Mill and Farm Tours

Mill and farm tours... educational and fun!!

The adage "you are what you eat", has held wisdom for centuries. These days, however, what do you eat? It's hard to know sometimes, between lists of unpronounceable ingredients, ultra long shelf lives created by preservatives that end up in you, chemical inputs into the agricultural raw materials that make up your food damaging the environment as well as your health, and so on and so on. The industrialized food system on which we all depend has disconnected us from who we are....

At Westwind Milling Co., LLC, we want to SHOW YOU where your food comes from! Real food is quite simple, and the results of using it to make your own meals taste amazing!

Mill Tours

*APPOINTMENT ONLY - 2 weeks ADVANCE NOTICE*

Basic Tour: We offer tours for a minimum of 10 people at $5.00 each (over the age of 5, please - young children are welcome to tag along, but don't count toward the minimum as tour participants). Tours are a hands-on learning experience about the milling process, the importance of the local foods movement and the history of the mill in Michigan. Everyone gets our bran muffins, non-bran muffins and organic apple cider at the end. Children also get an activity book which is a great follow up lesson to do at home. Tours last about an hour, depending on discussion and questions.

Luncheon Tour: This tour is more in depth, recommended for young adults to adults. We start out with an all locally produced luncheon, (the meals vary according to the season, and discussion about the foods. Everyone gets a Local Foods Resource Guide, made up of independent farmers and business people that we have had experience with over the years. We then take the tour of the mill. This tour takes about 2 1/2 hours. Cost is $15.00 per person, with a minimum of 10 people.

Bread Baking Tour: For a maximum of 10 adults or 15 children under 12, you can bake your own loaf of bread, learning the process from flour to the oven. While the bread is rising, we tour the mill and see the milling process as well. Cost is $13 each.

Farm Tours

Farm Tour Dates for 2010 Sunday, June 27th, 1-4 - Luncheon Tour - $20 ea. Sunday, July 25th, 1-4 - Luncheon Tour - $20 ea. Sunday, August 29, 1-4 - Luncheon Tour - $20 ea. Saturday, September 25th, 6-9 "Moonlight" Dinner Tour - $20 Sunday, September 26th, 1-4 - *Pumpkin Picking Sunday, October 10th, 1-4 - *Pumpkin Picking Sunday, October 17th, 1-4 - *Pumpkin Picking (*$10 each + cost of pumpkin - includes treats & drinks)

Westwind Milling Company not only mills grain -- we grow it, too! AND we'd like you to see where it's grown, and how we grow it! As all farm tours are completely out of doors, they are done between late May and late October, and are weather dependent. We schedule rain dates for all tours, so keep both dates open, as fees are non-refundable. Tours are $10 per person, excluding infants and children under 2 years, no charge. Tours including cookout lunch are $20 per person. All Farm Tours require a minimum of 20 paying customers, maximum of 35. On average, Farm Tours take3-4 hours, depending on which combination of events you put together.

If one of our pre-set dates doesn't work for your group, create your own Farm Tour, based on picking out which aspects of the Farm you'd like to share in:

Barnyard: Collect chicken eggs, see the heritage breed turkeys, the cows and horses. Take a good swing in the barn from the haystack, and watch where you walk!

Wagon Ride: Take an old fashioned hay-ride to the back of the farm. See the crops growing (and possibly being planted or harvested, depending on the season). Bring your own lunch to enjoy under the Great Oak.

Wagon Ride with Lunch: At the back of the Farm, be ready for a cook-out with organic hot dogs, organic apple cider, and cool home-made treats! (vegetarian options available)

Woodland Ride and Walk: This tour is best done in mid to late spring, when woodland flowers are blooming. See Trillium, Jack in the Pulpit, Mayflowers and maybe find some Morel mushrooms. If you look very carefully in just the right places, you may also find some of the tiny folks who live in the woods. Listening and looking only, please - no picking flowers allowed!

Old Time Harvest Moon Wagon Ride: A family oriented wagon ride during Autumn evenings in September and October. Jack O Lanterns light the way down the dusky lane. You might be surprised by a wild creature on the trail, but don't worry, movie characters Jason and Freddy are not invited to our harvest celebration. Enjoy cider and donuts at the Great Oak.

**Remember, farms can be great places to explore, but can also be dangerous for young and old alike. All posted rules must be observed while on the premises. Not following rules or safety instructions are grounds for removal from the property.