Grain School Presenter Highlight: Jon Branstrator

Jon Branstrator bought his first mill, a 8" Meadows, along with a Allis Chalmers All Crop 60 pull type combine in the late 70's. Milling his own grains and some that he purchased was a very satisfying experience. Local customers, like Ha Ha Pizza in Yellow Springs, really liked Jon’s flour and used it in their whole wheat pizza crust. Jon left the family farm for a number of years to pursue work in Costa Rica. When he returned to the farm he grew produce and commodity grains until seeing his old mill rekindled his interest in milling. Jon located heritage Red Fife wheat, Ohio Blue Clarage and Leaming Yellow seed and returned to his passion of growing and milling his own grains. Now with the purchase of harvest, seed cleaner, and a 16" stone mill, his passion projects are coming together. Current projects include helping to develop a Regional Grain Hub with Brandt Farms, studying corn culture in Oaxaca, teaching soil health and practicing regenerative agriculture on his preserved farm.

Locally grown grains are the missing component in many local food systems. How do we find the deep rooted, drought-tolerant, disease-resistant grains that work best for our region?

A three-day Heritage Grain School is being offered August 12-14, 2022 in partnership with Agraria, Antioch, Tecumseh Land Trust, the Appalachian Staple Foods Collaborative, Rural Action, and Cornville Seed. This immersive course explores the history, culture, cultivation and culinary uses of ancient and heritage grains. Day one highlights farmers, day two brewing, malting and milling, and day three baking, marketing, policy and a field trip to heritage grain farmer Jon Branstrator’s farm.