Local Feature: Cairnspring Mills
Cairnspring Mills in Burlington, Washington.
To some, flour is flour. But to us, while all-purpose flour works well for everyday use, especially when you just need a sprinkle here and there, we also know that some baked goods call for special flours. You’ll find many different flours at the Co-op to serve your unique baking purpose!
You’ve got baking flour for extra flaky pastries, semolina flour for fresh pasta, whole wheat flour for bread, and gluten-free flour for those who have Celiac Disease. And then, you have specialty, locally-milled flours like those of Cairnspring Mills.
Milled in Burlington, Cairnspring Mills was founded in 2016 by a group of Skagit Valley farmers, economic development leaders, and bakers who believed that authentic food like flour plays a central role of community in our lives. Founder and CEO Kevin Morse became interested in rural economic development and rebuilding food systems through his career as a farmer and Nature Conservatory executive. By combining his passion for food and agriculture, Cairnspring Mills was born.
Made from grains grown throughout Washington State, Cairnspring chooses wheat varietals that are disease-resistant and known to thrive in wetter climates like ours. Their flagship organic bread flour, Expresso T85, is made from hard red spring wheat grown by a father-daughter team in Othello, Washington.
As opposed to using mass production and industrial milling methods, Cairnspring uses natural stone to grind their wheat, resulting in flour with a rich flavor that’s packed full of essential nutrients found in wheat bran and germ. Made without stabilizers, conditioners, bleaches, or other additives, when you bake with Cairnspring, you can rest easy knowing you’re utilizing the highest-quality, natural flour that’s made with locally-milled grains, and nothing else.
But beyond being a local mill specializing in high-quality flour, Cairnspring is on a mission to improve the food system here in Skagit Valley. Through their mill, Cairnspring hopes to:
Ensure that local farmers remain financially viable in the face of urbanization
Preserve the unique agricultural heritage of Skagit Valley
Shorten the distance between farmer and customer
Build soil health and conserve farmland
So whether you’re baking sourdough bread, your world-famous apple pie, or a homemade pizza piled high with Co-op sausage and local produce, give Cairnspring flour a try and know that your baked goods are supporting local agriculture and sustainable food systems. You can find Cairnspring Mill flours in our Bulk Department bins as well as bagged in the baking aisle.
And when in doubt about which flour to choose, you can refer to their flour guides, which will help you decide whether Trailblazer, Organic Expresso, or Organic Edison is right for your baking needs.
Bread made from Cairnspring Mills Expresso flour.
Recipes from Cairnspring Mills
We couldn’t write an article about flour without including some delicious recipes to convince you to fire up the oven!
Here are a few recipes from Cairnspring, including instructions on which flour they recommend in the notes.