What is the difference between the “Organic Certification” and Wheat Montana's “Chemical Free Status”?
Wheat Montana’s products are not “certified organic”, however grains grown on our farm are “chemical/pesticide free” proven via an independent lab test for 125 different Herbicides, Organochlorine, and Organophosphorus Pesticides, as well as Semi-volatile organics. Organic farming procedures benefit both the consumer and the environment. Wheat Montana Farms believes in the value of organic farming but we take our process one step further and subject our products to a final chemical analysis to ensure that you are getting exactly what you want, clean, fresh, wholesome, chemical free, grains! In order for us to produce “certified organic” wheat berries, Wheat Montana Farms must use “natural fertilizer or manure” (cow, sheep, chicken, etc). Since our products go directly from the field to the table with no irradiation or pasteurization, we are concerned about the possibility of cross contamination from virulent bacteria. We do not, at this current time, use animal manure in order to eliminate any possibility of cross contamination for our customers.
WE DO NOT USE G.M.O. (GENETICALLY MODIFIED) VARIETIES OF ANY KIND. NO G.M.O.!!
What is the shelf life on your products?
Grains: If you store the grains in a plastic pail with an oxygen absorber in a temperature stable environment, the wheat should last six to eight years, perhaps longer.
Flour: any other products that have been processed, such as the 7-grain flakes, various cracked grains, pearled barley, and groats should be used within a year.
What is the protein and moisture content of the wheat you grow or carry?
The moisture content is between 9-10 % (great for baking and storing!!)
What is the difference between “Bronze Chief” (Hard Red Spring Wheat) and “Prairie Gold” (Hard White Spring Wheat)?
Nutritionally both the Hard Red Spring, Hard White Spring, and Hard Red Winter varieties that we grow are the same (15-16% protein and 9-10% moisture). Basically the difference is in the end product: Bread made with Hard Red Wheat is darker and denser (more of a brown traditional look). Items made with Hard White Wheat “look a little more like white bread”. They bake up a beautiful golden color and do not possess the stronger taste associated with the traditional whole wheat breads.
What method does Wheat Montana Farms use to grind its Flour? Why Impact Milling?
Actually the first question we usually get is 'What is impact milling and why don't you stone grind your grains?' The answer is simply that impact milling, we think, produces a much superior flour than either commercial roller mills or stone milling operations.
The mill itself is entirely mechanical and consists of small hammers rotating at high speed in an enclosed chamber
These hammers strike the wheat in mid-air with such impact that the wheat is immediately shattered into flour. Impact milling does this at an average temperature of only 94 degrees F (34 C) . High heat destroys the vital nutrients of the grain and tends to produce rancidity.
Hammer milling produces an excellent quality, nutritious whole wheat flour, at low temps!