Illinois Wheat Association Visits Siemer Milling Company
This past November, Illinois Wheat Association visited Siemer Milling Company and was ‘impressed’ by the operation.
John Ernst, President of Illinois Wheat Association shares his thoughts and experience of the visit; “It seems like a simple concept; wheat is ground, and flour is made- but there is much more to it than that. Before grinding ever takes place, the wheat is cleaned through screens, air tables and even color-sorters that can eliminate even a single off-colored seed with a quick puff of air from the machines. The wheat is off to the roller mill. The milling room was filled with around 18 mills all grinding a different stage of wheat flour. Next, we saw the shaking rooms where the flour is sifted out. Some flour is made after the wheat is ground once and then the bran may be ran through the different mills up to 8 times before the bran is finally discarded. The mill runs 24 hours a day and processes over 900 bushels of wheat every hour.” After touring the milling floor the group was able to visit the test kitchen where each batch of flour is tested and a sample of each is kept for future references.
“It was truly an eye-opening experience and makes me more aware of how important our commitment needs to be, to always strive to deliver a consistent, clean, high quality product to our millers” explains Ernst.
The Illinois Wheat Association (IWA) is a member organization serving all aspects of the Illinois wheat industry from producer to processor. Illinois Wheat Association provides education opportunities, encourages research relating to wheat and wheat products, promotes marketing alternatives, and represents its members in every state and federal legislative activities relating to the needs of the Illinois wheat industry.
For additional information about Illinois Wheat Association contact, Mike Doherty, Interim Executive Director, (309) 557-3619 or MDoherty@ilfb@org.
December 1, 2018