Ever wonder how Bob spends his day at the mill? I sat down with Bob last week to find out.

Between 6 and 6:30 am, Bob gets up and starts his day off with a bowl of one of our many hot cereals lovingly prepared by his wife, Charlee. He tops it off with half of a banana (split with Charlee, of course), skim milk, nuts, flaxseed meal and date pieces.

Around 7:30 am he arrives at the mill, where he starts his work day off with a cup of coffee (he always waits to have his coffee at the mill) and chats with people during the 8 am shift change. Then, he heads up to his office where he goes over his calendar with his assistant Nancy. There is not a day on his calendar that doesn’t have at least a few appointments and meetings. He typically spends the first part of the day greeting folks around the office and razzing whoever is lucky enough to be in his path.

At 10 am, he wanders downstairs to greet our tour guests (learn more about our tours here) and play a song on one of his two pianos (yes, we have two pianos in our mill).

From there, he walks our plant, all seven acres of it. He stops by the shop, one of his favorite places in the mill to see what they’re working on and how each project is coming along. He visits our distribution warehouse and drops by the lab. There is always something new to see and someone he wants to catch up with. Working here, you quickly learn how much he cares about each of us. He knows our names and our families. Bob knows something special about each of us, whether we like fly fishing or are working on rebuilding a car, if we just got back from an Alaskan cruise or whether we play in a band on the weekends. It’s uncanny, really.

By 12:30 pm, he’s walked the plant, visited various people, dropped in on a meeting or two and is ready for lunch at our Whole Grain Store. Nearly every day, he orders two eggs and steamed spinach with a side of corn grits. Occasionally, he’ll order a sandwich made on our whole grain bread. He talks to customers and takes pictures with their kids.

By 2 pm he’s back at the mill where he sits in on more meetings, if required, or catches up on the day’s events. A day is never complete without a trip to our Purchasing Department to learn about different issues that affect our supply of grains.

Around 4 pm, he’ll wander back downstairs to chat with folks during the shift change. He feels it is the best time to catch up with people he might not otherwise see during the day. From there, he sits at his piano with Nancy and plays a few pieces with her (and that is why we have two pianos).

He usually knocks off at 5 pm and heads home to Charlee for a delicious meal and a quiet evening at home.

That, folks, is what Bob does Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.

With all of the attention swirling around genetically modified organisms (GMOs), we’ve been getting a heap of questions about our products and GMOs. Rest assured, at Bob’s Red Mill, we are committed to providing identity preserved products exclusively.

“Identity preserved” means that the seeds that were planted to grow our crops came from a non-GMO source. We work constantly with our farmers and suppliers to ensure that the ingredients we procure are non-GMO. In fact, each of our corn, rice, soy and flax suppliers is required to sign a statement which affirms that their ingredients come from non-GMO sources.

Planting identity preserved seed is just the first step in ensuring that products are non-GMO. That is why we have recently procured state-of-the-art testing equipment that allows us to begin our own in-house testing of our products. Our goal is to implement a testing protocol that is acute and prolific.

We hope you share our enthusiasm for keeping natural foods natural. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.

To Your Good Health,

From farm fields to our facility and kitchens around the world, Bob’s Red Mill guarantees the quality and safety of our products every step of the way. This commitment really shows in our gluten free protocols, which include especially rigorous purity testing and processing products in a dedicated facility.

Quality. Integrity. Safety. Trust.

That is the Bob’s Red Mill promise.

Our commitment to quality begins at the source.

Bob accepts nothing but the highest quality ingredients and has put in place industry-leading quality assurance standards.

Each arriving shipment is thoroughly inspected, sampled and tested.

Because we’re committed to keeping Bob’s Red Mill foods natural, we built our own GMO testing lab with cutting-edge technology. Our staff scientists use state-of-the-art, German engineered equipment to test for the presence of GMOs.

We use a Farinograph to measure the performance of our flours, so we can be sure customers will have a successful baking experience.

