Red Hen Baking Company, Middlesex, has developed a new partnership with a mill and farm located just 150 miles from the bakery in Les Cedres, Quebec. Les Fermes Longpres, operated by the Dewavrin family, is a 1,500-acre organic operation growing wheat, sunflower seeds, corn, buckwheat and soybeans.
The farmers use their own seed saved on the farm for nearly all of their crops and are involved in the development of several new varieties of wheat and other crops. This fall, Les Fermes Longpres has begun the operation of a roller mill located on the farm. This new venture, named Moulin des Cedres, is the culmination of a three-year project undertaken by the Dewavrin family to process the approximately 400 acres of wheat that they grow annually. "Their intention is to partner with just a few bakeries that they can work closely with and Red Hen is excited to be their first U.S. partner," said Red Hen co-owner Liza Cain.
In late November, Red Hen began using the Moulin des Cedres flour in all of their baguettes. In January the mill will be prepared to supply Red Hen with approximately 7,000 pounds of flour every week. "This exciting new partnership with Moulin des Cedres means that when the mill is fully operational in January all of our grain will be sourced within 150 miles of the bakery," said Randy George, co-owner and Red Hen founder.
Red Hen has been a pioneer in the use of Vermont-grown grain for many years. Their popular Cyrus Pringle and Crossett Hill breads are made exclusively with grain grown on two Vermont farms, Gleason Grains and Aurora Farms/Nitty Gritty Grain. Red Hen currently purchases all the flour they can from these two operations.
"Not only will this mean that we are making a huge leap forward with sourcing from local farmers, but we feel that the quality of the Moulin des Cedres flour is exceptionally good. This new flour will make our breads even better," George said. Red Hen Baking Company, which started in Duxbury in 1999 and is now located in Middlesex where they operate a cafe alongside their wholesale bread bakery, bakes and delivers Certified Organic bread throughout Vermont seven days a week.
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