Swany White Flour Mills

Infobox_nrhp | name =Swany White Flour Mills
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= Freeport, Minnesota
lat_degrees = 45
lat_minutes = 39
lat_seconds = 43
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 94
long_minutes = 41
long_seconds = 17
long_direction = W
locmapin = Minnesota
area =
built =1898
architect= Unknown
architecture= No Style Listed
added = April 15, 1982
governing_body = Private
mpsub=Stearns County MRA
refnum=82003043cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Swany White Flour Mills is a small flour mill in Freeport, Minnesota. The miller is Gary Thelen, and the mill has been owned by the Thelen family since 1903. [Citation | last =Keillor | first =Garrison | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | author2-link = | title =In Search of Lake Wobegon | journal =National Geographic | volume =198 | issue =6- | pages =98 | date =December | year =2000 | url = | doi = | id = ] The mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Freeport Roller Mill and Miller's House". [cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/multiples/64000379.pdf|title=Stearns County Multiple Resource Area|publisher=National Park Service|accessdate=2008-04-03]

History

The mill has operated continuously at the same location since 1903, although according to Stearns County the mill dates to 1898. [ [http://www.co.stearns.mn.us/documents/sesqui3.pdf Stearns Pg.12-13 resend.eps ] ] Swany White Flour Mills has been owned by the Thelen family from its inception.

Today

For white flour, Swany White has used the same milling equipment since 1913. It has a milling capacity of about convert|1000|lb per hour, or convert|12000|lb|abbr=on per business day. [http://www.honestweight.coop/CoopScoop/Nov05/suppliers.html Honest Weight Food Coop ] ] This is a faction of the milling capacity of most mills. It is notable that Swany White Flour has continued to operate as a small independent while most other small regional producers have either given up or sold out.

For its conventional products, the mill has a commercial presence mainly in the Upper Midwest, however its organic products are distributed more widely. In addition to sales to distributors and retailers, Swany White has a retail outlet at the mill in Freeport. The mill's most popular product is a bleached flour sold under the brand name "Faith's Best", which accounts for about 60% of all sales.

Notes