BOX ELDER — A flour mill nearly a decade in the making was officially dedicated at Stone Child College on the Rocky Boy's Reservation on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, marking a significant milestone for tribal food sovereignty and health initiatives.
Tribal and state leaders joined agricultural experts for the ribbon cutting ceremony, celebrating the completion of a project that faced several delays, including disruptions from COVID.
Watch the video here:
Big Sandy organic farmer Bob Quinn collaborated with tribal stakeholders to secure the grant funding that made the mill possible. Quinn specializes in ancient Kamut wheat, which is now being grown on the reservation and serves as the primary ingredient for the mill's flour production.
The flour mill represents more than just agricultural infrastructure for the community. Leaders hope the locally-produced flour will contribute to improved health outcomes on the reservation, where diabetes and other diet-related health issues are growing concerns.
The project demonstrates the potential for tribal communities to develop sustainable food systems that address both economic development and public health challenges through locally-controlled agriculture.
"So we're able to actually grow it, bring it in, mill it, and now we're developing the food chain around it and getting it into the schools and getting it into the commodity program and into the lodge and to the casino. Any place where there's food distribution, we should be there with our with our food. And so Kamut flour is just, one of the value added products that we're doing," said Jason Belcourt, Rocky Boy Sustainability Coordinator.
Belcourt says the next step in the process will include a bakery on campus.
We'll have more on the flour mill's impact in an upcoming feature.
