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Whole Barley

Details  

You can use whole barley for sprouting for human consumption.
Apart from that you use is for feeding chooks and other animals.

Naked Barley

Details   Commonly used for Tsampa. Only in smaller amounts available. This lot needs a proper wash before using it. Discount of $ 0.20/kg.

Barley

Barley

Barley is one of the oldest domesticated crops having been first recorded in cultivation in prehistoric times.

The grain is covered by an outer seed coat that covers the bran layer, a large starchy endosperm, and an oil-containing germ. The hull and bran are removed by a process called pearling. Once pearled it can be further processed to flour, semolina or flakes.

Barley flakes are ideal ingredients for muesli – or even an excellent replacement for oat flakes – they are sweeter with a lower fat content. Try making 'granola' - lightly toast with a few raisins, a drizzle of honey, sunflower or pumpkin seeds and perhaps some nuts.

Flakes need to breath, please open bags directly after arrival.

All Barley products are BioGro certified
Buy Our Grain Products

Buy Our Grain Products

Milmore Downs and partner farms specialise in quality organic grain production.
We grow, harvest and process several varieties, all of which are available for purchase from this website.
Certified Organic Wheat Flours, Grain, Bran & Semolina

Certified Organic Wheat Flours, Grain, Bran & Semolina

Wheat is one of the oldest and most important cultivated food plants. Like all the seven grains, wheat is a member of the grass family. It prefers good fertility levels and sufficient moisture throughout the growing season.

Wheat is mostly used for baking bread and cakes. There are 3 main types of wheat:
  • So called biscuit wheat with a lower protein content ideal for cakes and pastries
  • Durum wheat, a very hard variety for making pasta
  • Hard or bread wheats with high protein levels and good baking characteristics.
Milmore Downs and partner farms grow hard wheat varieties with excellent baking strength.

All wheat products are BioGro certified

Dinkel / Spelt flour

The new harvest is in!
An easily digestible product having a pleasant nutty taste, ideal for bread, cakes, biscuits, scones, pizza base etc.
Our flour is milled in Zentrofan mills which produced a very finely milled wholemeal flour. Read more in About Grain Processing.

 


Stone ground flour milling process

Stone ground flour milling process

The flour is processed in a Zentrofan mill especially developed to mill grain in such a way as to retain all the qualities of the Biodynamic grains. It has a natural basalt stone cylinder against which the grain is carried by a current of air so it is milled much cooler than in conventional stone mills. All the goodness of the grain is retained and the minerals in the finely ground bran are more available which is reflected in the sweetness of the flour. The process yields flour which is drier than usual and that gives it a longer shelf life though freshly ground wholemeal flour still gives the best results for bread and baking.

What is meant by Biodynamic grain quality? Increasing concern is being felt today about the quality of food due to falling nutritional values and increasing toxic residue levels. The Biodynamic method addresses these issues as it includes the use of special preparations which aid the formation of an active humus build-up and hence lasting soil fertility without the use of synthetic chemicals. The results are seen in enhanced grain quality – such as baking score, storage life, etc.

Milling Seconds

Milling Seconds

by-product from white flour production, contains bran. Chooks love it stirred to a porridge
$30.00  25kg

Major delays at the courier companies before Xmas

Best to order today if you like to get your organic flour from Milmore before Xmas The courier companies are already now about one week behind their normal schedule, which means the deliveries are enormously delayed. A parcel to the North Island would need now about 10 days.
December 11, 2022

Victor Mazutti Said

Date   September 27, 2018
Details   Such a great farm! We visited with some friends from uni and the farmer was pretty happy to explain us all what he does and why he do it. They produce grain and the best whole grain flour of the country. They also have sheep and beef. Thank you for all the good energy! Best wishes

Alli Smith

Details   I use Milmore products in baking for my B and B 'The Lodge at Hare's Rest'. I am passionate about sourcing organic goods from NZ suppliers. I love their flour and my guests love the bread and other home baked goods.
Date   September 21, 2022

Ludmilla Wist

Date   July 14, 2022
Details   Unbelievable difference in my rye bread with these guys' flour. Totally different level of taste, smell and texture. Really happy!

