Rome, GA |
Walk into any pantry around the state and you’re more than likely going to find grits on the shelf. The Southeast is responsible for more than three quarters of the grits consumed in the United States — and operations like the Artisan Milling Company in Rome are a big part of why. Owner Brad Swancy has spent the better part of two decades perfecting his craft.
“It got started about twenty-two years ago when I first started milling from our farm — it was Riverview Farms Milling for the past twenty years,” Swancy said. “Once you do that so long, you learn a lot about being a miller and the ins and outs of doing it. We grew all the corn that we milled initially, and we still do most of that. We try to grow all the white corn and yellow corn that we need.”
Always looking for a new challenge, Swancy recently expanded his operation into a larger warehouse space, partnering with local business owner Josh Baker and branching out into new milling territory.
“When I moved the mill shed off the farm and partnered with Josh Baker, who owns the warehouse, the Artisan Milling Company was born out of twenty years of milling and just wanting to make it a company that could also produce other things,” Swancy said. “We’re gluten free, so we experiment with some millet and buckwheat. But predominately what we do is grits and cornmeal anyway — that’s the song of the South.”
Unlike the brands lining grocery store shelves, Artisan Milling Company produces its grits the traditional way — ground between two stones, with the germ and hull left intact. That difference in process makes a significant difference in both flavor and nutrition.
“Fresh is best — that’s one thing we really stand by. We mill every week, mill to order, and we don’t sit on product,” Swancy said. “A lot of the commercialized grits, like Quaker, are degermed before they’re even milled. But if you’re doing stone ground, some of the germ and nutrient value of the grain ends up in the product.”
That commitment to quality hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Artisan Milling Company’s grits have found their way onto menus at well-known restaurants in Atlanta and Chattanooga, and demand has grown enough that Swancy recently launched the company’s first-ever online storefront.
“We ship a lot to the Chattanooga and Atlanta markets — those are our closest neighboring cities — and we sell to restaurants, farmers markets, and individuals through mail order,” Swancy said. “One of our new things is our online presence. I’ve never really had that in the past twenty years.”
For Swancy, what started as a farm-based operation has grown into something much bigger — a testament to what can happen when craftsmanship, patience, and a love for a southern staple come together.