When we walked into the University District Farmer’s Market today, the “What’s Fresh” chalkboard had one particular entry that caught my eye: ‘fresh milled flour’. I love to cook, and try to use local and organic ingredients whenever possible. There are two ingredients I haven’t managed to find locally produced anywhere: flour and sugar.

I was on a mission. I left the companionship of our friends and went in search of local, organic flour. I found it at Bluebird Grain Farms.

Sam and Brooke Lucy own Bluebird Grain Farms. I had a lovely conversation with Brooke about their business and their products. This was their first visit to the University District Farmer’s Market and their booth was quite popular.

Bluebird Grain Farms

About The Farm: Bluebird Grain Farms is located in the upper Methow Valley. They use a crop rotation method with their grains, red clover, flax, peas, and buckwheat. They had several products available at the market today, including Emmer/Farro.

Emmer: Emmer is a very old grain and their biggest seller. It was grown through Asia, Africa, and Europe very early in recorded agricultural history. It gradually declined in popularity, but it still farmed in Italy, primarily used now for special dishes in Tuscany and Umbria. Bluebird Grain Farms believes they are the only farm growing Emmer in the United States. It has a high protein percentage (up to 16%) and is often tolerated by those with wheat or gluten allergies.

How To Cook Emmer: I picked up a recipe for Medieval Farro Salad that uses Farro, Cranberry Beans, and capers. In addition, you can cook it like risotto or a pilaf. It has a plump, chewy texture and doesn’t fall apart when cooked. It’s a simple grain, so it digests easily. While I was there, a woman with a young toddler came by and asked about the suitability of Emmer for her toddler. Brooke assured her that children could digest Emmer quite easily and as it has a slightly sweet taste, they generally like the flavor as well.

Other Products: In addition to the whole grain Emmer, they also have Emmer flour. I picked up a bag because it had been ground just yesterday. One of our shopping companions asked what made their flour appealing and my only answer was ‘the woman who sold it to me ground it yesterday’. Additional products include cracked Emmer which can be used for hot cereal, rye flour, dark northern red wheat flour, flax seed, cake flour, and a pancake mix. They also offer a CSA program for both their standard and low gluten products.

Market Schedule: Bluebird Grain Farms will be at the University District Farmer’s Market every other week. You can order their CSA online [#].