# Cairnspring Mills

American-grown premium flour bursting with flavor — and demand

- Canonical URL: https://wefunder.com/cairnspring.mills
- Entity ID: wefunder:company:171750
- Last updated: 2026-06-19T05:01:21Z
- Generated at: 2026-06-19T17:04:22Z

## Quick facts
- Top-quality flour used by celebrity baker & Tartine co-founder, Chad Robertson
- Backed by visionary investors like Peter Buffett's Novo Foundation, & Terra Regenerative
- Led by founders with exits to Vita Coco, Nestle, & JuneShine
- 6.8M pounds of flour milled in 2024; expanding to 110M pounds/year at a new mill
- $19.6M in lifetime revenue with $6.2M in 2024 & exploding demand
- Breaking ground on new mill to 8X revenue in 4 years (not guaranteed)
- Transforming flour from commodity to craft in a $23B market
- Profitable operations at Skagit Mill: 41% gross profit margin & 9% positive EBITDA margin

## Active fundraises
- wefunder:fundraise:131652: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)
- wefunder:fundraise:131651: 4(a)(6) successful (USD)

## Story
Cairnspring Mills creates craft flour unlike any other.We source directly from farmers committed to soil health, and thoughtfully select the most flavorful grains appropriate for the growing region. Our stone-mill techniques produce flour unparalleled in taste, quality, and baking performance — with no additives or enrichments.Our products are trusted by some of the best bakeries and restaurants in the country – Tartine, Pizzeria Bianco, Gusto Bread, Poulette Bakeshop, Stella West Hollywood, Grand Central Baking, Breadfarm — with legendary bakers like Chad Robertson calling our flour the best they’ve ever used.And they can’t get enough — demand is soaring. Our business is profitable, and we’re operating at full capacity. Now, we are breaking ground on a second mill in Oregon, on tribal land in partnership with the Umatilla people, with a significant portion of capacity already reserved by large customers.Backed by Peter Buffett and Terra Regenerative Capital, and with a powerhouse team from Nestle, General Mills, and the Nature Conservancy, we’re setting the standard for what truly delicious regenerative flour should be.The craft flour movement is rising. Join us. The visionaries at Patagonia were an anchor investor in Cairnspring Mills in 2016 and were instrumental in bringing the mill into existence. Today, they are valued customers, purchasing Regenerative Organic Certified flour from our mill for their line of Patagonia Provisions organic crackers.A century ago, there were over 20,000 flour mills in America. They were local, community-powered, and produced fresh ingredients and products.Now, only a handful of massive mills dominate the industry.Today, our food is made by large corporations focused on bigger, faster, cheaper systems without consideration of the impact — all at great expense to farmers, farmland, and ultimately, consumers.Commodity growers are primarily focused on yield and efficiency when growing grains. The monocrop system they rely on is more vulnerable to disease, so farmers turn to harsh chemicals as harvest aids and synthetic inputs for pest and disease control.Once harvested, steel rollers at commodity mills strip away the wheat’s bran and germ, the parts that carry flavor, fiber, and nutrition, to extend shelf life. What’s left is bland white starch, “enriched” with synthetic additives to meet minimum standards.In a market flooded with cheap grains and low-quality flour, farmers, consumers, our health, and the land pay the price.At Cairnspring Mills, we take a different approach.We source directly from farmers committed to soil health, using regenerative farming practices like crop rotation, animal integration, and no-till systems that prevent erosion.Regenerative farming is a flexible approach that allows farmers to adapt to their unique growing region and microclimate to reduce or eliminate synthetic inputs. Fully prohibiting neonic insecticides and glyphosate as a harvest aid allows us to exceed conventional standards.We pay our farmers a premium for these regenerative practices and for growing grains with the flavor, nutrition, and baking performance that artisan bakers demand. By renewing our contracts annually, we work in concert with our growers to improve our standards every year.Through these close relationships, we maintain complete traceability of the grain, the farm, and the farmer.We use European-style stone milling techniques to intentionally incorporate all three parts of the wheatberry: the germ, bran, and endosperm. The result: flour with enhanced flavor, texture, and nutrients.Whether it’s shaping the perfect sourdough, pulling off gooey cinnamon rolls, or nailing that chewy pizza crust - our flours give bakers and chefs the foundation for richer possibilities.With backgrounds in regenerative agriculture, brand building, and entrepreneurship at non-profit organizations and corporations like The Nature Conservancy, Nestle, General Mills, our leadership team knows how to turn big ideas into best-selling consumer products.From revitalizing rural economies to launching category-defining food brands, we’re combining decades of hands-on experience with a deep commitment to sustainability - building a profitable flour company that’s scaling nationally while staying rooted in local communities.We are pioneering the craft flour segment within the $23B U.S. flour market.Craft coffee and beer took off by delivering authenticity, transparency, and quality - something bigger brands couldn’t match. Just like Blue Bottle transformed coffee and Dogfish Head transformed beer from commodity to craft, we’re doing the same for flour.Craft flour is poised to grow 3X in the $23B flour market, equivalent to a 20% CAGR in the next 5 years, making craft flour a $700M market opportunity by 2030.With a passionate customer base, domain expertise, and profitable, scalable operations, we are uniquely positioned to be the national leader in this segment, bridging the gap between small-scale mills producing < 3k pounds/day and the commodity mills producing > 5M pounds/day.We’ve built a diversified omnichannel business that stretches across foodservice, direct-to-consumer (DTC), and grocery. 80% of our revenue currently comes from foodservice and bulk flour sales, while 20% is DTC and retail.On the B2B side, we are scaling sales of 50lb bags through foodservice distributors and direct sales of Full Truckload quantities to larger production bakeries and CPG companies. Institutional buyers can easily handle tens of millions of pounds, which makes scaling sales highly feasible.On the DTC side, our webshop helps us reach and support artisan bakers, and word-of-mouth from top chefs drives organic growth. We’re also in select local retailers including PCC Community Markets and Whole Foods with a view towards national expansion once the new mill is operational.Demand for quality flour is skyrocketing, and our current mill is profitable and running full steam at max capacity.In response to significant inbound demand from larger customers, we are replicating this success at a new flour mill in Umatilla County, Oregon — part of the famed Columbia River Basin.The new mill features the same stone milling process as our Skagit mill, enhanced with advanced processing components to support 3X scale.Built on tribal land in collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Blue Mountain mill will create over 20 local jobs and bring lasting positive economic activity to these communities.Additionally, the Tribe will receive equity ownership of Cairnspring Mills to share more fully in the economic benefits of the mill.The new mill is a bold leap forward: revenue is projected to grow from $6.2M to $48.8M by 2028 (not guaranteed). Tens of millions of pounds of capacity is already reserved by Patagonia and some of the largest baking companies in the nation - even before construction has begun.At Cairnspring Mills, we’re thinking long-term and considering the future impact we can make on our food systems. Our ideal scenario is a thriving, independent company that continues to deliver strong returns for our investors.As we grow the company, we aim to create opportunities for you to cash in on some of your shares along the way.Strategic investors and acquirers are attracted to Cairnspring Mills due to our premium portfolio, high margins, strong cash flow, and modern assets.Our commitment to the long-term remains clear: we’re focused on scaling impact and delivering investor returns, for example through a future recapitalization that rewards early investors.We’ve built Cairnspring with a clear focus: to spark a global movement to build regenerative food systems, help farmers break free from commodity markets, and nourish the world with clean, healthy, flavorful grains and flour.Backed by some of the most respected voices and investors in food and sustainability, we’ve proven that a better flour is not only possible and profitable - it’s in very high demand.With our new Blue Mountain mill on the horizon, orders pouring in, and a nationwide shift towards regenerative, traceable foods and craft products, we’re poised for tremendous growth.Now, we’re inviting you to be part of what’s next — a movement to build a fairer, more resilient food system that delivers more nutrition and flavor alongside real returns for people, planet, and investors.Your investment helps us scale our impact, supports farmers and their local communities - and gives you a financial stake in something that matters.

