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When Frank McEwen and his father Ralph McEwen bought their company in 1978, Coosa Valley Milling had been solely a custom feed mill where farmers brought their grain to have it milled into feed for their farm animals.
Under McEwen ownership, the old mill has expanded and evolved into a place where the most discriminating horseman can find the finest equipment for both the professional and novice horseman, or a gentleman farmer can find a pair of the original Muck Boot Company's 9-inch Scrub Boot for tramping about the muddy barnyard or garden.
Pet owners can shop for food from Koi food to dog and cat food as well as horse, cow and chicken feed, along with toys, crates, leashes, and grooming products. Spring finds the store alive with all varieties of baby chicks, ducks and rabbits along with the occasional laying and grooming products.
All that, plus a selection of Montana Silversmith jewelry, wild game feeders and a cooler housing the milled corn products and farm fresh eggs give the place the feel of a modern-day general store. The store sells organic and non-organic gardening supplies as well as the full Purina line of hows along with Coosa Valley's own line of custom made feeds. See our services page for an overview of our store products.
The newest part of the of the business is the addition of a stone burr grist in which the McEwen's mill only the finest organic corn into some of the most delicious cornmeal, grits and polenta products available today. The grist mill turns out yellow, white and blue cornmeal, grits and polenta. The products are sold in specialty food stores, the Wilsonville store and in some of Birmingham's finest restaurants. Products are sealed in a heavy-duty royal blue bag with the attractive McEwen family crest on the label.
The "McEwen & Sons" on the label include Frank, Jr., 12 and Luke, 11. These two partners may be a little too young to run the grist mill, but their part of the family business provides the ideal accompaniment: big, rich, brown and blue eggs. The boys raise their own chicken in an antibiotic and hormone-free environment. The fresh eggs are gathered daily from cage-free hens that are fed only natural feed that contains no antibiotics, hormones, or animal protein and their regular customers swear by the fresh, farm taste.
The blue, yellow and white corn kernels that McEwen, Sr. feeds into the top funnel of his stone burr grist mill are ground between the two rigid granite stones. The type of product milled, whether it is meal, grits, 
or polenta, is determined by setting the width of the stones and also the size of screen the meal is sifted over after grinding. In stone burr grinding the stones crush and grind the whole grain slowly and progressively without oxidizing the meal or destroying the nutrients with heat. Unlike modern roller milling nothing is separated or added to the natural grain in stone burr grinding.
The germ, oil and bran are intact in the whole cornmeal which makes the cornmeal and grist a live product and that makes it necessary for the whole grains to be refrigerated or frozen soon after milling. The germ contains a large portion of the vitamins and mineral of the corn kernel. Yellow cornmeal has slightly more vitamin A than white or blue. Blue corn has higher protein content than other corns and is high in lysine, thereby forming a complete protein.
From the mill to our store, our knowledgeable staff has many years of experience and strives to keep up with the latest products in today's market.
ORGANIC
Why organic? More and more people want to avoid chemicals and pesticides in their food to improve their lifestyles. Organically-grown foods are the only proven way to do this. Our mandate is to provide the highest quality organic grains and fresh ground meal and grits to our customers. At McEwen & Sons we use only certified organic grains, although all whole grains have tremendous health benefits. Organic refers to the way agricultural products and plants are grown and processed. It is resistant to pests and diseases.Organic farming prohibits toxic and persistent chemicals in favor of more human practices that work in harmony with nature. In the livestock industry, antibiotics are prohibited, opting instead for preventative measures for keeping animals healthy and productive. Organic production also prohibits genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Organic practices mean:
- No pesticides to contaminate our soil and water or injured farm workers!
- No chemical fertilizers to run off and contaminate our rivers, lakes, oceans, and drinking water.
- A healthier and more sustainable environment for us all!
Organic whole grain meal, when milled properly, does not lose its nutritional value. No synthetic nutrients or chemical additives are necessary. Quality whole grain flours and meal smell sweet and fresh and deliver plenty of flavor when they are heated.
