About Us
Our Mission:
Wild Hive Farm and Wild Hive Community Grain Project is committed to the production of nutrient dense, high quality flour. The grain project was founded to promote food security in our region by building a regional grain-based food system. This mission was born out of the lack of quality ingredients in the mainstream American food system.
Wild Hive operates a flour mill using traditional stone grinding methods. It has received considerable recognition for its flour, which is milled in small batches from organic grain purchased from local and regional farmers.
The Wild Hive story:
In 1982 Don Lewis started his business as a commercial beekeeper. With limited resources, he began utilizing swarms of wild bees to produce local honey (hence the name Wild Hive Farm). Eventually, he began making baked goods as a way to sell more honey. The baked goods were a hit and so he soon transitioned to baking full time.
This led him to discover the deficits of commodity flour. Without any teachers or advisors, Don set out to learn how to mill his own flour and unknowingly revived an industry that had been dormant in his region for 80 years. With a commitment to reviving grains and increasing food security, Wild Hive Farm helped reshape the future of local grain-based agriculture in America.
Don is dedicated to working with local farmers to grow heirloom grains and help acclimate them to the region, thereby encouraging diversity and innovation.
His high quality whole grain flours have earned him a loyal following from New York City’s leading chefs, bakers, restaurants and retail stores, not to mention food press and the management and bakers at Eataly in New York and Chicago, who were all enamored with the freshness and distinct flavor of his stone-milled flour and grains.
The impact of Wild Hive’s operations in the region is extensive.
The project has provided much needed infrastructure for grain farmers to clean, de-hull and grind their grains. The Wild Hive model has helped to influence several other grain operations over the years that have successfully taken root in the Northeast United States.
Don believes that “This model we have created here lays the groundwork for a regional grain-based food system, which will help bring food security to the Northeast, provide a more nutrient dense food supply, and give fair value to growers and consumers.”
Don has been invited to share his ideas and products 3 times at Terra Madre, the Slow Food Conference in Turin, Italy. He’s presented at the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) conference. He’s been a lecturer at the Culinary Institute of America. He’s also been a guest in documentary film and TV shows such as Martha Stewart Bakes, The Dr. Oz Show and From Scratch with David Moscow.
