The gristmill at Homestead Heritage and the miller who turns grain into flour weren’t born in Texas, but both got here as fast as they could. The mill, constructed before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, was brought here in the year 2000 from near Trenton, New Jersey. The mill is run by Jim Moore, from Connecticut, who thought he’d teach history after retiring from the police force. The gristmill creates whole-grain flour, corn meal, and grits with a technology developed before the Roman Empire: water power.
“In colonial America, the local gristmill was the epicenter of social and economic activity,” said Jim. “The miller becomes a connection between the consumer and the farm – it’s the midway point.”
Driven by water power moving a paddlewheel, 200-year-old millstones from France turn wheat into flour and corn into grits and cornmeal. These products are sold in the gristmill, shipped to bakers and chefs around the world, and used in the community restaurant, Café Homestead.
There is a real connection between the miller, the mill, and the grains, a connection shared with those who visit. Jim sees the gristmill as a place that maintains the bond between farmers and the people who consume their food.
“In the modern world, flour is on a shelf in the store,” said Jim. “We pay with money and have no direct connection to the source. Here, I’m able to tell people more about the flour.”
Jim and his wife Ada came from Connecticut several years ago, looking for a community driven by purpose and faith, trusting in God to guide them to the right vocation. At the Homestead Gristmill, Jim shares his heart, his stories, and the work of his hands. And in addition to being a miller, he’s now become the full-time history teacher he always thought he’d become.
Read the full press release here.