STONE BURR GRIST
Stone milling is rare these days, but that is the way we do it at McEwen & Sons. Most flour and corn milling is performed by high speed, big volume steel cylinders or hammer mills. Cylinder mills grind grains with rigid or smooth pairs of cylinders that rotate at high-speed. Grains are forced between the cylinders which grind and tear the kernels instantly.
In the grinding process, a great deal of heat is generated. While a stone mill can grind grains at temperatures below 90 degrees Fahrenheit, cylinder mills heat grains to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. At just 119 degrees Fahrenheit, most of the healthful live enzymes in the meal and flour are eliminated. At higher temperatures, many of the nutrients in the meal are destroyed. In addition, cylinder milling over-exposes meal to air. This causes oxidization, which leads to the rancidity of oils in the grains. Thus, the grains spoil quickly losing their freshness, flavor, and aroma.
Hammer mills, the most widely used flour mills in operation today, are even hotter and faster than cylinder mills. High-velocity steel hammer heads smash and powder whole grains at ultra-high speed. This method destroys more nutrients, thus producing nutritionally-inferior flour. By contrast, stone milling is accomplished with two rigid grinding stones. The stones crush and grind the whole grains slowly and progressively without oxidizing the meal or destroying the nutrients with heat.
With stone burr grinding, unlike modern roller milling, nothing is separated or added to the natural grain. The germ, oil, and bran are intact in the cornmeal. The germ in both corn and wheat is a live product which makes it necessary for the whole grains to be refrigerated or frozen. The germ contains 90% of the vitamins A, D, B-complex and large amounts of vitamin E.
The knowledge that you are feeding your family wholesome natural foods when you cook with whole grains is rewarding. Be prepared for seconds requested at the table!
The milling of grains into flour is among the most-influential factors in creating nutritionally-viable breads and flour products. Millers agree that the highest-quality flours are made by slow, cool grinding with stone mills. Expert stone milling requires both experience and artistry. The miller must ensure that the temperature, fineness of grind, sifting and mixing of flours are all optimal to deliver the most nutritious flour possible.
BENEFITS OF GRAIN:
Between 65-90% of the calories in grains come from carbohydrates (mostly complex), which should comprise about two-thirds or more of the calories you consume each day. Grains are also rich in both soluble fiber (the kind that lowers blood-cholesterol levels) and insoluble (the kind that helps to prevent constipation and protects against some forms of cancer). People living in areas where unrefined whole grains make up a significant part of the diet are alleged to have a lower incidence of intestinal and bowel problems, such as colon cancer, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids, than those who live in the industrialized countries of Europe and North America, where grains are less important component of the diet. Moreover, grains--especially whole grains--and grain products offer significant amounts of B vitamins (riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin), vitamin E, iron, zinc, calcium, selenium, and magnesium.)
WHAT IS A GRAIN:
Not all grains are botanically related ; true grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, rye, millet, corn, triticale, and barley, are members of the grass family Gramineae. Other so-called grains, such as amaranth, quinoa, and buckwheat, belong to different botanical families, but the kernels of the different grains all have a similar composition. A kernel is an edible seed composed of three parts--the bran, the endosperm, and the germ, or embryo.
The bran is the outer covering of the kernel. It makes up only a small portion of the grain but consists of several layers, including the nutrient-rich aleurone, and contains a disproportionate share of nutrients. The bran layers supply 86% of the niacin, 43% of the riboflavin, and 6% of all minerals in the grain, as well as practically all of the grain's dietary fiber.
In some grains, wheat and corn, for example, the fiber is primarily insoluble, while in other grains, such as oats and barley, it is mainly soluble. Whole grains almost always contain the bran, but it is usually stripped away during milling and so is missing from most refined grain products.
The starchy endosperm accounts for about 83% of the grain's weight. Most of the protein and carbohydrates are stored in the endosperm, as are some minerals and B vitamins (though less than are in the bran). This layer also has some dietary fiber; for example, about 25% of the fiber in wheat is found in the endosperm. In wheat, the endosperm is the part of the grain used to make white flour.