The source of gluten free ingredients matters—that’s why we work with farmers who understand safe gluten free practices.

At our facility, we isolate our gluten free products and store them in dedicated silos.

We sample and test each gluten free shipment immediately upon arrival and continue testing throughout the entire process.

We meticulously test all products, including gluten free foods, to ensure purity.

All gluten free products must meet a standard of less than 20 parts per million of gluten.

Our quality control lab employs an R5 monoclonal antibody ELISA test to ensure maximum safety.

We regularly test samples from the packaging line to make sure customers are getting only the best gluten free products.

All gluten free goods are quarantined in a special waiting area until their safety and quality are confirmed by our quality assurance specialists.

All gluten free storage, milling, mixing and packaging is carried out in a dedicated facility used only for gluten free products.

We measure the level of enzyme activity in our finished products to make sure they will perform exactly how your customers expect them to.

Our Quality Assurance Team is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable in the industry.

Our chef tests each product to make sure it is delicious, dependable and easy to prepare.

Chef Sarah House is continually developing and refining recipes in the Bob’s Red Mill Test Kitchen.

What:

Bob’s 84th birthday party! We’ll have cupcakes and live music to celebrate our founder’s 84th year. There will be special gifts for the first 500 guests. Come have lunch and stay for the party.

When:

Friday, February 15th, 2013 from noon to 2 pm.

Where:

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie, OR 97222
Map & Directions

Can’t make it? Leave a birthday greeting here or on our Facebook page and we’ll make sure he sees your message.

Long before Bob Moore announced that Bob’s Red Mill was to become an employee-owned company, people were clamoring to know more about the man behind the mill. Since that momentous announcement in 2010, the clamor has grown to a roar and the inquiries just keep flooding the phone lines. Who is Bob Moore? Is he even real? What led him to start grinding whole grain flours on stone mills? Why does he make flour with stone mills?

As our customers, you know that Bob is very much a real person, but you may not know all the details of how he got his start in milling and what led to Bob’s Red Mill becoming a leading manufacturer of stone ground, whole grain flours, cereals and baking mixes. This is why we are thrilled to announce the release of Bob’s biography: People Before Profit: The Inspiring Story of the Founder of Bob’s Red Mill. This inspiring biography details how Bob overcame challenge after challenge to build our company and become the world’s foremost provider of whole grain foods for every meal of the day.

Bob spent countless hours over the last two years working with author Ken Koopman telling his story from his modest beginnings to where he stands today. Bob says, “I am truly humbled by the release of this book. I am amazed to think that there are people who would be interested in reading my life story, and the fact that this book exists is a true testament to everyone who has helped to make Bob’s Red Mill what it is today.”

To celebrate the launch of Bob’s biography, we’re pleased to give away 3 signed copies of this book. You can have it signed generally, or have it made out to someone special. As a big reader, I can truly say this book is worthwhile. Don’t want to wait? You can pick up a copy for the special introductory price of $17.95 on our website.

{Giveaway}

We had a few hiccups during our last few giveaways, so I’m going to try and explain myself a little better for this one. We are going to use this handy app (handy for us) to count and tally everyone’s entries. There is a great 45 second tutorial for how to use this app here. It’s pretty simple, enter using your Facebook login or an email address and password. You absolutely must leave a comment to be counted. I do double check, so don’t think clicking on “I did this” and not commenting will win you a prize. Do be sure to leave your comment and click on “I did this” or you won’t be entered.

Mandatory Entry:
Fact: Bob’s favorite cereal is our Scottish Oatmeal. What is your favorite Bob’s Red Mill cereal? Tell us in the comments to be entered (then be sure to click “I did this” in the app below).

(more…)

Today marks the 83rd birthday of our Founder and CEO, Bob Moore. Not only is 83 years a wonderful reason to celebrate, but I just found out that it marks his 40th year of stone milling. Now we have two reasons to celebrate. After all, if Bob never found his love of stone milling, Bob’s Red Mill wouldn’t exist. Bob and Charlee would probably be off traveling the world and pinching the cheeks of their great-grandchildren. Instead, Bob still pulls 8 hour days at the mill Monday through Friday making sure us “kids” are holding true to his dream. Sure, he still takes wonderful vacations and sometimes a long weekend, but for the most part he’s here every day doing his part to bring whole grains to the world.

