A GUNNEDAH business up for a regional innovation award “can’t and won’t do conventional” and says that’s been paying off in “pretty exciting ways”.
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Wholegrain Milling Company is an excellence in innovation finalist in the New England North West Business Awards.
The certified organic flour-milling company is being recognised for branching out into certified sustainable flour, continuing to supply artisan bakers nationwide.
Spokesman Mathew Jensen said the company was acting on people’s “thirst for food with a story, food that has traceability, food that has some sort of authenticity behind it”.
He said the certified sustainable arm had grown to 30 per cent of the business, which also achieved its first export of that product to Thailand last month.
“Wholegrain Milling has been in business for 38 years; 36 of those were supplying purely organic to our markets,” Mr Jensen said.
“We needed a point of difference – something that was authentic and real that gave customers a chemical-free option, still, but not at the organic prices.
“We were able to go ahead and ... create a sustainable farming model and bring that into commercialisation.
We needed a point of difference – something that was authentic and real that gave customers a chemical-free option, still, but not at the organic prices.
- Mathew Jensen
“We were innovative enough to change our business model and innovative enough to give the consumer another chemical-free choice; the only one in the market.”
The company, led by owners Craig and Renee Neale, teamed up with organics and agronomy experts to set up the certification system.
They founded Australian Sustainable Produce and found 60 growers to supply grain, most from the central west.
The region’s winners will be named on September 1 at the Civic Centre, Gunnedah. Those from state-aligned categories will go onto the NSW Business Chamber awards.