If you're considering introducing or expanding a line of products made from whole wheat, grain and flour you'll need to find the right supplier—but first you need to find the right wheat.
Whole wheat flour is typically made from hard red wheat, but hard white wheat with its lighter, sweeter taste is gaining in popularity, as are organic grain and flour. Before you rush out to purchase your year's supply of whole wheat, grain and flour, carefully consider your product line, customer base, and available supply, then answer these three questions:
1. What form of grain do you need: Whole grain wheat, whole wheat flour, or whole wheat grain and flour?
2. Do consumer interest or your mission and goals warrant the use of organic wheat flour?
3. Do you have to buy now?
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Pick your grain and flour
The nature of your product line should make it quite obvious whether you need whole grain wheat, whole wheat flour, or a combination of the two.
I recommend: If all you need is flour, visit
AgriSeek flour sales or
Meadows Mills to find wheat flour producers.
Set your sights on organic wheat flour
If your customers are interested in organic products, or if organic fits the mission and goals of your business, you should test a line of organic products. Plan a relatively small run at first to gauge consumer response, and purchase supplies accordingly.
I recommend: Shop organic marketplaces like
GreenPeople and
Organic Bean & Grain to find the best deals on organic wheat and organic wheat flour.
Haggle over horses?and flour sales
Grain and flour prices vary widely with the world market, supply and demand, so make the best deals you can get without endangering your supply. Leverage prices whenever possible; in other words, don't be shy about asking your supplier to meet someone else's price in order to retain your business. Do be prepared to follow through and move on if they can't accommodate you.
I recommend: Monitor the
Wheat Outlook so that you can buy when prices are lowest, and collect leads from
Fuzing and other online marketplaces so that you can leverage one price against another.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Because organically grown wheat must be run through organic flour mills in order to qualify as "organic wheat flour," you stand to save a lot of money by milling it yourself if you go through a sufficient quantity to warrant the initial investment in your own mill.
The official source of Whole Wheat, Grain and Flour is
the Whole Wheat, Grain and Flour page at Business.com
Featured Vendors
Premium Almond Flour SalesHoneyville's Gourmet Almond Flour is milled to perfection. The result is a premium product with consistent results in all bakery applications.
Store.HoneyvilleGrain.com
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