https://www.meadowlarkorganics.com/employment

The team at Meadowlark Community Mill and Meadowlark Organics are looking for a partner to help manage our growing flour mill. We run a vertically integrated, multifaceted operation which includes a diversified organic grain farm, an on-farm grain cleaning, dehulling, and storage operation, and an on-farm flour mill. Each of these are deeply interconnected, yet highly specialized. Our expectation is that each can stand alone as a successful entity, but our strength lies in the connection between them.

We have been milling on our certified organic farm in Ridgeway, WI since March of 2021. On average we are handling 10,000 lbs of grain a week, and self-distributing to wholesale customers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. Our current team includes 2 full time employees, 2 part time employees, and 2 managing owners.

The mill provides the opportunity for the farm to maintain a diverse crop rotation by processing and distributing flour, cornmeal, whole grains, and beans to consumers in our foodshed. The farm and grain cleaning operations support the mill by providing a consistent and high quality source of grain, as well as additional team members who are able to assist with repairs, maintenance, production, and delivery.

No previous milling experience is necessary, but milling and/or baking experience is certainly something we’ll consider positively!

PREFERRED PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

• Leadership
  • We are looking for someone who is comfortable managing a small team and collaborating with other managers and owners
• Systems management and record keeping
  • We have excellent systems in place and ask that you come willing to dive in and learn our processes. We also invite you to think critically about the operation and provide suggestions for improvement when appropriate
• Customer engagement
  • We expect our mill manager to build upon our relationships with existing partners and customers through visiting bakeries, attending conferences and events, and maintaining excellent communication
• Basic mechanical knowledge
  • Flour mills, sifters, industrial sewing machines, dust collection, forklift, and grain and flour conveyance machines are the core of our mill, and the mill manager will be encouraged to roll up their sleeves and learn to diagnose and repair mechanical issues. Previous mechanical experience is highly recommended, but not essential.
• Commitment to the art of Stone Milling
  • We do not expect the new mill manager to come in with any milling experience. However, we are all learning the art of interacting with a set of millstones, including responding to environmental and physical properties of grain in order to maximize flour quality and consistency, learning to maintain and “dress” granite millstones, understanding the characteristics of the flour that is produced throughout the period of time between stone re-dressings, etc. and we expect our mill manager will be an integral partner in learning this craft together.

ADDITIONAL QUALITIES:

• ability to work alone and stay engaged
• ability to lift 50lb objects (bags of flour) repeatedly
• commitment to learning new skills
• understanding the “bigger picture” and the role the mill plays in our regional grain economy
• willingness to engage with others doing similar work
• interest in the end uses of stone milled flour (baking and pastry), grain and beans is, obviously, a big plus!

In the end, being a miller is a manufacturing job, and a craft. It is inherently repetitive, and in some ways not highly complex, but it is a critical job and requires attentive observation and adjustments. The nuances of flour milling with natural stones provides an opportunity to learn valuable skills that have no ceiling in terms of mastery.

The job can be loud, physically challenging, solitary, and dusty. It is likewise creative, meaningful, flexible, and engaging. We are looking for someone who brings a positive attitude, a willingness to collaborate, a commitment to create the highest quality products possible, and a desire to be a part of strengthening our regional grain value chain.

This is a salary position, and includes paid vacation. Hours are generally M-F, but some weekend work will be inevitable, especially with quarterly stone mill maintenance/dressing.

Meadowlark Mill LLC values diversity, and encourages folks of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, religions, and ages to apply. Interested applicants, please send an introduction and resume to [log in to unmask].