the farm. Dr. and Mrs. Longfield had paperwork dating back to the very first people who worked the land. Those people were the Flewellings who passed the farm down to a daughter who married a Warmington, who sold it to The Baileys, who sold it to The Longfields who sold it to our family.

The farmhouse was built in 1847. It is one of the oldest buildings in our county. It has survived many storms and seen many different owners. It was abandoned in the ‘30s and it was said that the local Fergus hockey team used to have parties in the house. At one time almost burning it down! Through it all the house stood strong. The Longfields completely renovated the home in 1967 for Canada’s centennial. It is a quaint little place that we call home.”

After Melissa, Sasha and Trevor restored the heritage barn on the property and imported an Austrian grist mill, they started 1847 Stone Milling in 2014. The rest is history!

1847 Stone Milling products

Since the beginning, 1847 Stone Milling has been a values-based organization. They balance social responsibility with profitability and eliminated plastic from their packaging early on, favouring compostable bags instead. The business has remained carbon negative by using 100% solar electricity and sourcing only Canadian grown grains. That’s pretty impressive! Here’s what they offer:

• Daily Bread Flour: Made using 100% certified organic hard red wheat, Daily Bread flour gives your homemade loaves an exceptional texture. Your dough will have a smooth, elastic consistency due to the high protein content, and because this flour is freshly milled, it has not gone through a natural or artificial bleaching process.
• Daily Grind: This multi-use flour is made with a blend of hard red wheat and soft red wheat to create a perfectly balanced protein level for everyday baking. This buttery-smooth flour has subtle sweet and nutty notes that will complement muffins, pancakes, cookies and even your yeasted breads.
• Rye Humour: This rye flour bursts with flavour and has a grainy body that's ideal for bread and savoury baking. 1847 has opted to mill the rye coarse to produce a quill grey flour with a strong smoky flavour and hints of microgreens and pumpkin. As the superior sourdough starter or the backbone for a great rye loaf, you will find infinite recipes that are sure to impress.
• Run of the Mill: A whole wheat flour that is milled coarse and sifted through a large screen to produce a full body that's ideal for whole grain baking, roti and chapati. Made with a blend of hard red wheat sourced seasonally from Ontario or Western Canada, the coarse grind gives flavours of pizza crust and toasted oats with hints of walnut.
• Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: This amazing cake and pastry flour is as light and fluffy as they come. Made from a collection of soft red winter wheat berries, it provides a clean profile flour for delicate pastries, chiffon cake or extravagant cupcakes.

You can also watch this great video to learn more about these products.

Shop now

Rowe Farms is pleased to offer 1847 Stone Milling products in stores and online. If you love to bake, we highly recommend picking up one or more of these flours the next time you’re at your neighbourhood Rowe Farms store—they’re truly exceptional in quality, taste and texture. A must for anyone who bakes muffins every week, loves homemade cookies or is a sourdough expert!

Thanks as always for shopping local and supporting regenerative food. Everyone here at Rowe Farms is grateful for your business, and we look forward to introducing you to more amazing local food.