Grain farms were once the center of many communities in the U.S. Come harvest time, farmers’ wheat would be ground into whole grain flour by local millers for use by local bakers and, often, brewers. Grain, in many ways, was the heart of small-town food economies.
Today, a quiet but steady revival of a local grain movement has been taking place over the past few years in New Jersey. In 2024, Northeast Organic Farming Association of NJ (NOFA-NJ) partnered with filmmaker (and former EJ editor) Jared Flesher of Hundred Year Films to highlight the artisans behind the modern-day movement. The resulting documentary, Good Grain, explores the opportunity and excitement that the local grain economy brings, and why it is important to shift away from our reliance on synthetic chemicals in the production of grain crops.
Good Grain features the people contributing to grain’s comeback story in the Garden State: the Farmer (Morganics Family Farm), the Miller (River Valley Community Grains), the Maltster (Rabbit Hill Malt), the Baker (Sourland Bread) and the Brewer (Chilton Mill Brewing). The film premiered in late August and will have continued screenings throughout the fall and winter months. For showings, events and other information, visit the filmmaker’s website.
