California Whole-Grain Supplier Expands To Online Market

Whole-grain supplier Community Grains will now reach a larger consumer base than their current Northern California market, as their products will now be sold to a wider audience through Food52's online store. Community Grains founder Bob Klein is excited for the opportunity to distribute his goods through Food52, as he views it as a great outlet and an excellent opportunity to grow Community Grains' brand.

Also the owner of Oliveto in Oakland, Calif., Klein founded Community Grains in 2007 and envisions the company as a way to set up a "local grain economy" to promote and facilitate the development of local, non-industrialized whole grains that are healthy and delicious. Through Community Grains, he also hopes to educate consumers on the health benefits of consuming whole-grain versus refined wheat products.

Klein feels it is extremely important to educate the public on the benefits of eating whole grains because, "there's forceful research that suggests that white refined flour is now linked to lots of very serious diseases such as heart disease and cancer," he says.

Community Grains now offers a complete whole-grain line of flours, dry pasta, heritage Italian polenta, and heirloom beans. They define whole grain as the grain in its entirety, 100 percent of germ, bran, and endosperm found in grain, according to FDA guidelines. They go beyond these guidelines by never adding anything extra, and the flour is never refined nor are the three components of the grain separated.

Just as The Daily Meal community holds its cooking to the highest standard, Food52's mission is about good cooks looking for good cooking, so Klein is excited to be distributing his products to their readers. "Most exciting to me is the idea of what whole grains are is changing. People had bad feelings about whole grain because of whole wheat. Now, very good chefs are using our flours, etc., and we're excited that a lot of new things are coming out," Klein said in an interview with The Daily Meal. Now, with Community Grains' expanded market, there is just another ingredient to try in your cooking endeavors.