Grains

[lplott]

I am trying desperately to find grains cheaper than grocery store prices. I try to consider quality as much as I can. I found a great site,but shipping just would eat me alive. I live in small town in Southeast Oklahoma and grocery stores are 'Walmart'. I do have a Kroger about 20 minutes away and basically thats all. I want to find Barley, Oats (steel cut), Flax seed, and thinks like this, even some Red Wheat, but its impossible. My thoughts are if I can find this stuff, maybe cheaper, then I could cook meals more from scratch. Wal-mart is basically, 'boxed, chemicals and fast' foods. I just do not like cooking like this and it seems to be getting worse. I do have a garden so I grow a lot of fresh things and I preserve lots of stuff also. I just need to know if there is any way to get grains cheaper, if any of you know of ways to get them. My husband said maybe we should start looking for farmers to buy the wheat and then grind it ourselves. Please help me.

[lplott]

Also, just so you know my true frustration on the subject. I went to kroger and could not find Barley, so I asked a sales person and he looked at me so blank, so I repeated my question, 'Where would I find Barley' and his blank look went to a shrug and he said 'I am new here and I do not know what Barley is'. :-/

[WileyCoyote]

In short answer to your question, lplott, Yes.
Try to find farmers and growers in your area. My brother lives in ID and the farmers there send their grain to the granaries to be bagged, etc. MY brother knows the farmers, and knows the packers at the grainary - so he gets 50-pound sacks of whole wheat and barley, and shares them with me. Much of our grain is shipped elsewhere, or to cereal manufacturing companies, so if you can find a small farmer, great. But normally they get together and send all of their stuff to the grainary and get paid by the lb./hundredweight. But the grainaries do sell smaller bulk - if you can call a 50 lb bag "smaller"! If it is too much and you can find someone to split with, so much the better.

In the land of usetabe, you could hook up with any Mormon and go in with them on their food supply requirement of grain as well; but they have gotten downright firm about sharing with non-believers.

Some Mennonite communities might have some they are willing to sell.

You can occasionally find small amounts in organic food stores; they might be able to hook you up with a larger supply. Or go here:

http://honeyvillegrain.com/products/Products.html

[Danielle]

Here's a link for you. You get free shipping after $75 and they have all sorts of different whole grains....including barley ;) http://www.bulkfoods.com/delivery.htm

Have you tried doing an internet search for "natural foods" or "food co-ops" in your area? There are clubs in my area in which members make large orders once a month from big city co-ops and get free delivery. The truck delivers to one person's house and everyone meets up there to divide it all up according to whatever they ordered.
You may have to really be creative to ferret out the information you need. I'd probably call La Leche League in your area and see if you can make contact with some of the moms there. There's a large contingency of granola mamas in an orginization like that and believe me....if there's a good, cheap way to get whole grains in your area someone there will know about it.
Good luck :-)

[WRTN]

I posted this once before I think. I ordered 7 of the starter kits and they have since been delivered. I would say that for the money, they are the best deal going. The kit contains 2 #10 cans of hard red wheat (about 12 lbs.) 2 #10 cans of white rice (about 11 lbs.) 1 #10 can of pinto beans (about 5.5 lbs) and 1 #10 of rolled oats (about 2.5 lbs.) 2 small water bottles are included too.

Shipping was free but they charge sales tax. Took about 2 weeks to be delivered via FEDEX to my house.

All in all a VERY good bargain in my opinion. The cans are supposedly good for storage for upto 30 year according to the labels on the cans.

Each kit is supposed to be a 30 day supply for 2 people but your mileage may vary.

http://www.providentliving.org/

Each kit is $25.95 plus tax if applicable.

[elh]

http://www.aaoobfoods.com/welcome.html
Have not used this site but will send an order this week.

[Mrs._B]

That's a seriously good deal from Provident Living on the 6 cans. Can't beat that elsewhere.

Mrs. B (Susan)

[annabella1]

I use the www.bulkfoods.com site all the time, but their prices are going up. I find more whole grains at ethnic groceries or local groceries that have an ethnic area. You can also get whole grains at animal feed stores. Ask for untreated grain. Whatever kind you want. Yes it is exactly the same as the stuff packaged for human consumption. You may have to watch for stones or chaff but you should do that with all raw foods.