WHAT ARE AUTHENTIC ANTIQUE FOODS?

In 1984, my wife and I purchased a small fixer-upper farm in central North Carolina. Neither one of us had ever lived on a true working farm before and were instantly smitten with all elements of farm life. Like "Mr. Douglas" on Green Acres, I wanted it all: critters, crops, a porch swing, a windmill, a tractor, etc., etc., etc. Slowly we began to see our dream farm take shape.
In 1987, I decided to build a working old-timey molasses mill on the farm. Molasses was a popular sugar substitute for centuries in the rural south. After a year of constructing the mill to antique specifications and nurturing our first sugar cane crop to maturity, it was finally time to cook our first batch. The steady "pop" of the 1907 gasoline engine turning the ancient cast iron press to extract the sweet, lime-green juice that was then slowly boiled over a wood fired furnace created a scene right out of the history books.

When the moment finally arrived to draw off the first quart-size jar of the hot syrup I realized that the product we had just made was more than a mere reproduction. It was rather truly authentic in that every facet of its production was exactly as it would have been done years ago. It was then that I began to wonder what other food items could be produced in this manner.

Piece by piece I began to collect old milling equipment; and, over the course of five years had built a working antique stone gristmill. Drawing on the advice of old-time millers, I learned the fine art of stone grinding grains into wonderfully pure meals, flours and grits. In the years since, we have developed a line of foods and mixes that, through research and careful attention to detail, brings back all the rich goodness and flavor of centuries ago.

This line of OLD SCHOOL BRAND Authentic Antique Foods truly is my passion. It is my sincere desire that this love for what I do and for the ways of the past will be reflected in every product we make.

David M. Hinson