Craig and Renee Neale, Wholegrain Milling Co, Gunnedah, NSW

Gunnedah’s Wholegrain Milling Co was the first large-scale flour mill to be certified organic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA). Owner Craig Neale mills wheat, oats, rye, spelt, rice and Khorasan to make the flour sought after by artisan bakers such as Iggy’s and Sonoma in Sydney, and Melbourne’s Tivoli Road Bakery. It took a while for the world to catch on to organics and for the mill to support itself. “I always had a second job,” says Craig. “I worked in retail and as a shearer — I used to be able to shear 1000 sheep a week.” But with an increased demand for organic flour, the mill’s fortunes have risen. “We’ve gone from milling one tonne of flour a fortnight to 120 tonnes a week.” In good years, Craig will put in a wheat crop at his wife Renee’s family farm near Walgett, but most of the grain comes from Queensland, Victoria and NSW. Like his customers, Craig is interested in the grains we used to grow. “The older crops are harder to grow, but they’re distinctive in a way modern grains are not, in nutrition, flavour, smell and colour.” (02) 6742 3939; wholegrain.com.au