Stuart Jeffrey

Date   June 29, 2018
Details   Great baking flour, milled on the farm, grown on the farm, biodynamic, organic...Superb! My first choice in flour for my no-knead bread...consistently wonderful.
Thanks you so much for your beautiful rye flour!JR
October 04, 2014

Monique Milne

Date   March 17, 2022
Details   Just made my first bread with their flour and OMG it is delicious. Best I've ever made, it just has some much flavour. It's a nice day trip out to Scargill to pick up in person as well. Would definitely recommend

Dinkel Bread

Dinkel flour can be used in exactly the same way as wheat flour – just replace the flour in any recipe with Dinkel flour. It might soak up a bit more water. Dinkel flour does not like a lot of beating, better stir the dough gently.

Dinkel / Spelt

Dinkel / Spelt

Dinkel (triticum spelta) has been grown on the farm for some 20 years, in fact Milmore Downs pioneered this crop and its demanding processing requirements. The old variety used ensures excellent quality. As an ancient grain it relates to wheat. It was previously widely grown in Europe but due to its low yield and difficult growing characteristics it has mostly been replaced by modern wheat.

Although Dinkel contains as much gluten as wheat its gluten (protein) molecule has a different composition, which is why many people who are allergic to wheat can eat Dinkel. If you have a wheat allergy though you may or may not be able to eat Dinkel. Just try a small amount first.

Dinkel flour is a wonderful easily digestible product having a pleasant nutty taste. It can be used for bread but also for the full range of baking (cakes and biscuits, scones, pizza bases...) in exactly the same way as ordinary wheat flour though the bread dough may take longer to rise.
Flakes need to breath, please open bags directly after you got them.

All spelt / Dinkel products are BioGro* certified.

Jerome's Wholemeal Wheat Bread

Mix 700 g Milmore wholemeal flour and 700 g water well in a bowl. Set aside covered for 6-12 h to let the flour soak and flavour develop. Add 200g sourdough along with 100ml of warm water to a large bowl and stir. Add 300 g organic Milmore white flour and the rested wholemeal flour to the bowl and stir. When the dough is one clean piece, start to mix, stretch, pull and fold it for a minute, rest covered for 45 min. Add 24 g salt and fold it in for 2-3 min. Transfer the mixed dough to a greased container with a loose lid to start the bulk fermentation, rest it for 30 min. Fold it over itself 2-4 times, let it rest. Repeat the folds every 30 min up to 4 times until the dough has increased in volume. Pour the dough onto a clean bench, divide into 2 pieces. Stretch and fold them (youtube 'sourdough preshaping') Dust the preshaped dough with flour and cover with a tea towel to rest for a final 30 min. Lightly dust the tops of the preshaped pieces, scrape under each piece with a spatula to flip before stretching and giving the final tension up. (Youtube 'sourdough final shape and proof').
Add each shaped piece to a floured tea towel sitting in a bowl/basket for rising.
Place in the fridge and let proof for 2-24 hours. (explore different flavours, allowing longer and shorter proof time in the fridge), heat your oven to 260°C, add the loaves from the fridge by dusting the top and flipping from the bowl/basket into the hot pan. Score some cuts into the dough before quickly adding the sealed lid back on, and bake covered for 21 min on a lower heat of 230°C. After 21 min remove the lid and bake for a further 15-20 min or until you lift the loaf and tap the bottom and hear a nice sounding drum.
Rye

Rye

Rye grows much better in cooler and drier regions than wheat, and also performs well on sandy soils. Rye is a 'light' germinator needing to be sown shallowly into a well prepared seed bed. Compaction or wet feet have a severe effect on rye and yields can slump dramatically if such conditions arise. It is wind pollinated to a substantial degree. This allows the introduction of outside lines which become 'integrated' over subsequent generations –
the rye variety on Milmore Downs has developed over 30 years from four main seed sources.

