Nitty Gritty Grain Company of Vermont
By Stephanie Zonis
The co-founders of this small business are neighbors in Vermont. Tom Kenyon has been growing organic grains for over 15 years, with most of his crop going to the industrial market. Jane Kirby is a registered dietitian and food editor with experience in both recipe development and food marketing. Nitty Gritty Grain Company of Vermont was created to get Tom’s good grains into the hands of consumers in a form they’d enjoy.
You hear a lot of talk from companies these days about sustainability and organics, but not everyone walks the walk. Nitty Gritty Grain Company of Vermont does. First off, their products are certified organic. The grains are grown, produced, and packaged in one small region; they aren’t shipped vast distances for processing or manufacturing. The products are packaged in a biodegradable cellophane that is not petroleum-based. The labeling is printed on recycled paper with soy ink. One of the varieties of corn they use is an heirloom variety, as well.
All of that is fine, but it isn’t worth anything if they don’t make a good product. Well, they do. It’s their Certified Organic Cornbread, Pancake, & Muffin Mix. I’m in the middle of a large-scale taste-test of whole grain and multigrain pancake mixes. I tested this mix head-to-head with another corn pancake mix. While the other corn pancakes rose higher, they were also very dry, with almost a bitter flavor. The corn pancakes from Nitty Gritty Grain Company of Vermont, on the other hand, were tender, with a pleasant texture from the cornmeal, and they tasted a heckuva lot better. There’s a little (organic) sugar in this mix, and if you like, you can eat the pancakes with just a bit of butter on them, though good maple syrup is always a welcome addition. You’ll also find cornmeal, soft wheat berries, whole wheat pastry flour, and gifts of the pancake mix with maple syrup---and as I mentioned, everything is certified organic.
I admire Tom and Jane’s efforts, and I hope you’ll try their products. For ordering information (yes, online ordering is available), surf over to www.nittygrittygrain.com
