On the 13^th June 2019, the Government launched a 12 week consultation seeking views on the proposal to introduce mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid. This, the consultation states, is to help reduce neural tube defects (NTDs) in foetuses by raising the folate levels of women who could become pregnant. The consultation seeks views on fortifying all flours with Folic Acid, not just white flour.

We at Fosters Mill welcome government initiatives to reduce neural tube defects. We have no expertise to comment on the medical evidence being used to justify the proposals to fortify flour, nor the appropriateness of using flour as a vehicle to achieve this outcome. We do, however, have the experience and authority to comment on the practical implications of implementing what is proposed:

The Problem

The mandatory fortification of all flours (which is one of the options being proposed in the consultation), could have a serious effect on the future viability and integrity of Fosters Mill, such that we may have to cease flour production; putting at risk our thriving flour business and one of the main sources of income to sustain this important historic Grade 2* listed building.

Practical Issues relating to traditional mills adding folic acid to all flours:

Fosters Mill has no suitable equipment to accurately mix folate into flour, whether it is incorporated into Creta Plus (the product used to fortify white flour), or otherwise. Neither does the mill have the capacity required in terms of mixing equipment, elevators, augers or hoists required to mix all flour being produced by the mill – something that may be required if the decision is to fortify all flours. The space available in the mill and the listing status of the building would also prevent the installation of the machinery required.

Other issues:

Even if we were able to install the machinery required, the cost of purchasing, installing, the consequent training and staffing of the additional processes required would be prohibitive to the financial viability of the mill. As such any requirement which arose as a result of this consultation would potentially lead to the mill ceasing to produce flour putting at risk the future sustainability of the mill as an historic listed building.

The milling process undertaken in traditional mills is not compatible with accurate dosing of flour with additives. To be able to add folate to all flours produced, we would need to create a whole new production process. This not only requires the investment in machinery, the costs of which are prohibitive, but also the staffing of a new production process which adds costs / time to a production process which is already a very low margin activity from a financial perspective.

Proposed Exemption

Given the above, the Traditional Cornmillers Guild and SPAB Mills Section (the national organisation which campaigns to protect and promote traditional mills) are urging the Government to consider an exemption for traditional mills producing less than 1000 tonnes of flour per annum. The combined production of traditional mills represents a minute fraction of the nation’s flour consumption, of total white flour (for which data is available), we represent less than 0.013%. As such, such an exemption will have no real effect on the success of the initiative, but will secure the future of Fosters Mill and other traditional mills.

What can you do?

1. Read the Traditional Cornmillers Guild Folic Acid Info Document for more information to help inform you.
2. Please then respond to the Consultation 
3. Write to your MP raising your concerns
4. Tell all your breadmaker friends and ask them to respond to the consultation and write to their MPs

Please act NOW or we really could see the day when The Prior’s Flour (and the flours produced by many other wind and watermills) is no more!

We are sorry to have to announce a price increase on all our flour products from the 25th January 2019. We have worked for many months to keep our prices down and absorb increases in the costs of grain, oat products and our other costs, but can no longer hold off the inevitable price increase. We last increased our retail prices in January 2017.

 

 

Well, the long summer is over and the autumn storms are lining up in the Atlantic! As you will probably be aware from media reports, this year has been extremely challenging for our farmers. The winter wheat crop had the ‘Beast from the East’ to struggle through which meant a delay in the growing season in March / April and then after a great deal of rain was plunged into drought which for East Anglia farms started in early May. The spring wheat crop (usually planted in March) was delayed in terms of planting because the ground was so wet, then once farmers had the crop in the ground which for many was later in April, the drought started and the crops had no real rain to establish themselves. The net result of all this is that organic wheat yields are generally down  and protein levels are lower than in previous years.

As usual, we’ve been taking samples of wheat from our regional organic farming partners and test milling and baking to see which parcels of wheat are going to provide you, our customers with the best possible wholemeal and white wheat flours. We are pleased to announce that for the 2018 harvest, we will be taking wheat from Stephen Parsley who farms at Red House Farm near Wood Walton, Huntingdon.

The picture shows Stephen amongst his 2018 crop of Mulika wheat  which you will be eating from early October!

We will launch a product update video in early October to explain more about the qualities of this new flour.

We have been informed that as of the 9th March 2018, the planning application for houses on Mill Hill has been withdrawn.

Thank you to everyone who objected to the application or signed our petition. We will continue to collect wind data to be prepared should a further application be made.

Those of you who have followed Swaffham Prior village news or our recent posts regarding our objection to the proposed development of 10 bungalows on Mill Hill, Swaffham Prior may be aware that one of our key concerns is the impact such a development will have on the availability of wind to the mill.

To assess the likely impact, the owners of Fosters Mill commissioned Steve Temple of Templetech Ltd to carry out a wind study. The developer, Mead Homes, have also commissioned a study, completed by WSP Environmental. The conclusions of the two reports are quite different.

We have therefore asked Steve Temple to complete a comparison of the two studies to explore why the conclusions are so different. In the interests of transparency, we share that report here along with Steve’s wind study and a link below to the WSP Environmental study.

These documents have been submitted to the East Cambridgeshire District Council Planning Team.

Wind Study Fosters Mill Planning Application 17_01208_OUM Rev2

Comparison of Wind Studies Report Planning Application 17_01208_OUM

WSP Environmental Report