With the increasing number of huge industrial mills across the country, one of the most essential parts of our food system is also being industrialized: flour. Kevin Morse, CEO and co-founder of Cairnspring Mills, talks about his mission to bring organic flour into the mainstream market and the important role of community-rooted mills in achieving that goal. He joins Corinna Bellizzi to share how regenerative farming practices, healthy farmer relations, and sustainable food manufacturing are keys to producing nutrient-rich flour and bringing value back to local grain communities. Kevin also sheds light on how smallholder farmers are facing their toughest times right now due to the commodity system, trade wars, and the rapid corporate takeover. About Our Guest: As CEO and co-founder of Cairnspring Mills, Kevin Morse taps into his deep experience as a farmer, economic development leader, conservationist and community builder and applies his can-do spirit to build the mill from the ground up. Kevin recognized that building a new regional grain milling business would bring value back to the community and farmers and was a critical part of revitalizing the local food system. An incorrigible optimist deeply rooted in the beautiful Skagit Valley, Kevin is an outdoorsman, avid fisherman and an Italian who loves to cook and bake. Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-morse-6948a046/ Guest Website: https://cairnspring.com/ Guest Social: https://www.instagram.com/cairnspringmills/ Show Topics with Timestamps: 02:59 - Rotating Cereal Grains For A Hundred Years 07:03 - How Industrial Mills Started To Kill Local Mills 10:08 - How Cairnspring Mills Are Doing Things Differently 13:14 - Shelf Life Difference Between Nutrient-Dense And All-Purpose Flour 16:11 - The Dangers Of Glyphosate In Flour Production 19:50 - Why Animals Are Naturally Attracted To Regenerative Land 21:17 - Importance Of Maintaining Close Relationships With Farmers 24:25 - How Cairnspring Mills Scales While Keeping Their Core Values Intact 29:44 - Why Smallholder Farmers Are Facing Their Toughest Times 38:04 - Promising Brands To Look Out For 40:12 - Why Flour Will Become The Next Big Thing In Mainstream 42:43 - Benefits Of Having A Huge Assortment of Flour 47:49 - Can Regional Grains Restore Soil Health And Reduce Carbon 51:34 - Using Synthetic Fertilizers On No-Till Soils 55:05 - How Food Shapes Kevin’s Leadership Approach 58:56 - Possibility Of The Reemergence Of Community-Rooted Regional Mills BUILD A GREENER FUTURE with CARE MORE BE BETTER Together, we planted 36,044 trees in 2025 through our partnership with ForestPlanet. We screamed past our goal of planting 20,000 trees thanks to subscribers like you! NEW CAUSE PARTNER FOR 2025-2026 SELECTED! If you value open dialogue, sustainability, and social equity, I invite you to support our new cause partner —Prescott College. To learn more about this effort and to support the show visit: https://caremorebebetter.com/support/ Follow us on social media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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