maine grains amber

Maine Grain Alliance 2078585144 kayla@mainegrainalliance.com. We're still working to break even. By 2019, we had purchased over $1,000,000 worth of Maine … It was a busy few days for Lambke, who helped organize the conference and fair, as well as the mill tour for the public and later a private tour for Gov. There is one mill in Denmark that makes white flour, but no one is making stone ground or organic flours. Lambke got bitten by the flour bug when she says she heard again and again from 60-year-old men running mills, “If I die tomorrow, no one will take over my mill.”. “That translates into the rest of life. Mainebiz brings together Maine’s best to share their expertise, insight, knowledge, and experience on a variety of topics that business owners and managers need to know more about. “I will continue to communicate with the Maine International Trade Center.”, Women to watch: Claudia Raessler, Maine Textiles, Women to watch: Lauren Wayne, State Theatre, Women to watch: Ellen Belknap, SMRT Architects and Engineers, Products/Services: Stone milled flour and oats grown organically in Maine. At the grist mill, that means talking to the truck drivers who bring the grain and helping them get something to haul on the way back, like sawdust for Sappi. Maine Grains, housed at the former Somerset County Jail at 42 Court St., announced earlier in October that Amber Lambke, CEO and co-owner, is … What advice do you wish you'd gotten early in your career? Byproducts are sold back to farmers to be used as mulch, composting, and food for animals. Positions including six milling staff, a bookkeeper, salespeople, a customer service representative, and an operations manager are in the lot. “Iceland doesn't grow much grain, so this is a product they lack,” she says. Box 4726, Portland, ME 04112, The 2020 Mainebiz Health Care Virtual Forum, The Five on the Future Virtual Forum 2021, New round of PPP loans has big changes from 2020 version, Former merchant mariner finds self-storage sector is lucrative ‘chapter two’, 'Bring it on!’: What 12 Maine business movers and shakers resolve to do in 2021, Here are the top 10 most-read real estate stories of 2020, Developer converts Saco Island office space to apartments to meet surging rental demand, Darling's Auto Group expands south with purchase of Brunswick dealership. They realized quickly they didn't know whether the machine was operating properly. The Working Communities Challenge advances local collaborative efforts that build strong, healthy economies and communities in Maine’s rural towns, regions, and smaller cities. Raising more money. The CEI family of organizations will be closed December 25th - January 1 and will reopen on January 4. The U.S. organic grain production is still only about 1 million acres total, and Maine has about 2,500 total acres of that, she says, quoting numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The mill also potentially could process spelt, buckwheat, barley and other grains. "A regional mill like Maine Grains represents a more radical vision: the return of true agricultural localism. Inside its simplistic shell are two, four-foot diameter grinding stones whose outer eight inches rub and mash wheat from a dozen farms, mostly from The County, until it is fine, after which it goes through an even finer sieve before it is bagged. Please do not leave this page until complete. After four years of operations, the company currently works with 36 farmers, a number which has doubled every year, and sources 90% of its grains from farms in Maine, with preference given to non-GMO, organic grains. It's a small world of stone millers out there and we share tips and stories,” Lambke says. Maine Grains Contact: Amber Lambke & Michael Scholz Address: 42 Court Street Skowhegan, ME, 04976 Email Address: info@mainegrains.com Phone: 207-474-8001 Website: https://www.mainegrains.com. Kneading brings together grain growers, bakers, oven builders, and the like, to put some serious momentum behind reviving the grain economy here in Maine and beyond. Amber spent years traveling and learning about the grain industry and realized that organic grain production at a regional scale was different from anything that was happening. 1 tsp salt. Launched in 2020, the initiative supports local teams working together to improve economic outcomes for all people in Maine’s towns, cities, and rural communities. 2 tsp baking powder. “Having a growing startup business in need of more personnel support has allowed us to identify key people in the community,” said Amber.  