We’re having a little party at our Whole Grain Store today and would love if you joined us to toast our founder. There will be Dixie-land music and freebies, cake and singing. Festivities run from noon to 2 pm, with speeches and cake cutting starting at 12:30 pm. We hope to see you there!

Whole Grain Store
5000 SE International Way
Milwaukie, OR 97222
503-607-6455

P.S. Ever wanted to know more about Bob and how he got his start? Well, then, we have good news for you! Bob will be releasing a biography next month. We’ll have more details as the book launch grows closer.

This lovely recipe comes from the Bob’s Red Mill Cookbook. Roma tomatoes work best for this tart because their meatier flesh is denser and drier than most varieties. Cooking the tart in a cast-iron skillet will produce a lovely golden crust. Pair this with a green salad for a delightful Meatless Monday meal.

Polenta-Crusted Tomato Tart

• 2 pounds Tomatoes, preferably Roma, skinned, seeded and sliced
• Kosher Salt
• 2 cups Polenta*
• 1/2 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes (in oil), puréed
• 1 to 2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (might we suggest California Olive Ranch?), if needed
• 8 ounces Chèvre, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil
• freshly ground Black Pepper

1. Lightly grease a 10- to 12-inch cast-iron skillet, pie plate, or other baking dish.
2. Carefully set the tomato slices in a sieve or colander, salt lightly, and leave to drain over a bowl for 30 minutes to 1 hour, given a gentle toss ever now and then to shake off the water they release.
3. Meanwhile, make the polenta: Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until quite thick, about 20 to 30 minutes. When done, the grains will take on a pearly quality and be tender and not gritty to the bite. Remove from the heat and stir in the puréed sun-dried tomatoes. Add olive oil if the mixture seems too thick. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chèvre.
4. Spread the hot polenta across the bottom and up the sides of the pan (it should be about 1-inch thick).
5. Leave at room temperature until cooled and set, about 15 minutes. (Or you can cover and chill the polenta until you are ready to assemble and bake the pie, up to 24 hours.)
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
7. Spread the remaining goat cheese evenly across the bottom of the pie. Layer on half o f the tomato slice, sprinkle with half of the basil, and a light dusting of pepper. Follow with the remaining tomatoes, basil and a bit more pepper.
8. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the polenta crust is golden-brown at the edges. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

*Make this gluten free by using our Gluten Free Corn Grits/Polenta

PLEASE READ THE SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS BELOW TO BE COUNTED IN THE GIVEAWAY

Dear Friends,

As many of you may be aware, my wife Charlee and I recently made a commitment to make a donation to Oregon Health & Science University. We have dedicated our lives to improving health throughout the world and our intent in helping OHSU establish a nutrition and wellness institute was to focus on childhood obesity, chronic disease, much of which begins at a very early age — even at conception and in the womb. Our monies are dedicated to support research toward better nutrition, with a particular focus on development in the womb, as well as related education and community outreach. It has come to our attention that some people may be concerned about how our donation is to be used at OHSU and whether any of it will go toward animal research.

I assure you that no part of our donation will be used to fund animal research. It was never our intent that any of our gift be used in that way. We have discussed these concerns with OHSU and reaffirmed their commitment that our donation will only be used to improve nutrition and wellness in a manner consistent with our intent. Here is a link to a statement from Dr. Mark Richardson, who is the Dean of the OHSU School of Medicine (www.ohsu.edu/blogs/news/about/statement/), which confirms OHSU’s commitment to use our donation only as we intended.

We are confident that in working together with OHSU we can have a profound impact on health and wellness for many generations to come, and we thank you for your kind messages.

To your good health,

Bob and Charlee Moore
Founders
Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods

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