To help restore soil health, King Arthur Baking Company is now selling a new type of whole wheat flour, a 100% Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend. It is a mix of grains developed by the Breadlab, a research lab at Washington State University that breeds varieties of wheat, barley, and rye that are healthier for both humans and the soil than commodity wheats.
The King Arthur blend, which the company describes as having a “rich, nutty flavor,” has been in the works for about two years. That’s longer than it takes to bring most new products from the brand to market, King Arthur COO Janis Abbingsole, acknowledges. That’s because getting this blend to store shelves had to start first with farmers—and meant waiting until they had enough yield.
This regeneratively-grown climate blend is a big step in King Arthur’s journey toward that goal, but the company hopes it isn’t the only one making these changes. Other companies are also working on regeneratively-grown flours, or using regeneratively-grown grains for things like cereal and beer, though there are still questions as to whether regenerative agriculture can succeed at scale.
“We’re one CPG company in a sea of CPG companies talking about (this) work,” Abbingsole says. “And while we have our particular approach that we’re taking, we believe it will take all CPG companies to make these system shifts happen.”
The 100% Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend is available exclusively at Whole Foods and on King Arthur’s own website, although Abbingsole says they’ll gradually roll it out further.
(Hat tip to Fast Company. Photo courtesy King Arthur Baking Company.)