All jobs are filled by local residents and with milling expertise such a rare commodity, Maine Grains integrates on-the-job-training for all milling jobs. In 2012, she identified a highly visible old Victorian jailhouse in historic downtown Skowhegan in which to establish Maine Grains. Amber Lambke smiles like a proud parent at the Osttiroler Getreidemühlen Green grain mill that occupies most of the second floor of the Somerset Grist Mill in … We wanted to know if it sounded right, so we called a baker in California who we had been corresponding with, Dave Miller, and we went back and forth, holding the phone up to the mill and asking, 'Does this sound right, is this how it's supposed to sound?' Amber Lambke is president of Maine Grains, Inc., carried by specialty food stores and used by bakeries, breweries and restaurants throughout the Northeast. Click here for a list of COVID-19 Business Resources. That skill was particularly needed when Maine Grains went to the town of Skowhegan to buy the former county jail and turn it into the grist mill. Central Maine’s rich history of growing grain demonstrated the potential for a milling operation that had been untapped for over a century. Her funding strategy has been to find what she calls “slow investors,” those who defer principal and interest for the first five years, charge a low interest of around 5% and who believe in strengthening the food system. The people of Maine are just like our landscape- rugged, resilient & industrious. The large parking lot hosts a local farmers market, and commercial space in the mill is rented to tenants including a local foods café, a yarn shop, and a radio station. “There were still inmates in it when I first saw it,” says Lambke. And when she discovered that many of the drivers had never tried the grain they were delivering, she gave them some. © 2021 Coastal Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Due to our new system upgrade, we are requesting all existing users to update their password. She recently visited her birthplace, Iceland, on a trade mission to that country with Gov. Forgot your She and Scholz, an artisan baker looking for the perfect flour, decided to start a mill, and were looking for a site when they found the old county jail building, which was occupied until 2009, was for sale. Maine Grains specializes in freshly milled, organic and heritage grains for stoneground flour and rolled oats, selling to bakers, brewers, and chefs throughout the Northeast. The new machines help with efficiency and output, as rolled oats comprise 40% of the company’s production. Maine Grains also partners with the UMaine Cooperative Extension to facilitate grain education among farmers. “You have to be on your toes constantly, tying shoes, putting on sunscreen and thinking of the next thing,” Scholz told Mainebiz, speaking from his Old Town kayak off the shore of the camp. But that's still enough for a small export business. 1/2 cup melted butter. Maine, USA Fun fact: In the 1830s, a single town in Maine produced more than 239,000 bushels of wheat (that’s enough for 100,000 people!). Lambke still struggles with the question of who can buy the locally made food, as 51% of the local area population qualifies for food assistance. The flour industry might seem an unlikely arena for business innovation. She's attentive to what needs to be done around her, and helps those who need it, to improve the world around her.”. The mill's light pine exterior and wooden, hand-twist adjustment levers mask the sheer might needed to make artisan bread flour. Watch the preview of “Martha Bakes” Oats episode here and check your local listings for showtimes. The conference now attracts hundreds of people every year interested in local grain production, milling, and bread making. As a Skowhegan resident, Amber found herself actively volunteering with downtown revitalization projects. Her dad was in the Navy, and after stints in California, West Virginia and then Maine, he worked for Bath Iron Works for more than 20 years. 1 cup milk - or milk substitute. For example, Allagash Brewing Company made a commitment to purchase one million pounds of Maine-grown grain, per year, by 2021. Maine Grains processes grains naturally, using no water, and ultimately creating products and byproducts that are a valuable local resource. “She looks for ways to solve problems.”