wheat from the feed store

[GardenWeasel]

Any body got a good reason I shouldn't buy 50 lbs and use it to grind for flour? I just spent $199 on a grain mill. Spent a ton of time researching for the model that could do coarse and fine, did not have to clamp to something and was electric as I have carpal tunnel. Any thoughts on using such a cheap source for wheat? I will update on my opinion of the mill I bought, I hope it is good. I seldom spend that kind of money!

 

[TanksHill]

 

[noobiechickenlady]

See if you can check it out first. Look through a handful or two for bugs, weed seeds, or other foreign particles.

Around here, the untreated (very important) seed wheat is good quality, but the feed wheat isn't quite as nice. And there is the added advantage of it being for planting, so it's more likely to come up.

That being said, I sprout and/or grind the wheat I buy at the feed store. Not as much now, since we've cut out a lot of the grains we used to use. But I still sprout them for me. I like them on salads.

 

[ksalvagno]

Below is an email from a farmer in Montana. We asked the same question. We won't be buying wheat from the local feed mill for ourselves.

Glad to hear from you and yes I am a farmer/rancher in Montana. Now, I am not sure what you are calling feeder wheat, as I am not familiar with that term, but assuming you are talking about feed wheat, I would stay away from it if you plan on eating it. It is fine for animals, but generally it is very low quality wheat and sprout damage or even ergot can be prevalent. Oftentimes it is grain that was put in the bin too wet! Here in Montana, I would say come out to the farm and we will sell you a pickup load, then you could take it home and load it into buckets. Any chance you could find something like that? I just went out and picked a bunch of chokecherries. I was averaging 10 pounds an hour picking!

Anyway, you sure would not have to buy organic, but just make sure it is good quality wheat. It would be a good idea to wash it before you serve it in case of pesticides. Hope this helps a bit! Good luck to you in your stocking up. Man things are sure getting high. I think wheat could really take off, so don't wait too long!!

 

[Icu4dzs]

Go to the local grain elevator and have them fill the back of your p/u truck with wheat. I did this a few years ago. I have a short bed truck. A long bed will hold nearly twice that amount. It cost me $135 and I had nearly 2000 lbs of wheat berry's. (~$3.85/bushel) I grind them up with the Country Living Grain mill (way too spendy but I got it now ) and make my own bread which is wonderful...but time consuming.

The recipe I use takes 22 ounces of whole wheat berry's and makes a wonderful loaf of bread that feeds me for nearly 3 days (sometimes more if I am lazy) So, a bushel is nearly 50 lbs. which makes about 25 loaves of bread, at three days each per person, that should be about 3- 4 bushel per person/year! Some folks have been spending $50/bushel because they bought it in a 50#bag from their local "farm" distributor. Now that is a far cry from $3.85/bushel. Corn where I live is selling for about $3/bushel right now. Ground into corn meal, it is a good food source, too!

Nothing beats the grain elevator for price. Any amendments to what you buy is ALWAYS accompanied by huge increases in price to those from whom you buy, even if it is only a bag and lable.
Of course, before you go to the elevator, have a firm idea/plan as to what you are going to do with all that wheat once you get home. I'd pick a day without rain when you do it, too. Gets messy back there if you drive in the rain with exposed wheat berry's.

Clean/new metal trash cans hold about 3 bushel each. Since wheat stores indefinitely if kept dry, you can do very well if you have plenty of 5 gallon food grade buckets which hold just less than a bushel. Adding the ability to store it with food grade nitrogen gas will do wonders for your peace of mind.