Our rye is popular because it bakes well (typically falling number values are high). However, the baking qualities of rye flour are fundamentally different to those of wheat. This is due to the enzyme constituents - rye flour has amylum destructive amylases which hinders raising and therefore it needs to be baked using sourdough as the raising agent. Pumpernickel, made solely from rye flour and kibbled rye is a well known type of rye bread, but very often rye is mixed into bread made with other grains.

Our rye flour is a wholemeal flour and milled in Zentrofan mills which produced a very finely milled flour. Learn more about our grain processing.

Flakes need to breath, please open bags directly after you got them.

All rye products are BioGro* certified

Carol's flat Breads

2 cups of Milmore flour (I use wholemeal spelt and rye, but white is fine too), ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ to 1 ts salt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in 1 cup of warm water. Mix to make a soft but not sticky dough. Kneed for 5 minutes and leave covered to rest for 10 or more minutes.
Split into 8 equal balls and roll out to about 24 cm rounds - use plenty of flour to do this.
When I get to four left to roll, I put my heavy bottom pan on the stove top to heat – I use a medium heat.
Cook each bread like this: Watch the bread and when you see little air bubbles appearing in the bread turn it (takes 15-30 seconds and the bread goes a little darker), cook on the other side for the same time (it depends on your pan and your heat how long). Then flip over again and use a fish slice to push the bread onto the surface of the pan (only for about 10-15 seconds) – it should get air bubbles in it that you keep pushing down (but this depends on your flour and is not essential); turn over and do the same to the others side. Put the bread on a rack and cover with a tea towel. Repeat with the other seven breads, stacking them on top of each other under the tea towel.
The breads will stay fresh for a couple of days if sealed in a plastic bag but I put mine in the freezer while they are still warm and take them out to make in the mornings for lunches. They only take a couple of minutes to defrost on the bench.
I spread either chutney or pesto on the bread and fill with salad vegetables. They are nice with hot egg in them also. You can use them for spring roll wrappers and deep fry them, but personally I like them for lunch with salad in them.

COVID 19 what does it mean for Milmore Downs

Now that New Zealand is heading back into level 4, we just want to remind our customers our mill is still running as per normal, and we will be able to continue to supply you with delicious premium organic flour. Stay safe
Your Team Milmore
August 17, 2021

Baking with Rye

We personally like a wheat/spelt 80% rye 20% bread very much. The bread stays longer moist and is very tasty.

Friends of ours make a 100% rye bread. It needs a bit of patience to produce: recipe for about 4 loaves
Sourdough needs to be prepared or bought.

Grind 8 cups of Milmore whole rye or mix Milmore rye flour 2/3 with 1/3 of kibbled rye, add 1½ cup sourdough, gently stir to make a moist slurry, plenty of moisture activates the dough. Place it in a warm place, leave for 6-8 hours, cover to prevent surface drying.

Optional: Put 2-400 g of seed separately (linseed, sunflower, pumpkin etc) to soak at the same time.

The slurry will have risen and be well fermented containing plenty of air bubbles.
(Take out ½ cup sourdough starter for your next bread; add to this lukewarm water and 1 cup rye flour – drier consistency this time to slow fermentation processes. Leave for a while in the warm, then place your sourdough starter in the fridge for a fortnight for use in your next bread).
To your prepared dough add another 6 cups of rye flour, add 4-6 tsp salt, add the seeds you soaked earlier; gently stir to make a moist slurry.
Gently transfer the mixture into greased bread forms. They should be half full. Place in a warm place, cover to retain moisture and leave for 2-4 hours. Heat the oven to 220 degree C. Place the bread into the oven and pour some water for moisture onto the bottom of the oven. Bake for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180 degrees and bake for about 45 min more. Open the oven door, but leave the bread in the oven to gently lose heat for 10 min. Take the tins out of the oven and tip out the bread. Check if cooked by knocking underside of bread – it should sound hollow. Place on a grid to cool off, then in an earthenware bread container with small air vent on top to keep your rye bread fresh for a fortnight.

