While Grand Forks may not be an epicentre of wheat rye and triticale, fresh ground flour has been milled in the valley for decades.
In an effort to revive the Pride of the Valley Flour Mill, which first began operation in 1915, the Doukhobor Milling Heritage Society and the Boundary Museum Society have joined forces to manage and operate the mill, which is capable of producing 90 kilograms of wheat per hour.
“It is our hope that by working together the Pride of the Valley Flour Mill will continue to be an asset to the community,” said Bob DeMaertelaere, Boundary Museum Society secretary.
The museum society will provide management and marketing services for the mill and the milling society will provide the milling expertise, training for millers and the sourcing of the wheat, rye and triticale, said DeMaertelaere.
The flour, which falls under the Pride of the Valley brand has been stocking retail outlets, grocery stores and used by the USCC Ladies Bread and Lapsha group on an as-needed basis.
“The (flour mill) has been hit and miss for a while,” said the museum society secretary. “It didn’t do any milling last year because they couldn’t obtain any wheat anywhere.”
DeMaertelaere believes that the traditional stone grind mill is an integral link to agriculture.
“There is such an interest in agriculture again starting to surface in the valley, so a gristmill will be fairly important,” he said.
The mill goes back a long ways and so it will also be an attractant for tourists, as it’s open for tours through the museum.
Walter Hoodikoff, secretary treasurer of the Doukhobor Milling Heritage Society, said that the mill is a designated heritage site.
“Our mission is to provide tourism and our primary purpose is to produce flour in the most natural form possible,” he said in an email to the Gazette.
DeMaertelaere said that he expects the mill to be up and running within a few weeks.
“There are a few minor repairs to do (screens to be replaced) and once that is done, they are ready to mill. We have (some) wheat and triticale (in the works) from the Rock Creek area so as soon as the repairs are done we can take delivery of some grain and start milling,” he said.