community
Robin Recommends…Grass Valley Grains
Grass Valley Grains
Services: Grass Valley Grains is a one-man farming and milling operation, founded by Reed Hamilton, a 25-year resident of Nevada County. Reed uses organic methods and materials to grow grain crops on a fifth-generation farm in Wheatland, California, where there is abundant flat land. He turns the grains into flour or meal using his own stone mill in Grass Valley.
Reed founded Grass Valley Grains as a way to provide a source of wholesome, locally grown grain and grain products to local consumers. Reed’s choice to grow grains comes from having grown up on a grain farm and because he loves bread, which he believes is such an elemental food! Reed is committed to growing food in a way that builds the soil and produces nutritious crops without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. He wants to educate people about the properties of what they eat and the many grain crops that are available besides wheat, and wants his customers to be a community of friends who share an understanding of what it takes to produce this food.
Robin’s Thoughts: Grass Valley Grains is an asset to our community and example of the commitment to quality, organic food that provides health benefits to our bodies as well as to the planet. The variety of grains that Reed grows, wheat, rye, oats, barley, corn, beans, teff, and amaranth, can be milled into flour or meal, or they can be used whole or cracked.
Reed sells grains, flour, and meal by phone for individual orders, and through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Soon, web sales will be available. Several local restaurants use the grains and flours from Grass Valley Grains as a staple ingredient of the healthful and delicious meals that are served.
Contact Info
Web: http://www.grassvalleygrains.com
Email: reedhamilton38@yahoo.com
Phone: 530-273-8818
Robin Recommends…APPLE Center
APPLE Center for Sustainable Living
Services: Sustainability Center. A community member and leader collaborative effort to create a virtual and physical hub to assist the public, private, and business sector in collectively reducing our planetary impact and improving a sound quality of life in Nevada County as a whole.
The APPLE Center will serve these needs by providing a place where visitors and locals can connect to businesses and organizations that provide knowledge and tools for sustainable living. The Center will serve to coordinate existing groups’ efforts in Nevada County as well as developing new programs to build relationships that increase efficiency and effectiveness as Nevada County proactively transitions to a local, sustainable economy.
Robin’s Thoughts: Giving to the community is a reward unto itself; the physical transformation of the building in which the APPLE Center now lives was an amazing and inspirational collaborative effort. Local businesses donated supplies, local friends tore down, sanded, put up, painted, caulked, and had a merry time creating the physical space. Volunteers will be on site during open hours to answer questions, make referrals, and fulfill the mission of the forward thinking APPLE Center.
Contact Info
Web: http://applecenter.org
Phone: 530-478-1700 Address: 412 Commercial Street, Nevada City, CA (Wed – Fri 12 – 5 PM, Sat & Sun 11 AM – 6 PM)
Email: info@applecenter.org
Calendar of Events: http://www.applecenter.org/whats-happening/calendar (clearing house for community wide events)