Take A Class On Stone Milling

Take A Class On Stone Milling At Northern Crop Institute’s (NCI) Stone Milling Course, you can learn the basics of stone milling and get hands-on experience. The course even includes testing the milled flour in NCI’s bake lab. Instructor Amrita Ray says the once-a-year course has been developed specifically for farmers and bakers. “We schedule the class for November because we want to make it available to farmers,” says Ray. “We want farmers in our region to be able to make nutritious, whole grain flour from the crops they grow.” Ray believes the Stone Milling Class is unique in the coursework and hands-on experience it offers. First offered in 2024, surprising demand resulted in two classes that year, with 18 students in June and 12 in November. “We had participants from North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and as far away as New York,” says Ray. “There’s a lot of interest in stone milling and making quality products from stone-milled grain. Students included farmers, millers and researchers working in the field.” Ray notes that a year and a half of planning went into developing the in-depth course. It’s a three-day, in-person, hands-on course that includes the baking session. It has a registration fee of $1,500. The class covers mill components, capacity and how to use a stone mill. Students also learn how to produce the flour they desire and discover its physical and chemical characteristics. In addition to farmers who want to add value to the grain they grow, the course is designed for custom millers, artisan bakers, entrepreneurs and food scientists. Other likely students include buyers of stone mills and anyone passionate about traditional milling techniques and sustainable grain processing. NCI also offers a Stone Milling Basics online course for $250. It includes three modules with three lectures each, requiring one to two hours per module. The course provides an overview of how to use a stone mill and the history, principles, components and economics of stone milling. Participants can take the course at their own pace over a six-month period. In addition to the courses, NCI has prepared a Stone Milling Handbook. It’s used in the course but can also be purchased separately for $125. Ray covers stone milling innovations and applications in a one-hour webinar. It’s available at no cost on the NCI website. While only a single hands-on course is planned for 2025, that may change according to demand, suggests Ray. “We’re still learning the best time to offer the course for farmers,” she says. “However, non-farmers want to take the course, too. Two people planning to start their own milling operation took a one-on-one version of the course in early April. It focused more specifically on what they were planning to do.” NCI is a collaborative effort among Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. It supports the promotion and development of crops grown in the four-state region. It offers courses on a wide variety of subjects related to product procurement and processing of soybeans, corn and wheat. Other courses range from pasta production and baking to corn use for food, feed and fuel. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Northern Crops Institute, NDSU Dept. 7400, P.O. Box 6050, Fargo, N.D. 58108 (ph 701-231-7736; www.northern-crops.com).

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