Buy Wheat Semolina

Buy Wheat Semolina

Details   Semolina is a coarse flour made from durum wheat, a hard type of wheat. When ground into a flour, durum wheat is known as semolina and used all over the world in bread, pasta, and porridge. This flour is darker and more golden in color than all-purpose flour. It has a mild, earthy aroma.

BioGro Chook Wheat available

Here's a bargain for those of you with poultry! Normally we sell our grains and flours for human consumption only, but one of our farm suppliers had big issues getting in his wheat and the line doesn't meet our strict baking quality criteria. However, it is still a high quality feed grain, ideal for your free range flock.
January 06, 2021

How to make Sourdough

It is not difficult to make your own sourdough and use it over and over again for bread making and bread rolls. The finished dough contains live cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. To prepare sourdough only two ingredients are needed: 350 g of flour - e.g. rye or wheat and about 350 ml of lukewarm water. If wholemeal flour is used, more water may be required. The sourdough is made over a period of 3-5 days, taking advantage of spontaneous leavening. It is important that you pay attention to the cleanliness of the utensils and that the sourdough is not worked with metal, as metals (especially precious metal) have antibacterial properties and can affect the lactic acid bacteria. Also of crucial importance is the temperature, which is optimally around 30 °C to 35 °C during the resting phases. A suitable resting place for the dough batch is draft-free. Production is also possible at 20 °C, in which case fermentation simply takes longer.

1st day: stir 100 g of flour with 100 ml of lukewarm water in a jar, let it sit, covered, for 24 hours.
2nd day: add 50 g of flour and 50 ml of lukewarm water to the dough, stir and set aside, covered, for 24 hours. The yeast should begin to rise slowly. The dough should smell intensely sour and like yeast. The sour smell will decrease somewhat after a few days.
3rd day: add 100 g flour and 100 ml lukewarm water. Allow to sit for 24 hours, the smell should now go towards yeast and sour milk.
4th day: add 100 g of flour and 100 ml of water and stir. After 24 hours you have the finished leaven. The sourdough smells pleasantly sour and has a certain fruity note. If this is not the case and the dough smells more like rotten eggs, the lactic acid bacteria have lost the displacement competition and putrefactive agents have prevailed. Unfortunately, the product must be discarded.

Baking Rye Bread

We personally like a wheat/spelt (about 80%) rye (about 20%) bread very much. The bread stays longer moist and is very tasty.

 

Tree Planting on Milmore Downs for CO2 Capture

Everybody of us has his/her own CO2 footprint on our planet, smaller ones and bigger ones. Altogether we in the industrialised world produce far too much and need to avoid what we can. At the same time we want to compensate what we can't avoid and contribute to climate repair. One is to plant trees, but not everyone has practically access to land, and that's where we can help.

Are you motivated? You can visit our linked site www.carbon.org.nz and see the many advantageous effects of tree planting.

Contact us (at the moment only under our email address (milmoredownsnz@gmail.com) to realize your dream and contribution. Your motivation can make it happen that more and more trees grow for a better climate.

We tried to find out about the original cover in the valley and there are some very small pockets in gullies on the farms down toward Waikari. You can get a bit of an idea. We want to re-establish natives in that style – looking back toward the cover that was here before those hill became the 'Black Hills' due to a major fire set by an Oat/chaff mill in the 1870's. It burnt from Waikari to the coast!

 
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August 05, 2019

Christmas Break 2023

It’s the end of the year and a good opportunity to thank to all our customers who’ve been supporting this demanding but essential type of farming production. It was never an easy job, but with the increasing climate developments it's getting to be a real challenge. Nevertheless, the Milmore team is taking a well-earned break over the solstice/New Year period. Our last dispatch day will be 21st Dec, final orders should be with us by the 18th December. Orders received over the holiday period will only be logged and will be dispatched between 10th and 14th January 2024. We are happy to take up normal ordering again from Friday 5th January 2024.
In the meantime may the Milmore Team wish a very blessed, calm Christmas time and a safe transition into 2024!
December 08, 2023

