Whether you love milling your own flour, like making your own cereal, or make granola for on-the-go snacks, you’re probably buying wheat from a special foods supermarket. It makes sense because it’s accessible, offers various sizes, and decently priced. But you should consider looking for a local farm from which you can buy fresh wheat.
Here are a few reasons to buy wheat online from
a local farm:
1. You Get a Fresh Product
If you plan on milling your own flour, then you should purchase the grain from a local farm. Did you know that almost half of the nutrients in wheat is lost to oxidation right after it’s milled? By purchasing the grain from your local farm, you can mill the wheat as needed while storing the rest of the wheat.
This method of storage will ensure that the wheat maintains its nutrients. You may be surprised to know that the bran protects the grain from going bad. All you have to do is ensure that the grain stays in a cool and dry location.
2. It Just Tastes Better
One of the significant benefits is the fact that fresh wheat from local farmers simply tastes better. What you get is a mildly sweet flour with a delicious nuttiness. Standard products made from commercial wheat are often devoid of flavour. No wonder people always need some kind of spread for their bread.
In addition, the texture tends to be better. The product made out of the wheat tends to be more tender. When you taste the flavour and experience the texture, you’ll be surprised how different foods like bread, pancakes, and pies taste. You won’t want to go back after milling your very own wheat at home.
3. You’ll Support Local Farmers
Local farms are producing outstanding products, but they often struggle since they have to either sell to large companies and only have a small number of local buyers. Why not support your local community instead of a large corporation?
It’s a win-win for you and the farmers as you’re getting a fresh, quality product. The farmer is generating more significant profit margins for their crops. And if you get the word out about a local farmer, you can bet they’ll provide you with better service and rates.
4. You’re Getting a Higher Quality Product
When you buy wheat online from a local farmer, you’re usually getting a higher quality product. There are many farms that offer organic and non-GMO wheat, which is very hard to find in many supermarkets, even the specialty ones.
This distinction is significant because it’s common practice to use pesticides for wheat. Because it’s a mass-produced crop, there isn’t much care put into the quality of the produce. Many small local farmers do care about their product. If they’re already dealing with local customers, they know how important it is to maintain the quality of their products so that their customers keep coming back.
Again, you should think about freshness. When you buy wheat-based products, you’re dealing with flour, pre-made mixes, or bread that’s been sitting on the shelves for many days, weeks, and even months. At this point, you’re consuming a product with very little nutrition.
5. You’ll Be Supporting Sustainable Farming Initiatives
Sustainability is becoming more critical when it comes to farming. Industrial farming methods sap out the nutrients in the soil. The end result is mass-produced and nutritionally-empty food. Sustainable farming practices rotate crops and make sure they replenish the earth.
Many local farmers use cutting-edge techniques to ensure that their wheat is being grown sustainably. They have a stake in making sure their soil is healthy if they have a customer base that wants a quality product. So you can put trust in them that they’re focusing on quality and are using farming methods that preserve the ecosystem.
6. It’s Far Cheaper to Buy from a Local Farmer
The prices you find for organic wheat products in specialty shops and grocery stores are outrageous. Premium rates are often the charge for these products because they’re very hard to come by. And of course, these stores are charging you a markup to make a sizeable profit.
Why not bypass the middle-man and go straight to the source? You’ll save a lot more money by finding local farms that are supplying these products. In fact, many of these farms are more than happy to offer you better rates depending on how much you purchase.
It makes sense to start out with a small order to see if you like the product. If you enjoy the product, you can go with a bulk order to save a lot of money. Remember, wheat products can be stored for a long time as long as there is no moisture exposure.
7. You Can Choose From a Wide Selection of Products
Many local farmers need a variety of crops to bring in a sustainable income. You may find everything from sunflower seeds, alfalfa seeds, hemp, barley, brown rice, flax seeds, chia seeds, and other grains sold by farmers, which means that you can get all the grains you need.
And if you know that the farmer is already providing high-quality wheat, it’s likely the case that the other products are high-quality as well. You may even want to ask the farmer if there are any additional discounts offered if you purchase bulk orders for a wide variety of products. You’ll be able to get all your essential grains from one source at discounted rates.
To sum up, there are many clear benefits of buying from a local or even specialty farmer. You should look for farms in your area and see what each one of them is offering. You’ll be surprised at what’s available.
Start by trying a small sample or package of their products before making the commitment. If you’re happy about the quality of the wheat and grains, you can decide to become a customer of the farmer and put in a bulk order.