THE GRAINMAKER STORY
THERE WAS A TIME
There was a time when time wasn’t such a bother. When right and wrong were distinguishable. When we did things the right way not because it was trendy or artisanal or in vogue. But because it was the right way. We needed no reason other than that. It was the right way. And the right way made food taste better. Made machines run smoother. Made buildings stand stronger. Made clothing more durable. And made people more accountable. The right way. It took a little more time perhaps. It took more effort. It might have even demanded a bit of backbone. But it was the right way, and so it was right.
So we started GrainMaker. It was our way of saying, enough. Our way of declaring war on corner cutters and efficiency experts and all those consultants who brought us faster, cheaper, tasteless products. It was our little contribution to stopping the madness. But more than that. It was the right way to do it.
IT WAS THE RIGHT WAY
to build a machine. To make bread. To craft foods in a way that was better for our hearts. And better for our souls. It was our way of getting back in touch with the earth. Of getting the most out of what we’ve been given. Of realizing that fulfillment is a greater virtue than fast. Of understanding that life goes by so quickly that it makes more sense to slow things down than to rush them along. That’s the right way.
And we make GrainMaker in the right place. In America. But not just in America. In Montana. That part of America that has no use for anything dainty or darling or fragile. In Montana. Where strength of character meets strength of purpose, and where there’s precious little time for anything too precious. And that’s why we do what we do the way we do it. And when you do things the right way, you don’t look to change. You look to change those who don’t.
GRAINMAKER. WE’LL NEVER CHANGE.
THROUGH THE YEARS
OUR BEGINNING
In 1999, Bonnie Jones was looking for a hand-operated grain mill. After searching without success for one that met her standards, her husband Randy decided to build one himself.
What started as a simple solution quickly turned into something more. That very first grain mill sparked the beginning of GrainMaker®, a company built on the belief that quality tools make better food possible.
A FAMILY BUSINESS THROUGH AND THROUGH
Randy’s machining company, 1889 Wild West Co., began producing GrainMaker®mills. After introducing the mill at a few local trade shows, the business grew organically right along with our family. We soon needed to move the shop into a larger facility, and we brought the kids along with us. We are so grateful for how God used a simple tool to fulfill our dream of running our own business.
TWENTY YEARS LATER
In addition to spending time with family and being “Boompa” and “Nana” to a growing bunch of grandkids, Randy and Bonnie enjoy life on their homestead, Sapphire View Farm. There, they raise registered Guernsey cattle, pigs, chickens, and ducks, along with a couple of Shire draft horses, several saddle horses, and one very old mule affectionately known around the neighborhood as “Donkey.”
MILLS WORTH TALKING ABOUT
Visit Us in Person
Visit the 1889 Wild West Mercantile
Stop by and experience GrainMaker firsthand at the 1889 Wild West Mercantile. Located in the heart of Montana, our store features our handcrafted GrainMaker® mills alongside a thoughtfully curated selection of kitchen tools, homestead goods, and Western lifestyle products.