By Jonathan Stefonek

Lodi Enterprise

November 17, 2024

Over the past few years there have been a lot of people with hobbies that simply got out of hand. Some have even become successful businesses.

That partially describes one growing Lodi farm, as well as much of its expanding clientele.

On a bright, chilly Friday afternoon, Rochelle Schnadt spent part of the day on the road with a delivery to a Green Bay brewery, one buyer for their niche farmstead mill and grain products. In this case the delivery was blue corn destined to become a batch of blue corn lager that will be ready sometime around January.

Rochelle and her husband, Evan, are looking forward to further expanding their business, Heartland Craft Grains. They’re getting help from a Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) Program grant through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. On Oct. 31, the agency announced $3.1 million in funding for 41 projects aimed at strengthening local and regional food systems.

Heartland Craft Grains received just over $73,000 to invest in new equipment to expand capacity.

The Schnadts’ milling operation is currently housed in a renovated shipping container that sits next to an equipment shed on their family farm. Inside, the container is divided into two sections: one with storage and shelving holding samples of grains, including a spectrum of different colored corn, and sprigs of wheat poking out of jars. The other contains their milling equipment.

While the couple each grew up on farms, this venture is relatively new to both of them. Evan, outside of the farm, works in dairy agriscience. He used a base knowledge of genetics to raise niche and heritage crops.

The business began with experimental planting of corn near their house. Now it includes corn in yellow, blue, white and orange, bread wheat, pastry wheat, durum, einkorn, oats, rye and spelt.

The process of curating specialty crops begins with planting around 10 varieties of a grain, seeing which ones do the best in Wisconsin conditions, and picking two or three to work with on a larger scale.

Last year, Evan says their corn came in a little short but otherwise healthy, despite drought. This year he found older varieties of corn to be particularly resilient. A wet end to the season meant it needed some extra time to dry before harvesting, but was otherwise nearly ready to go.

The Schnadts learned about the RFSI Program through the DATCP website, with grants offered for equipment or infrastructure, and the Schnadts choosing to apply for equipment.

“For us we have been growing our business, year-over-year, which has been exciting, but obviously you reach this point that you have some limitations, both physically and with the equipment that we’re using,” said Rochelle. “In the last year or so we did upgrade our mill, so we have more capacity with the stone mill that we use to grind the flour as a finished product.”

Using their mill is often a matter of manual labor. They pour grain from buckets for milling and finally fill bags by hand.

For smaller producers the inevitable challenge comes in balancing a desire to increase efficiency and take advantage of the economies of scale, but maintain their original product.

“Retaining our identity and making sure the quality is there, that is a big, ‘why’ of what we’re doing,” said Rochelle, “to retain the flavor, the quality, and the nutrition of our product.”

While their crops are harvested in typical timing on the calendar, they mill fresh-to-order flour. That means staying on top of product quality and consistency is a priority, especially with customers including professional bakers and restauranteurs who focus on consistency in their own products.

“I think all small businesses reach a pinch point where they have to decide what is next, and that’s sort of where we’re at,” said Rochelle.

Scaling up production, though, poses a particular challenge for small- to mid-sized businesses. They need to find equipment that fits their needs, while also making financial sense.

Fortunately, having outside income from their respective jobs means they have been less reliant on financing. Still, Rochelle admits that their model for starting their business may not work for everyone.

“I think there are farmers who have an appetite for working with consumers and selling their own product, building a market for themselves,” said Rochelle, “and then from a traditionally farming aspect, you are focused on growing and harvesting your crop and then getting it to the local co-op or the place where you would sell your grain as a commodity.”

Dealing with grain is easier for them to avoid working with a middleman. That could be harder in dairy.

“There’s a place for everybody in agriculture,” said Rochelle. “As a small portion of a population, we believe, this is a way for us to add value to our portion of the farmland and create a different purpose for what we want to grow and where we want that to end up, and that is in the consumer’s hand.”