Vermont Baking Company Develops Regeneratively Grown Whole Wheat Flour

King Arthur Baking Company, a Vermont-based flour and baking goods company, has produced a new whole wheat flour using regenerative agriculture. The product, called Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend, is made up of a variety of wheat crops.

According to the company, their Climate Blend offers a more sustainable flour that will perform nearly the same as conventional whole wheat flour in baking recipes, although it may not be as consistent each year. That’s because the varieties used to create the whole wheat blend may change, based on yields that can be impacted by climate change, Fast Company reported.

The product was developed in partnership with Washington State University’s Breadlab, a team of researchers working on growing and breeding more sustainable wheat varieties and encouraging people to eat whole grains, rather than wasting edible parts of the plant.

“We’ve been partnering with King Arthur since 2009, working towards a shared vision of leading the industry in moving agriculture forward through innovative wheat growing,” Stephen Jones, director of Breadlab, said in a press release. “We’re proud to be a part of King Arthur’s journey to source 100% regeneratively grown wheat, and we’re excited to bring consumers along on this journey with the launch of Climate Blend.”

The first batch of Climate Blend flour uses wheat varieties grown on the Bock Family Farm in North Dakota and Linker Farms in Montana. 

“For those of us who are actively farming regenerative crops, it’s validating to see consumers care as much as we do how their food is grown,” said Brock Linker, operator of Linker Farms. “This entire movement I’ve found myself a small part of is so exciting and motivating.”

With regenerative agriculture, farmers aim to improve soil and crop health through minimal disturbance. This way of farming is not new — Indigenous communities have farmed with regenerative practices throughout history.

According to King Arthur Baking Company, its approach to regenerative agriculture is to work with farmers who will improve soil health, increase biodiversity, boost nutrient density of crops and sequester carbon through actions such as limiting tilling, planting cover crops, rotating crops and minimizing inputs (like fertilizer) added to crops.

For instance, this initial batch includes a perennial grain that can regrow naturally, rather than needing to be replanted, Fast Company reported.

“These roots will go further down than the annual wheats… they’ll mine different nutrients from the soil and bring them up and make them more available,” Jones told Fast Company. 

The company plans to source all of its flours from wheat grown with regenerative practices by 2030.

The new Climate Blend flour is certified by Regenified, a third-party organization, and is also Non-GMO Project Verified.

Consumers interested in purchasing the Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend can find it on the King Arthur Baking Company website or at Whole Foods Market around the U.S. The cost of the flour is currently $5.95 for 32 ounces on the company website.

“I wish all farmers knew how rewarding it is to ‘farm with our eyes wide open,’” said Brandon Bock, operator of Bock Farms. “Originally, I farmed to grow as much yield as possible with the sole desire to make money for my family. Now, my main priority is to take care of our soil, our community, and human health.”