In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, host Caitlin Bricker sits down with Jacob Trumbull, founder of Roaring Fork Mill — a family owned and operated stone flour mill based in Carbondale, Colorado. Jacob is the only Regenerative Organic Certified mill in the Mountain West, a recent recipient of the Greg Stoltenpohl Pragmatic Visionary Award, and someone who went from exhibiting at his first trade show with Startup CPG to unlocking 700 plus stores in just a month and a half. He also just launched the first-to-market line of Regenerative Organic Certified cookies — and two days before this recording, those cookies won a major award he is not yet allowed to announce.
Jacob has a background in Environmental Education, helped launch the Wendell Berry Farming Program at Sterling College, and holds a Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Behavioral Decision Sciences. He moved to the Roaring Fork Valley for a desk job, quickly realized it was not for him, and started milling flour in his garage while still on work calls. What followed is one of the most quietly remarkable origin stories in the Startup CPG community.
Caitlin and Jacob get into all of it — why stone milled heritage flour is fundamentally different from what is on most grocery shelves, what Regenerative Organic Certification actually requires and why it is harder to get than you think, and how Jacob is reintroducing a wheat variety called Defiance Wheat that has not been grown in the Roaring Fork Valley for 60 to 70 years — starting from one single pound of seed. They also talk about the Shelfie Award win that put Roaring Fork Mill on the map, the Unify trade show that unlocked 700 plus retail doors, and why farmer's markets remain one of the most underrated places to sharpen your pitch.
Listen in as they cover:
- Why stone milled heritage flour is easier to digest — and why 32% of Americans think they are gluten sensitive when only 3% are celiac
- Why a shorter shelf life on flour is actually a sign of quality, not a problem
- What Regenerative Organic Certification requires, why it is harder to get than organic, and why it is the fastest growing clean label certification in retail
- The challenge of building a regenerative supply chain when there is not a single dairy provider in the world that is ROC certified
- How Jacob is reintroducing Defiance Wheat to the Roaring Fork Valley from one pound of seed
- Why Roaring Fork Mill won a Shelfie Award for their rye flour — the first ROC certified flour in the US
- Going from the first trade show at Unify to 700 plus stores in a month and a half
- Launching the first-to-market Regenerative Organic Certified cookie line
- Why farmer's markets are one of the best places to sharpen your pitch — and how Jacob used them to build the foundation for retail
- The business to business opportunity: why brands looking for ROC certified flour have almost nowhere else to go
Whether you are a founder thinking about certifications, a retailer looking for what is next in regenerative, or someone who has never thought twice about the flour on their shelf, this episode will change the way you look at the baking aisle.
Episode Links: Roaring Fork Mill Website: https://www.roaringforkmill.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roaringfork_mill/ Jacob Trumbull on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-trumbull-407490113/
Roaring Fork Mill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/roaring-fork-mill/
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Show Links:
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- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
