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Tip #1 - "You do WHAT? Why bother?" - Part Two

Part One of this tip may have helped you determine a few health reasons why it is good to mill your own grains, but that may still not be enough to satisfy your friends and family.

The following tip to answering the questions of why you bother to mill at home is the advantages of cost and storage. Of course, we can purchase 'whole wheat bread' at the bakery. Of course, 'dead bagged flour' lasts for a pretty good period of time. Are these reasons to pass up home milling all together? Of course not! In fact, look closer and you can see why milling at home is better.

Health advantages aside, which is the MOST vital one in my personal opinion, storage and cost come up on the convenience end of considering milling at home. The 'whole wheat' loaf of bread we can buy in the bakery is not only made of old, processed whole wheat, but by the government regulations only has to be at least 51% - or mostly whole wheat - to be labeled as such. I deviate, this is also a health reason. The cost of a loaf is generally $2.29. A home milled, fresh WHOLE GRAIN flour, loaf of bread costs me generally $.75 to make and that is using all organic (a bit pricier) grains and sugar. Also, I know for certain what is in that loaf!

Storage is the other thought. Of course, in our house the bread doesn't last long because we can't resist slicing into a warm loaf when we smell it so we don't have to worry about self life. However, the grains last for years! The husk was created as the greatest protection for the grain. Grains have been found in pyramids that were over 4000 years old and when planted, they grew just as they were meant to. I don't think you'll be needing those grains in 4000 years, but store the grains in a sturdy container and from getting moist and you can store them for years.