3 ms·

I can't really understand how this is economical. After 10 days, they produced 200 3-lbs bags of flour. I don't know what they sell for but I can get flour in a

I can't really understand how this is economical. After 10 days, they produced 200 3-lbs bags of flour. I don't know what they sell for but I can get flour in a supermarket for 30c/lbs so maybe 60c/lbs since its artisanal? So that's $360 out the door, but how much did you pay for the wheat itself, to the grocer(if not direct to consumer), and for operating the mill?

hinkley 7y ago
From what I understand, in at least some areas of the world the mill was a service model, not a manufacturing model. You'd bring your grain in, they would mill it, and keep a fraction of the product as a fee. Sure, they're still selling flour for goods and services, but it's a fraction of the volume versus buying grain and selling flour. The overhead is tiny, but the distribution area is, too.
- Gibbon1 7y ago
  What I understand is that's how it worked everywhere. Lots of small mills that took a cut as payment. Friend of mine mentioned a while back one of his 12 year old nieces in India getting bread. Started with measuring out a wheat into a bucket. Then going down the street to a place that ground it into flour. Then to a place that turned that into dough. A place next door that beat it into shape. Finally to the baker. Each place took a bit as payment. This isn't like way back when, it was a couple of years ago. BTW: There is a working gristmill in St Helena, closed till further notice of course. I think they run it a couple of times a year. https://napaoutdoors.org/parks/bale-grist-mill-state-historic-park/ https://napaoutdoors.org/parks/bale-grist-mill-state-histori...
- abdullahkhalids 7y ago
  That's how things still work in Pakistan to some extent. Especially if you want maize/barley/etc flour, you bring the seed, they will mill it for you.
pjc50 7y ago
> I can get flour in a supermarket for 30c/lbs Per the rest of the thread: you can't get it at that price in the supermarket in a lot of places. There's an empty shelf with that price tag on.

hinkley 7y ago

From what I understand, in at least some areas of the world the mill was a service model, not a manufacturing model. You'd bring your grain in, they would mill it, and keep a fraction of the product as a fee. Sure, they're still selling flour for goods and services, but it's a fraction of the volume versus buying grain and selling flour. The overhead is tiny, but the distribution area is, too.

Gibbon1 7y ago
What I understand is that's how it worked everywhere. Lots of small mills that took a cut as payment. Friend of mine mentioned a while back one of his 12 year old nieces in India getting bread. Started with measuring out a wheat into a bucket. Then going down the street to a place that ground it into flour. Then to a place that turned that into dough. A place next door that beat it into shape. Finally to the baker. Each place took a bit as payment. This isn't like way back when, it was a couple of years ago. BTW: There is a working gristmill in St Helena, closed till further notice of course. I think they run it a couple of times a year. https://napaoutdoors.org/parks/bale-grist-mill-state-historic-park/ https://napaoutdoors.org/parks/bale-grist-mill-state-histori...
abdullahkhalids 7y ago
That's how things still work in Pakistan to some extent. Especially if you want maize/barley/etc flour, you bring the seed, they will mill it for you.

pjc50 7y ago

> I can get flour in a supermarket for 30c/lbs Per the rest of the thread: you can't get it at that price in the supermarket in a lot of places. There's an empty shelf with that price tag on.