Roaring Fork is trying to do for flour what specialty coffee did for coffee beans – educate consumers about origin, farming practices and production methods rather than treating the category as a commodity.
The Colorado-based flour brand got its start as a wholesale flour mill selling 50-pound bags to restaurants and bakeries, according to Founder Jacob Trumbull.
From there, the startup received requests from consumers to “come and scoop out some flour into their containers”, sparking Roaring Fork’s retail business, he said. Roaring Fork sells its flours direct to customers (DTC) and regional retailers in states including California, Illinois New York and Texas.
Roaring Fork’s heritage grain portfolio features 10 stone-milled flour products, ranging from all purpose and heritage bread to less familiar flours like Emmer flour, in addition to a pancake mix and shortbread cookies.
With line drawn illustrations on the packaging, Trumbull says the branding reflects Roaring Fork’s “roots, our heritage, our family” by telling its story on the back of the resealable 2-pound bags. The resealable bags were an intentional choice in response to conventional paper flour bags that tear easily and spill, he added.
Flour’s growing regenerative-certified movement
Unlike larger players that offer a handful of regenerative products, Roaring Fork has built its brand entirely around heritage grains and regenerative sourcing.
The startup sources its Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) and USDA Organic grains from farms in Colorado, Montana and Idaho. Founder Jacob Trumbull said regenerative organic certification remains relatively uncommon in the flour category, though a growing number of specialty brands are adopting the standard.
New York-based Farmer Ground Flour, for example, ROC-certified its entire lineup, while larger players including King Arthur Baking Company and Cairnspring Mills offer select ROC-certified products, such as King Arthur’s Climate Blend and Cairnspring’s Trailblazer, Glacier Peak and Sequoia flours.
The momentum behind regenerative flour also coincides with recent policy developments. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order, Advancing Regenerative Agriculture and Strengthening American Farm Resilience in June. The EO directs HHS, USDA and EPA to expand regenerative agriculture research, innovation and public-private partnerships with the aim to develop a modernized framework for American agriculture.
Consumers ‘care a lot more about the farming aspect’
Having the regenerative organic certification is a differentiator for the brand – and one that Trumbull believes aligns with a growing number of consumers who are “starting to care a lot more about the farming aspect of where their food comes from.”
He points out that compared to conventional grains and wheat, Roaring Fork’s heritage grains are easier to digest, contain more nutritional value and are climate resilient.
“The type of grain we grow takes a lot less water and doesn’t include any additives,” he explained, adding that Roaring Forks’ aims to be a leader in the regenerative agricultural space.
Trumbull argues that many consumers increasingly connect bread and flour with digestive intolerance, creating an opportunity for heritage grains that are less processed than conventional flour.