Xmas not too far away


Xmas is almost upon us and after a challenging year we are looking forward to taking Xmas R & R. As such our site will be closed from midday Thursday 23rd of December to Friday 7th of January 2022. Please ensure that you have your December requirements to us as early in December as possible. Thanks a lot for the wonderful cooperation.
Warm regards from the Milmore Downs Team
November 20, 2021

Courier charges and information

We are using Castle Parcles/Poste Haste
Courier charges 
All courier weights are unfortunately gross weights (incl. about 0.5% packaging weight), courier companies are very strict. We will do our best for you and go to the limit! The steps for different weights are
2kg ($11), 5kg ($14), 15kg ($18), 25kg ($26). Mixed bags can be max 4kg, 14kg, 24 kg!!!
Orders for Waiheke Island can be send to KB Distrubutors ($23 + GST/up to 25 kg charge for forwarding to the Island). 

If you order more than 150 kg, please write an email to milmoredownsnz@gmail.com.

Additional Rural Charges: Up to 15kg $8, 16-25kg $16. You may be able to avoid RD charges by collecting your delivery from one of the courier drop off points http://www.posthaste.co.nz/contact_us.html near you (when you order please write the full address of the drop off point as your delivery address).

Note:
Since we live 80 km away from a courier drop off point, we aim to reduce our environmental impact by making sure that the vehicle taking couriers is reasonably full. As a result your order may have to wait a bit for the next courier run. Our main courier days are Mondays and Fridays. Thanks for your understanding. 

Matthew and Alice

Matthew and Alice

Matt and Alice came back to the family farm in 2009 and manage it in partnership with Ian and Eva. They look after the day to day running of the arable and livestock operation and are working on increasing production efficiency and diversity to ensure long term sustainability. They are both strongly committed to continuing organic development on Milmore Downs for future generations.
(contact about general farm inquiries, Matt 0274373539) 
Biogro Certified

Biogro Certified

Milmore downs is BioGro licensee 019, making it one of the very early certifications as it joined the BPCC in 1986 just three years after gaining Demeter certification. This move was intended as an indication of support for the fledgling organisation but the hope was also to draw Biodynamics and main stream organics closer together. The two standards have differences in detail, but are nevertheless not very far apart and cooperation is the only sensible relationship.

Subsequently, after becoming an approved Third Party Agency with the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) for exports to Europe and the USA, Milmore Downs along with a number of other Demeter growers have used BioGro certification to gain access to overseas markets. Although our aim is to concentrate on domestic sales for several reasons but also to strengthen the comsumer producer relationship. Currently we still need to use the export market for our lambs and cattle, and they go there under the BioGro banner.

BioGro is New Zealand's main organic certification agency. Established in 1983 as the BPCC (Biological Producers and Consumers Council) in conjunction with the Biodynamic Association and Henry Doubleday to support all organics, it later registered the BioGro logo and now certifies over 900 operations New Zealand wide.
Sam

Sam

Sam joined Milmore Downs in 2018 as a co-worker with main responsibilities for grain processing. He previously worked in the food industry in Christchurch while studying for a B.Com at Canterbury University. He realised that being cooped up at a desk for 8 hours a day was not his idea of a fulfilling career, so decided to remain at Sanitarium in the position of Marmite manufacturer. In 2013, Sam and his family set about a change in lifestyle and relocated to Scargill, just a stone’s throw from the farm, to enjoy the quiet, country life and establish an organic food forest.
Buy Wheat Bran

Buy Wheat Bran

Details   Wheat bran is a component in the whole wheat grain, and contains a high amount of fibre as well as other nutrients like protein, calcium and iron. Many times, this ingredient is added to healthy muffin recipes to increase the nutrient content, as well as to create a heavier, denser muffin or cake.

Find & Visit Milmore Downs

We are located an hours drive north of Christchurch in the Scargill valley.

Turn left on highway 1 at Greta Valley and follow the road to the intersection. Turn left and go about 2km where you will see Panets Road on the right.
Our Certifications

Our Certifications

The farm and its products are BioGro (organic) certified. This means you are getting produce of the highest quality and nutrition and the land is being managed in a sustainable and sensible way.