This article was published on September 19, 2024

By Kurt Jacobson

“Virginia is for Lovers” is one of the best slogans of any U.S. state. Thanks to the CGA (Common Grain Alliance), a subtitle to Virginia's slogan might read, “Virginia is for Grain Lovers.” I love the way the CGA supports and connects grain-loving businesses. The Mid-Atlantic region is experiencing a rebirth of artisanal grain products from local producers—including in Virginia!

Enjoy the last few days of summer by visiting CGA members across the state. This list features bakeries, a malthouse, a distillery and grain mills from Harrisonburg to Charlottesville. Think of it as a grain-based road trip where you can enjoy bread, pastries, beer, and spirits onsite or to take home.

Albemarle Baking Company (ABC) 

418 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA

A short drive away from ABC is Cou Cou Rachou, owned by Rachel De Jong. De Jong grew up in a family that knew how important good food and hospitality are. With a certificate in pastry making from the Cordon Bleu in Paris, De Jong is well equipped to deliver the goods. I love that she uses organic ingredients and has all my favorite French pastries, like chocolate croissants, almond croissants, galettes, and quiche. Coffee lovers will enjoy some of the 13 drink choices available on the menu.

Although Rachel and her crew can make awesome celebration cakes, they are pausing cake making for now to focus on cranking out bread, pastries, muffins, and cookies. Cou Cou Rachou is open Wednesday through Sunday at 217 Preston Ave. Show up early and be prepared to wait if there's a line!

Supporting local grains doesn’t just mean eating delicious pastries. Charlottesville contains multiple breweries who source their malt from Murphy & Rude Malting Co,  a specialty-focused craft malt house dedicated to crafting the best and freshest malt using barley sourced from local grain farmers. 

Murphy & Rude Malting Co. 's production processes are rooted in traditional methods like floor malting and hand raking, combined with creative experimentation and innovative techniques to create radical malts for revolutionary products.  The founder and head Maltster, Jeffrey Bloem, obsesses over the attributes of flavor, color, and aroma-influencing specialty malts and then produces them from a variety of small grains grown both in and outside of Virginia. 

Jeffrey and his team partner with craft brewers and distillers to produce creative and flavorful beverages that are innovating in the craft beer and craft spirits industries. There are several breweries in Charlottesville that source craft malt from Murphy & Rude Malting Co.  you can visit, including Decipher Brewery, Random Row Brewing, and others. See Murphy & Rude Malting Co. ‘s full list of collaborators here on their website. 

Althea Bread is another relatively new bakery in Charlottesville.

From their leased shop at 120 10th St NW, they bake bread, cookies, pretzels, croissants, palmiers, and more, all using local, heirloom and ancient grains to make fresh, stone-ground flour.

You can also find their baked goods and stone-ground flour weekly at the the Farmers Market at IX (pictured).

Sub Rosa is located in Virginia’s capital city of Richmond and specializes in whole-grain baked goods. They are a beloved local bakery celebrated for sourcing local whole grains and milling in-house, producing some of the freshest baked goods around. The seasonal savory croissants come with delicious combinations like dill and squash or ham and cheese. On the sweet side of the menu, the sour cherry and pistachio croissant is flaky and full of flavor.

On the day I visited, only the classic bread, a 100% stone-ground blend of regional wheat, was available. I learned that purchasing their baked goods two days or more in advance is best to avoid long lines or the risk of selling out. 

Also located in Richmond is CGA member Reservoir Distillery. This award-winning distillery focuses on exploring the terroir of Virginia spirits. They source aging barrels made from Virginia lumber and use all Virginia-grown grain for their spirits. Their Director of Distillery Education, Shelley Sackier, hosts whiskey tasting classes to refine your understanding of flavor. Shelley is also the director of the Virginia Heritage Grain Project, currently working to revive heritage grain varieties with particularly good flavor profiles for distilling and baking. 

Try the Maison de Cuivre, a red wine-finished whiskey, wheated-rye Grey Ghost, or cognac. Cigar Magazine bestowed Reservoir Grey Ghost the #7 ranking  in their top ten whiskies of 2023! Customers can visit the tasting room at 1800 A Summit Ave, Richmond, Monday-Saturday 1-9 PM and Sunday 1-6 PM. Sign up for classes such as “Nosing and Tasting 101 Masterclass” on their website.

Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery is located near Lovettsville, VA just south of the Maryland border. They focus on brewing small-batch beer with single-origin grains, both from their farm and other grain farmers. Water and yeast for brewing are sourced from their land to create unique beer. Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are also grown on the farm. 

Wheatland Spring Farm uses eco-friendly regenerative practices to care for the land and produce beers that are gaining a local and regional following. 

The best time to visit is during the Saturday Farmers Market, when several local artisanal vendors show up to sell products like honey, lavender, veggies, flowers, and baked goods from CGA members Maple and Rye Bakery, Fireside Farm, Meadow Bread, and more. Visitors can book the onsite cottage for a cozy farm stay on their website.

The Flour District is a Lynchburg bakery and coffee shop that specializes in artisanal, European-style pastries and offers baking classes and events.

Consider taking a class to learn how to make pasta, decorative cake pops, pizza, sourdough bread, and other delicious foods. The pizza class is taught by the owners of Slice Versa, using a mobile wood-fired pizza oven.

In Harrisonburg, stop by the Saturday farmers market to buy bread from Mill Song Bakery made from freshly-ground flour milled by the baker himself, Nico Melas. Mill Song has made a commitment to sourcing 100% of their grains from their county, providing hyperlocal bread for grain enthusiasts. As a result, Nico has become a de facto agronomist, working with local farmers to grow ancient grains for his bakery.

Mill Song makes around 11 types of bread, plus house-made granola. Customers can also pre-order bread and pick up orders at 1130 Lincolnshire Dr. in Rockingham, Virginia. 

I get most of my whole-grain baking flour from Deep Roots Milling. Aaron, Charlie, and Ian lease the historic Woodson Mill in Roseland, VA. The quality of these fresh-milled grains has elevated my baking like never before. My favorite products are the Silver or Gold bread flour, heirloom yellow cornmeal, and buckwheat & acorn pancake mix.

Retail customers can come to their once-monthly Mill Race Market, where several artisanal vendors sell at this Sunday event. Deep Roots Milling also sells wholesale products to some local businesses. Find a list of their products online and help support artisanal grains for your home-baked goods.

Wade’s Mill is located south of Staunton, VA, where stone ground grains have been produced since 1750. In February 2024, April Anderson took over as owner. Born in the Shenandoah Valley, April is a perfect fit to continue the work that previous owners John and Karen Siegfried began in 2016. To learn about the milling of grains, Wade's Mill invites visitors Thursday through Sunday.

Find their product list featuring heirloom grits, cornmeal, wheat flour, other grains, dessert mixes, as well as events and directions on their website.