"Grains of Change" in Edible Jersey
We’re thrilled that Ruthie’s ambitious idea to establish Marksboro Mills and our River Valley Community Grains journey are featured in the Fall 2023 issue of Edible Jersey. Big thanks to Fran McManus for telling our story so well, and to Miana Jun for the terrific photos.
Just as Perretti was giving up her search for a mill, she received a call from Sister Miriam MacGillis of nearby Genesis Farm.
“She reached out to me asking if I would like to grow grain organically. That there are some millers that are just starting out. I was completely intrigued.” The millers were Lenny Bussanich, Mike Hozer, and Larry Mahmarian, a trio of friends who, in 2016, formed River Valley Community Grains (see Edible Jersey, High Summer 2018), a local grain hub that assists growers in converting land into organic grain production for human consumption and then provides support services—cleaning, milling, packaging, and marketing—for that grain.
River Valley Community Grains grew out of a project at Genesis Farm that sought to restore and protect the Musconetcong River Valley. The trio recognized that encouraging and facilitating the use of regenerative farming practices within the Musconetcong watershed would be a major step toward protecting the health of the river. Grains were chosen because they were already being grown as livestock feed on many of these farms, so the farmers had essential farming experience and equipment. Of equal importance to Bussanich, Hozer, and Mahmarian was the return of fresh, nutritious, flavorful, heritage grains into the local food supply.