Where to buy wheat?

[kludge]

Wheat Montana ~ Wheat Montana Store

You can get the 50# bag, but you might as well get the 45# bucket.

How much total are you looking for???

I've tried the bags and the cans and buckets. Cans and buckets are much easier to deal with. I like #10 cans the best for anything up to a couple hundred pounds.

I am LDS and I have bought bulk and done the canning myself from time to time. It's not much less money to do it yourself (they only charge what they need to cover costs - remember it's a church and a not-for-profit).

Ordering cans from the LDS web site is the easiest thing to do, unless you want to do hundreds of pounds you're not going to save much money, but you do save the hassle.

If you are going to do hundreds of pounds, or tons, then ordering from Wheat Montana will be much cheaper. Like I said before my wife orders from Wheat Montana, she's done a couple group buys, and we have the option of getting it from the church.

 

[tenring]

Was at the local feed mill this morning, asked about wheat in 50 lb. bags, fellow said that this years wheat is in somewhat short supply because of mold that has come about year because of all the rain around here, but if I wanted some red wheat for myself, he could have it here Friday, no problem. You just have to ask the right questions, and knowing the guy who runs the mill helps also. YMMV

 

[Sailor]

If you are in the the area, E S bulk foods in Shipshewana sells bulk wheat.

E & S Bulk Foods

This Amish store, located in the heart of Shipshewana Indiana, right on State Road 5, isn’t your average Amish attraction. Matter of fact, some people may pass up this unique and interesting store thinking it merely offers bulk foods. Step inside and you’ll find items unlike any you’ve likely seen before. E & S Bulk foods has bulk foods all right, but many of them you never see anywhere else. This Amish store sells items such as huge bags of dehydrated marshmallows, normally found in boxed cereal, bulk grains of all kinds, bulk cheese mix typically used with pasta, very unique baking ingredients, and much more. E & S Bulk Foods in Shipshewana Indiana also sells a huge array of bulk spices, health products, candy of all kinds, and the prices are amazingly low. At E & S Bulk foods in Shipshewana you will definitely see merchandise unlike any you’ve seen elsewhere, and you will be amazed. Even if you don’t buy anything, you will enjoy looking at the vast array of unique items in this Shipshewana Indiana store. Call 574-768-4736 for current store hours.

 

[indysafe317]

MBR is at the corner of 31 and 296 or the county line. Specifically at the north east corner. There is the pie shop directly on the corner, then two other buildings at the next drive east of the pie shop about 12 feet.

I'll check it out tommorrow, thanks

 

[Scarnucci]

Need to know what the product need is, how you want it packaged, and how clean you want it - then what you're willing to pay for it.

I'll work on pricing once I get a good idea of what the wants/needs are.

In a perfect world, I would like to be able to take the wheat straight from a bulk bag and put into my own sealed containers for long term storage.

I would then like to go straight from my storage into a grain mill/blender, and turn it into flour. No additional cleaning or processing.

Primary use would be for my consumption, secondary/tertiary would be as feed and seed.

Yes, I could get #10 cans online...but I would prefer local, and I prefer my own packaging.

Ive seen posts that the going rate for 50lbs of wheat is between $15-$20. That is very reasonable to me, I could even see paying a bit more if someone was going out of their way to get me a special order of a quality product.

Its never been about the price of wheat...its just been about the availability.

 

[kludge]

If you are in the the area, E S bulk foods in Shipshewana sells bulk wheat.

E & S Bulk Foods

That's the one!!

 

[indysafe317]

Went up to MBR today, no wheat. He looked it up on his order sheet and said they do not carry it. My daughter and I did on the other hand have a great piece of pie from the corner store and brought a whole apple pie home for desert tonight. it was a little farther than 12 feet. )))) (I got a chuckle out of that)

This has become quite an interesting mission. Lots of ideas, no results. My mission continues........

 

[indysafe317]

every ag business should be getting there supply of wheat in to sell farmers anytime, 50# bags. typically planted in october in indiana. anyone of them will sell you a bag.

Could you define "Ag Business" Is that tractor supply (no luck there) or something else. Do you have the name of a specific company or business in Ham County. Thanks.

 

[kyle1058]

I live really close to shipshewana, I never even thought of buying bags of wheat there.

What's the advantages of buying just plain wheat? Can you just store it for a long period of time, then get it out and process it somehow and make bread or other things?


EDIT: Ahh doing some research I guess buying a handcrank flour mill for $20 is easy to do. That's be a great idea if the SHTF, you could simply have a wood stove/oven and bake bread from scratch with no electricity and you could store massive amounts of the raw material. Awesome idea! I hate how spoiled most americans are (including myself), thinking we have to go to the grocery store for any food item we need.

 

[Scarnucci]

What's the advantages of buying just plain wheat? Can you just store it for a long period of time, then get it out and process it somehow and make bread or other things?

Ive read fairly recently that upon exploring egyptian ruins, archeologists found clay vessels with wheat berries that were thousands of years old, and still viable.

So yes, the shelf life is almost indefinite if stored in "seed" form. They dont start to go bad (i.e. rancid due to the inner oils) until they are ground up.

