N.C Family Farm Releases Sustainably Grown, Non-GMO, Artisanal Grits

ASHEVILLE, N.C., PRNewswire/ — Barkley’s Mill, a family-run farming and milling operation in North Carolina, introduces gourmet, artisan-style Stoned Happy Grits.

Made from the finest heirloom white corn, sustainably grown and harvested in the Blue Ridge mountains, the artisan-style grits are stone-ground in small batches in the centuries-old tradition of the Southern Appalachian farmer. Barkley’s Mill Stoned Happy Grits are available for purchase at www.barkleysmill.com/products/hickory-king-dent-gourmet-grits. Cost is $21 plus shipping for a 2-pound bag.

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“At Barkley’s Mill, we are committed, from farm to table, to producing the highest-quality grits possible,” said Jim Barkley, founder and CEO of Barkley’s Mill. “We grow only the finest corn, harvest it by hand, dry it naturally, and carefully select the best for slow stone-grinding. The result is a product that’s wholesome, all-natural and full of flavor.”

Barkley’s Mill grits www.barkleysmill.com/pages/our-grits-seeds are made from Hickory King White Dent, an heirloom corn variety long cultivated in the South and known for its extra-large kernels and exceptional robust flavor. The corn grows on the Barkley family farm 20 miles north of Asheville, and great care is taken to preserve the integrity of the crop and the seed. Barkley’s Mills grits are Gluten-Free certified and Non-GMO Project Verified, a rigorous third-party certification process that ensures the product has been made from non-genetically modified corn.

Each fall, when the crop reaches maturity, the corn is hand picked and shucked in the field. The highest quality ears of corn are hand selected before being transferred to the crib where it slowly air-dries. When the ears are dried, they are sorted by hand again, with only the finest ones selected for the shelling process that removes individual kernels from the cob.

At the millhouse, a hand-built structure outfitted with century-old milling equipment, two hydro-powered stone-burr gristmills slowly grind the shelled corn into Barkley’s Mill signature Stoned Happy Grits. Like the millhouse itself, the method is reminiscent of a bygone era. Unlike most commercial mills, however, the Barkley gristmill is dedicated exclusively to stone-grinding the corn for its own grits, thereby ensuring the integrity of its product. Visit www.barkleysmill.com.