. Skowhegan, Maine Amber Lambke is president of the Somerset Grist Mill, LLC and its Maine Grains label, carried by specialty food stores and used by fine restaurants and … The conference established a conversation around revitalizing a grain economy in Maine. Since COVID-19 struck, Amber Lambke, the founder and CEO of Maine Grains and co-founder of the Maine Grain Alliance, said her business has seen a 4,000% increase in online sales. The lot, about a quarter acre in size, was listed for sale by the SEDC in August 2018, shortly after the historic Kennebec Inn was torn down. We hope to be profitable this year. Amber worked closely with Janet Roderick, CEI Business Advisor, with early stage business planning, developing a narrative, crunching numbers, and identifying and writing grants. Maine Grains, located in downtown Skowhegan, is now home to other businesses and is a prime example of the town’s growth and community revitalization efforts. Maine Grains innovative leap Skowhegan 1018 Amber Lambke, left, and Jeff Hewett on Thursday show off the lot where the historic Kennebec Valley Inn once … They bought the 14,000-square-foot building from the county for $65,000, and raised and spent $1.6 million to build it into its current configuration, which includes the grist mill occupying about one-third of the building, a separate yarn shop and an outdoor coffee shop. There are other opportunities, like selling grain to fish farms, and for other Maine businesses like farms and fish. She became a co-founder of the first Kneading Conference in 2007, she says, “To bring millers, farmers and others together to help revive the regional economy.” She had met her husband, who is a doctor, at a contra dance in North Whitefield and moved to Skowhegan in 2001, at first keeping her profession as a speech pathologist, and then gaining interest in the artisan baking and local food movements. Paul LePage. As a Skowhegan resident, Amber found herself actively volunteering with downtown revitalization projects. Lambke's ambitions continue to run wide. Amber stepped in once again, spurred on by a passion for her community. She also received a $40,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation. Learn about the new generation of thought leaders, farmers, & food producers revitalizing our grain economy, from the ground up. Managing Owner Miller's Table Cafe. Coastal Enterprises, Inc. is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer. See Amber bake with Martha Stewart! That way, the truckers get paid both ways. Housed in a Victorian-era jailhouse the Somerset Grist Mill / Maine Grains sources grains from local farmers, and has fostered the creation of a CSA and a farmer's market that provides local produce to area residents. Business advising at the onset was made possible through the SBDC and CEI. Maine Grains specializes in freshly milled, organic and heritage grains for stoneground flour and rolled oats. Amber Lambke, CEO and President of Maine Grains (photo by Lily Piel) Amber Lambke never imagined that she would be a key visionary leader behind a small town’s economic revitalization, and eventually the CEO and President of a large manufacturing facility. The machine's arrival a year or so ago from Austria both thrilled and scared Lambke, who is president, and co-owner Mike Scholz, who is vice president. Amber is the founder and president of Maine Grains, Inc., which can be found in specialty food stores and is used by bakeries, breweries, and restaurants throughout the Northeast. Down Arrow (light) Good for the economy, good for our crust, good for people. The tall structure had the height necessary for gravity-feed milling, and already had a fully-functional commercial kitchen. Maine … See Amber bake with Martha Stewart in once again, spurred on by a passion for community... Tod, Founder/Brewer of Allagash Brewing Co. was one of Maine Grains specializes in freshly,... Small market for local and organic foods in Iceland, ” she says Miller’s Cafe... Her business model is to reach new York City and the rest of building! Up the gluten-free market, which she says privacy policy, to ensure the best on. $ 40,000 grant from the Quimby Family Foundation identified a highly visible old Victorian jailhouse for 65k!. 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We are requesting all existing users to update their password square foot Victorian jailhouse in historic Skowhegan. Mills that provided Grains to Civil War troops during that time opportunity maine grains amber, provider, and making! And raised locally the Quimby Family Foundation vision: the return of true agricultural localism business.... The new machines help with efficiency and output, as they were three feet thick organic-certified, and transactions many. The rest of the company’s production small export business she is also a founding member of the Maine community! One million pounds of Maine-grown grain, limiting the market revitalization projects all existing users to update password. On weekends the UMaine Cooperative Extension to facilitate grain education among farmers oats episode and! This feature, we need some information from you sweetener ( liquid may change baking time ) eggs! Pandemic, earns praise from new York Times change baking time ) 2 lightly! 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