Get all the beans, corn, lentils, etc. you can and store them in clean dry well sealed containers while the prices are cheap. Then you can relax a little, knowing you won't starve in tough times. You may get tired of things that are always the same, but you won't starve.
This link came off the Internet just now.
http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/17/wheat-tops-10-per-bushel-could-cereal-become-too-expensive/
It can help guide your decisions...
Here is the price chart from www.waltonfeed.com for wheat...
Walton Feed, Inc.
135 North 10th Street
Montpelier, ID 83254
208-847-0465 or 800-847-0465
Fax: 208-847-0467
Email: info@waltonfeed.com
or rainydayfoods@yahoo.com

Wheat

Products
Item Number Name Price
B010 Germade-Cream of Wheat 50# bag $20.95
L519 Germade-Cream Of Wheat 5# mylar $5.75
K065 Germade-Cream of Wht 73oz #10 can $5.90
K066 Germade-Cream of Wheat 6 #10 cans $32.95
C079 Germade-Cream Of Wheat 38# 6 gal RB $25.55
E079 Germade-Cream Of Wht 6 gal 38# SP $29.10
A086 Wheat-Bran 25# bag $10.10
C056 Wheat-Bran 6 gal 15# RB $15.30
E058 Wheat-Bran 6 gal 15# SP $19.05
A062 Wheat-Cracked 50# bag $29.05
K053 Wheat-Cracked 65oz #10 can $6.85
K054 Wheat-Cracked 6 #10 cans $39.10
C039 Wheat-Cracked 6 gal 35# RB $30.30
E039 Wheat-Cracked 6 gal 35# SP $34.00
A063 Wheat-Durum for pasta 25# bag $12.00
C040 Wheat-Durum for pasta 6 gl 42# RB $26.00
E040 Wheat-Durum for pasta 6 gl 42# SP $29.60
A087 Wheat-Flakes 50# bag $30.40
C057 Wheat-Flakes 6 gal 25# RB $25.80
E059 Wheat-Flakes 6 gal 25# SP $29.60
W001 Wheat-Hard Red Paper 50# bag $11.55
W003 Wheat-Hard Red double plastic 50# bag $12.05
W002 Wheat-Hard Red double plastic 25# bag $6.90
W008 Wheat-Hard Red Wheat in 88oz #10 Can $3.35
W009 Wheat-Hard Red 33# 6 #10 cans $18.00
W004 Wheat-Hard Red 4 gal 28.5# RB $14.25
W005 Wheat-Hard Red 5 gal 36# RB $15.35
W006 Wheat-Hard Red 6 gal 45# RB $16.55
W007 Wheat-Hard Red 6 gal 45# SP $20.00
O002 Wheat-Hard Red Organic Paper 50# bag $41.00
O003 Wheat-Hard Red Organic dbl plastic 50# bag $41.50
O001 Wheat-Hard Red Organic dbl plastic 25# bag $23.50
O006 Wheat-Hard Red Organic Wheat 88oz #10 can $7.50
O007 Wheat-Hard Red Organic Wheat 6 #10 cans $43.00
O004 Wheat-Hard Red Organic 6 gal 45# bckt RB $47.50
O005 Wheat-Hard Red Organic 6 gal 45# bckt SP $51.00
B007 Wheat-Soft for pasteries 50# bag $13.75
C078 Wheat-Soft for pasteries 6 gal 45# RB $24.65
E078 Wheat-Soft for pastery 6 gl 45# SP $28.20
W031 Wheat-Hard White Paper 50# bag $13.05
W032 Wheat-Hard White double plastic 50# bag $13.60
W030 Wheat-Hard White double plastic 25# bag $7.60
W036 Wheat-Hard White Wheat 88oz #10 Can $3.55
W035 Wheat-Hard White Wheat 33# 6 #10 cans $20.55
W033 Wheat-Hard White 6 gal 45# RB $18.50
W034 Wheat-Hard White 6 gal 45# SP $21.95



Hope this helps,
Trim sends

 

[GardenWeasel]

Thanks for all the info and prices. I am not really looking for a pick up load at this time. I feed the wheat berries to the hens now and it does look clean and no mold or bugs. I thought rye was the source for ergot? I am pretty new to the area so don't really know many farmers. Any body else have opinions? Grew my own heirloom corn this year, which is why I bought the mill. I didn't grow enough but could buy the mill this year at no interest for a year. trying to get away from GMO as much as I can.