The smallest part of the grain is the germ; it constitutes about 2% of the kernel's weight. Located at the base of the kernel, the germ is the part of the seed that if planted would sprout to form a new plant. It contains a good amount of polyunsaturated fat, and as a consequence, is often removed during milling to prevent grain products from turning rancid. The germ is also relatively rich in vitamin E and the B vitamins and some minerals, though it has fewer of the latter than are found in the bran or endosperm.
CORNMEAL:
Cornmeal, by definition, is dried corn kernels that have been ground in one of three textures--fine, medium, or coarse. There are two methods of grinding. The old-fashioned water-ground (also called stone-ground) method--so named because water power is used to turn the mill wheels--retains some of the hull and germ of the corn. Because of the fat in the germ, water-ground cornmeal is more nutritious, but will not keep as long and should be stored (up to four months) in the refrigerator.
Wonderfully versatile and the foundation of many products, corn is a vegetable in which the whole plant is used: husks, kernels, silks, and stalks. When thinking of corn in the context of grains and cereals, we will focus on the kernels that are ground into meal.
Cornmeal is either yellow, white, or blue, depending on the type of corn that is used. Yellow and white cornmeals are the most common. Both grits and polenta are made from dried corn kernels; the difference is how those kernels are milled. When the corn is ground, the coarser particles become grits, while the finer granules are used for polenta. Stone-ground grits, our choice for the most recipes, have a chunkier texture and a more "corny" flavor than quick grits. They do take longer to cook than their counterpart, and they also need more stirring to release the starch and soften the grains, but stone-ground grits are certainly worth the effort.
BLUE CORN:
For many years, only Native Americans were allowed to grow this ancient and revered corn. Small farmers in pueblos hand-shelled, hand-shucked and hand-cleaned this corn just as a farmer in Alabama might grow open-pollinated white corn and bring it to the mill to be ground.
Today, we have an organic agricultural source for blue corn. Because it is an open-pollinated flint corn, it is very hard and sweet. Blue corn has higher protein content than other corns and is high in lysine, thereby forming a complete protein. That is, you can eat blue corn by itself for a complete protein without having to combine it with beans or eggs or cheese. Blue cornmeal has a gray-blue color, but when liquid is added, it turns a very pretty violet color. The pancakes and cornbread fade back to the original dry cornmeal color. Ash is said to heighten the blue color of the cooked cornmeal.
Coosa Valley Milling carries a wide variety of national brand pet foods and supplies. When you drop by our store, be sure to discuss your pets’ needs with our highly qualified pet care specialists. They are always available to provide you with knowledgeable information.
We have crates, animal health products, toys, clothing, collars, leashes, grooming products, flea products, worming products, and much more.
We also carry a full line of small animal feeds, from tortoise food to iguana diet.
Our selection of gift items includes everything from figurines and books to pillows and cards. We also have personalized pet memorials to remember your faithful friend.
Pet foods include both canned and dry food. We carry full lines of:
- Exclusive & PMI
- Purina
- Hill's Science
- Diamond
- Top's Feed
Dog and cat food available in all sizes.
Coosa Valley Milling Company is located in Wilsonville, Alabama, the heart of Shelby County.
There is plenty to see and do in our area! Come and visit for the day and be sure to stop in Coosa Valley Milling for a quick tour of the store and stone bur grist mill.
COOSA VALLEY MILLING, CO.
30620 Hwy 25 South
Wilsonville, AL 35186
Phone: (205) 669-6605
Fax: (205) 669-0113
EMAIL US
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS:
- www.shelbycountytourism.org
- www.washingtonmuseum.com
- www.outdooralabma.com
- www.morgancreekwinery.com
- www.americanvillage.org
- www.800alabama.com
- www.desotocavernpark.com
- www.oakmountainstatepark.org
- www.mtlaurel.com
- www.hodrrm.org
- www.explorechiltoncounty.com