 

[indysafe317]

Absolutely, I have been having a great time. I grind it down to flour (very easy) and make up fresh bread. It not only taste great but knowing you made it from the raw materials is very satisfying. My next project is to bake a loaf in a solar oven. Completely back to the basics. I can't wait. With some bulk grain and basic supplies, I could eat for a long time with easy to store material.

I just have to find some bulk wheat at a cheap price. That's still my mission.

 

[csaws]

This will be our next venture in homesteading/shtf preparing.

Read what else we are doing in our homestead post in this forum.

 

[kludge]

In a perfect world, I would like to be able to take the wheat straight from a bulk bag and put into my own sealed containers for long term storage.

Properly stored 30+ years is easy.

I would then like to go straight from my storage into a grain mill/blender, and turn it into flour. No additional cleaning or processing.

...

Ive seen posts that the going rate for 50lbs of wheat is between $15-$20. That is very reasonable to me, I could even see paying a bit more if someone was going out of their way to get me a special order of a quality product.

My wife ground some wheat for a friend who bought the low cost stuff and is was not as clean (lots of hulls). I doubt this matters for planting, but it might matter for flour.

Yes, I could get #10 cans online...but I would prefer local, and I prefer my own packaging.

What do you plan to use for packaging? Like I said I like #10 cans and buckets better. I don't worry about the mice that way. I've done 'mylar' bags and I also have done vacuum sealing. The mylar bags leave a fair amount of air, which hurts storage space, and the vacuum bags are not dearly as durable.

 

[Scarnucci]

What do you plan to use for packaging? Like I said I like #10 cans and buckets better. I don't worry about the mice that way. I've done 'mylar' bags and I also have done vacuum sealing. The mylar bags leave a fair amount of air, which hurts storage space, and the vacuum bags are not dearly as durable.

Currently I have 5 gallon buckets with lids. In each bucket I try to store 2 weeks worth of food. My rice, grain, beans. flour, pasta is all sealed in mylar in about 4 or 5 lb bags. I also try to have a mix of other condiments, spices, water additives, I think I have chicken and beef bullion in there as well as some canned goods.

Like I said, I try to have 2 weeks worth of food in each bucket. That way I can look at my closet and see that I have X amount of months stored, and rotate a bucket at a time. Also if I needed to grab a bucket and run, I will have a mix of goods instead of grabbing a bucket and finding that all I have with me is wheat berries...

 

[singlestacksig]

I'm looking to buy just plain old wheat. Im not picky on red, spring, hard, whatever...I just want a place to find some.

I want to be able to use the same product to:

A) Eat. Sprout it or grind into flour. So, no additives.
B) Feed to livestock/chickens.
C) Use as seed to grow more wheat.

Ive contacted feed/seed stores, and nobody that Ive talked to can help me find one product. If its feed, it has additives. Whole foods has organic wheat, but its prohibitively expensive. Grain mills wont deal with the small order that I want. (Just 25-50 lbs to start)

If anyone knows where I might find what I am looking for, please post it here. I live near indy but am more than willing to travel a bit.

Thanks!

Rural king, tractor Supply, any seed company.. check in spring time, get it in 100# bags ..

 

[Scarnucci]

Rural king, tractor Supply, any seed company.. check in spring time, get it in 100# bags ..

This gentleman obviously did not bother reading any of the above posts...thanks just the same.


The quest continues.

 

[indysafe317]

Currently I have 5 gallon buckets with lids. In each bucket I try to store 2 weeks worth of food. My rice, grain, beans. flour, pasta is all sealed in mylar in about 4 or 5 lb bags. I also try to have a mix of other condiments, spices, water additives, I think I have chicken and beef bullion in there as well as some canned goods.

Like I said, I try to have 2 weeks worth of food in each bucket. That way I can look at my closet and see that I have X amount of months stored, and rotate a bucket at a time. Also if I needed to grab a bucket and run, I will have a mix of goods instead of grabbing a bucket and finding that all I have with me is wheat berries...

That is a good idea. I have it all in Walmart plastic bins but I like the 5 gallon bucket idea and reducing the amount to smaller servings with a variety per bucket. I'll do some similar. Got my #10 cans in from LDS today and they are sealed and good to go. I will probably order some more but I am continuing the quest for 50 or 100 pound bags.

Fortunately all I have to do is swing in an elevator, tractor supply, etc..... )))) Wish it were that easy.

 

[Scarnucci]

I am trying to pick a weekend to head up to Shipshewana to hit up that E&S bulk foods. I called them and they do not have a website, but they do have a catalog. I would like to check out the store first hand. They are closed Sundays, but I think open till 5 or 6 on Saturdays. If I do head up I'll keep you posted.

 

[indysafe317]

Thanks, I'd love to know what's available there. I may have to make a road trip myself.

 

[kludge]

Currently I have 5 gallon buckets with lids. In each bucket I try to store 2 weeks worth of food. My rice, grain, beans. flour, pasta is all sealed in mylar in about 4 or 5 lb bags. I also try to have a mix of other condiments, spices, water additives, I think I have chicken and beef bullion in there as well as some canned goods.

I like that idea.

Since there are 7 in my family the #10 cans work well. Each can would last a week or two, and we have a vairety of things... not so much fruits and veggies, but we stock up on these things at Aldi once a year in the regular size cans. These items (if they're not in the pop top cans) are good for about three years. Canned tuna and chicken is another thing I like to stock up on. Pop top cans are good for about a year.