The new machines help with efficiency and output, as rolled oats comprise 40% of the companyâs production. Lambke still struggles with the question of who can buy the locally made food, as 51% of the local area population qualifies for food assistance. Maine, USA Fun fact: In the 1830s, a single town in Maine produced more than 239,000 bushels of wheat (thatâs enough for 100,000 people!). Inside its simplistic shell are two, four-foot diameter grinding stones whose outer eight inches rub and mash wheat from a dozen farms, mostly from The County, until it is fine, after which it goes through an even finer sieve before it is bagged. Kneading brings together grain growers, bakers, oven builders, and the like, to put some serious momentum behind reviving the grain economy here in Maine and beyond. There is a fruit and vegetable prescription program that partners with doctors, but she'd like to see the fresh, locally made food available to more people. 30 Federal Street, Suite 100 All are part of an active effort to revitalize downtown Skowhegan, as well as to attract more young farmers to the state. Skowhegan, Maine Amber Lambke is president of the Somerset Grist Mill, LLC and its Maine Grains label, carried by specialty food stores and used by fine restaurants and ⦠What advice do you wish you'd gotten early in your career? As a Skowhegan resident, Amber found herself actively volunteering with downtown revitalization projects. Maine Grains CEO Amber Lambke, of Skowhegan, to appear on Martha Stewart TV The episode was taped in September in New York and is to be aired sometime this fall. Raising more money. One of the lead organizers behind the event is Amber Lambke, executive director of the Maine Grain Alliance and co-owner of the Somerset Grist Mill ⦠âShe looks for ways to solve problems.â. I'd never started a business before, and I was reviving an infrastructure that didn't exist [the mill occupies the former county jail]. She recently visited her birthplace, Iceland, on a trade mission to that country with Gov. The machine's arrival a year or so ago from Austria both thrilled and scared Lambke, who is president, and co-owner Mike Scholz, who is vice president. 1 cup brown sugar or preferred sweetener (liquid may change baking time) 2 eggs lightly beaten. Maine Grains is a gristmill featuring traditional stone milling. Somerset County is full of old grain mills that provided grains to Civil War troops during that time. Launched in 2020, the initiative supports local teams working together to improve economic outcomes for all people in Maineâs towns, cities, and rural communities. Her funding strategy has been to find what she calls âslow investors,â those who defer principal and interest for the first five years, charge a low interest of around 5% and who believe in strengthening the food system. Founders Amber Lambke and Michael Sholz started the company in hopes that they could reclaim these lost roots by collaborating with everyone involved in the processâfrom farmer to baker. The renovated facility is MOFGA organic-certified, and functions as a zero-waste operation. See Amber bake with Martha Stewart! The Working Communities Challenge advances local collaborative efforts that build strong, healthy economies and communities in Maineâs rural towns, regions, and smaller cities. We invite you to join Amber Lambke, CEO & Founder of Maine Grains and Kerry Hanney, founder, owner, and baker behind Night Moves, as they discuss baking with heritage grains, sourdough and stone-ground flours. By clicking submit you are agreeing to our cookie usage and Privacy Policy, This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Amber worked closely with Janet Roderick, CEI Business Advisor, with early stage business planning, developing a narrative, crunching numbers, and identifying and writing grants. Amber Lambke realized that the missing link in the grain chain was a local mill â so she decided to create the Somerset Grist Mill. Central Maineâs rich history of growing grain demonstrated the potential for a milling operation that had been untapped for over a century. She became a co-founder of the first Kneading Conference in 2007, she says, âTo bring millers, farmers and others together to help revive the regional economy.â She had met her husband, who is a doctor, at a contra dance in North Whitefield and moved to Skowhegan in 2001, at first keeping her profession as a speech pathologist, and then gaining interest in the artisan baking and local food movements. Amber spent years traveling and learning about the grain industry and realized that organic grain production at a regional scale was different from anything that was happening. This can take a few Amber Lambke never imagined that she would be a key visionary leader behind a small townâs economic revitalization, and eventually the CEO and President of a large manufacturing facility. 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