All part of the daily grind: How one New Jersey grain mill is bringing the food system back to its roots

In our ongoing series examining New Jersey’s food system, we’ve explored the ramifications of losing millions in federal funding for local food purchasing, discovered the impact of community-supported agriculture, and offered an overview of the commercialization of the supply chain and the role of local food processors in taking back power from large corporations. In this fourth installment, we further examine that role in a conversation with an independent grain miller seeking to revitalize the local food system by disrupting the commercial system, supporting farmers, and building a community connected to their food. 

Photo credits: Mandy Coriston for Public Square Amplified

Frelinghuysen, NJ – Located within Frelinghuysen Township in rural Warren County, the tiny unincorporated community of Marksboro may have fewer than 200 residents, but it also has something that very few other New Jersey towns have — a local, independent flour mill. At River Valley Community Grains, based at Marksboro Mills, miller Larry Mahmarian and his partners are fulfilling their mission to encourage regenerative, restorative agricultural practices while bringing together farmers, bakers, and the community in a working space that benefits both their participating farmers and the public.

An idea is planted

When Mahmarian connected with his fellow millers, Lenny Bussanich and Mike Hozer, in 2016, it was with the idea to fill a need in the local food chain. Examining the history of grain farming in New Jersey, where most people immediately think of corn, tomatoes, and cranberries, the partners saw a gap between those growing grain and those buying and using grain products. 

“If you look around New Jersey,” Mahmarian said, “You’ll notice a lot of abandoned grain mills. Farmers were growing and millers were grinding local grains throughout our history. People were still growing them. What was missing [in the present] was the millers.” 

Beginning with one small mill in a rented commercial kitchen in Long Valley, River Valley Community Grains was born. 

“We started off very simple,” Mahmarian said. “One wheat variety, one oat variety–all milled by hand.” 

In 2023, the millers expanded and moved their operation into the freshly renovated Marksboro Mills, the brainchild of next-door farmer Ruthie Peretti. From this headquarters, River Valley Community Grains now mills between 100,000 to 120,000 pounds of grain each year using, among other tools, a 48-inch stone mill and sifter, the first to be installed in the state of New Jersey.

Miller Larry Mahmarian stands in the River Valley Community Grains workspace at Marksboro Mills in Frelinghuysen, NJ, which boasts the first 48-inch New American Stone Mill installed in the state. (Photo: Mandy Coriston for Public Square Amplified)

Supporting farmers goes beyond processing their grain 

River Valley Community Grain’s mission is clear: provide nutritious local grains to the community and guide farmers in practices that support environmental stewardship. Mahmarian explained that the mission comes from the ground up — literally. 

“We work directly with our grain farmers, beginning with helping them choose chemical-free, non-GMO seeds,” Mahmarian said, “And we also connect them with Dr. Elizabeth Dyck of the Organic Growers Research Information-Sharing Network (OGRIN), which is a non-profit. Working with her as an agronomist plays an active role in ensuring the integrity of the grain and the grain product, as well as best [environmental] practices.”

According to Mahmarian, growing high-quality grain from the start not only minimizes risk but also puts more value into their transactions. 

“Farmers receive better prices than they would for conventionally grown grain,” Mahmarian said. 

Breaking away from the commercial norms 

When asked if he sees their operation as a disruptor or a restorer in the food system, Mahmarian easily answers that it is both. 

“It is a disruption, in that we are offering a real alternative to the commercial norm. When you buy a bag of flour in a grocery store, you’ll see words like ‘enriched’ or ‘bleached’, and it leaves you wondering what that means. Here,” Mahmarian said, gesturing to their retail shelves, “I can tell you everything that’s in each one of those bags. What type of grain, when we ground it, every detail. Knowing what’s in your food and where it came from is a return to a simpler, more local food system.”

Shelves are stocked with freshly-milled River Valley Community Grains at Marksboro Mills in Frelinghuysen, NJ. (Photo: Mandy Coriston for Public Square Amplified)

Education is also a large component of the millers’ mission, including baking classes held in the Marksboro Mills’ fully outfitted kitchen. For the millers and their baking partners, it’s about both demonstrating their experience and leading by example to effect positive change. 

“We’re raising awareness while having fun,” Mahmarian said, “We are returning to previous skills like baking your own bread, showing people that it was done before and can be done again. Teaching them that these skills are empowering, not impossible. And along the way, we’re ensuring that this healthy food stays available in our community. We’re saying, ‘Here are local grain products and here’s how you can use them.’”

Restoring the food system means restoring public trust 

Mission critical for River Valley Community Grains is transparency and trust in the food system, and while he knows that some may shy away from local produce and products because of cost considerations, Mahmarian wants people to think of the local food economy as an investment in their collective future. 

“It’s about long-term health, for consumers and the community,” Mahmarian said, “We have to have trust and security in the food system. Local food takes away risk — farmers have a market for their goods, processors keep products moving, and the community has access to real nutrition. The local food system is not selective to producers or consumers, it benefits everyone.”

“The last couple of years have shown us that challenges can come up quickly,” Mahmarian said, “It showed us that we have to stay connected to community and home, and local foods can provide that security.”