With the increasing number of huge industrial mills across the country, one of the most essential parts of our food system is also being industrialized: flour. Kevin Morse, CEO and co-founder of Cairnspring Mills, talks about his mission to bring organic flour into the mainstream market and the important role of community-rooted mills in achieving that goal. He joins Corinna Bellizzi to share how regenerative farming practices, healthy farmer relations, and sustainable food manufacturing are keys to producing nutrient-rich flour and bringing value back to local grain communities. Kevin also sheds light on how smallholder farmers are facing their toughest times right now due to the commodity system, trade wars, and the rapid corporate takeover.

About Our Guest: As CEO and co-founder of Cairnspring Mills, Kevin Morse taps into his deep experience as a farmer, economic development leader, conservationist and community builder and applies his can-do spirit to build the mill from the ground up. Kevin recognized that building a new regional grain milling business would bring value back to the community and farmers and was a critical part of revitalizing the local food system. An incorrigible optimist deeply rooted in the beautiful Skagit Valley, Kevin is an outdoorsman, avid fisherman and an Italian who loves to cook and bake.

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-morse-6948a046/

Guest Website: https://cairnspring.com/

Guest Social: https://www.instagram.com/cairnspringmills/

Show Topics with Timestamps:

02:59 - Rotating Cereal Grains For A Hundred Years

07:03 - How Industrial Mills Started To Kill Local Mills

10:08 - How Cairnspring Mills Are Doing Things Differently

13:14 - Shelf Life Difference Between Nutrient-Dense And All-Purpose Flour

16:11 - The Dangers Of Glyphosate In Flour Production

19:50 - Why Animals Are Naturally Attracted To Regenerative Land

21:17 - Importance Of Maintaining Close Relationships With Farmers

24:25 - How Cairnspring Mills Scales While Keeping Their Core Values Intact

29:44 - Why Smallholder Farmers Are Facing Their Toughest Times

38:04 - Promising Brands To Look Out For

40:12 - Why Flour Will Become The Next Big Thing In Mainstream

42:43 - Benefits Of Having A Huge Assortment of Flour

47:49 - Can Regional Grains Restore Soil Health And Reduce Carbon

51:34 - Using Synthetic Fertilizers On No-Till Soils

55:05 - How Food Shapes Kevin’s Leadership Approach

58:56 - Possibility Of The Reemergence Of Community-Rooted Regional Mills

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