Whole Wheat Flour - co-op or local grocery store?

[Paula]

I've got another question. This time about the benefits of buying whole wheat flour through a co-op.

Here where I live, our homeschool group purchases through the Ozark co-op. I'm wondering what the benefits are to buy ww flour from the co-op rather than the regular grocery store up the street. Is it definitely, for sure, more healthy? Or does it just taste better? I hear that it looks different (not as dark?) and tastes different.

I don't have a grain mill, so I would have to buy the flour already milled at this point. I DO understand the health benefits of grinding your own, I just can't afford a mill right now.

Thanks!

Paula

[shauna]

see if you can call and ask at the co-op. Our co-op here in Michigan grinds the flours daily, and keeps them in a temperature controlled warehouse. That means, a person could go down and pick up flour that was milled less than 24 hours ago, and kept in a cold warehouse.... could bring it home and put it straight into the freezer. I do have a grain mill now, (it's a dinosaur that was given to me, but it does the trick!) but that was the option I was considering before I got the mill.

Shauna

[Paula]

Thanks, Shauna. That makes sense about the freshness of the milling process through your co-op. It's awesome that you have that option!

I think our co-op must work differently. The Ozark co-op sells flour from several different companies, so I don't think I could make a phone call and find out how fresh their flour is (unless I tried to find the phone number of one of the individual companies and called them directly?)

I guess I could ask my local homeschool group members why they buy through Ozark, but I'm afraid I'd just get the standard answer like - well, that's just what everyone does, so I assume it's healthier. I was hoping someone here who orders through Ozark might give me a better answer!

[Mom2boys]

Hi Paula,
I think that flour from Ozark would all be about the same since it is not very fresh. It's just a whole wheat flour. You are doing better to use whole wheat, so just pick one that you like.

[Paula]

But since the flour from Ozark isn't all that fresh, would it still be better than the whole wheat flour from Wal-Mart? Or would I do just as well buying it from there?

Paula