## FAQ
1. **Are we actually purchasing shares of the company or donating $$**
   - Hi Marlene, this is a chance to purchase shares and own real equity in Cairnspring Mills! The terms will be visible once we file the paperwork with the SEC, but essentially this will be a priced round. Early investors will get the same discounted terms as some of our institutional investors, like Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation.
2. **For what purpose are you raising money or to what end am I giving money to Cairnspring (of whom we think very well)? I presume this is not a donation but an investment that promises some financial benefit.**
   - Hi Faithful Skeptic! Indeed this is not a donation, it’s a chance to purchase shares and own real equity in Cairnspring Mills at the same terms as some of our institutional investors like Peter Buffet’s NoVo Foundation. That means you're sharing in our growth and future upside. We’re raising this capital to build our second mill to meet the soaring demand for our premium flour with several large customer engagements already lined up. The new mill will significantly expand production capacity ...
3. **What type of ownership is being purchased by investors in this offering?**
   - Hi Garrett, the terms will be visible once we file the paperwork with the SEC, but essentially this will be a priced round offering actual shares. Early investors will get the same discounted terms as some of our institutional investors, like Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation.
4. **Thanks, Michele. May I ask a follow-up: how much money must be raised to build this second mill and how much of the capital has been raised?**
   - Hi Faithful Skeptic. Thanks for the question! The total capital needed for the new mill is approximately $63M, including construction and initial operating and grain acquisition costs. We’ve already secured commitments to cover nearly all of this, and we’re looking to raise a final $1M-$3M from our community to give everyone who believes in our mission a chance to directly participate in our growth. 
5. **Why would I want to invest in a company led by people coming from mega corporations with some of the worst environmental records that actively engage in greenwashing and deceptive PR campaigns, like General Mills and Nestle? What happens when you go public and your primary foc...**
   - Thank you for your question. Regarding your observations about our team, many of whom previously worked for larger corporations, I wanted to share my perspective, which comes from my own experience, on why they are important and valuable team members. For example, I went to Kansas State for an executive milling course. This is the only school in the country that teaches industrial milling sciences. Graduates end up working for the large domestic and international milling companies like Ardent...

## Team
- Kevin Morse (Co-founder & CEO )
- Tyler Gage (CFO)
- Francisco Mantilla (COO)
- Katie Rigg (Director of Sales)
- Michele Crowley (Director of Marketing)
- Dave Binczewski (Operations Manager)
- Manuela Phillips (Controller)
- Jill Costelow (General Manager - Blue Mountain)

## Recent posts
- ⏰LAST CALL: Final Hours to Invest in Cairnspring (2025-12-05T01:25:42Z)
- Community Round Closes Today (2025-12-04T20:01:04Z)
- "A demonstrated, profitable niche." - Kingscrowd (2025-12-03T15:44:46Z)
- 48 Hours Left to Invest (2025-12-03T02:03:27Z)
- ⏰Our community round closes THIS WEEK! (2025-12-01T18:10:25Z)
- Reminder: Final Closing Webinar Tomorrow! (2025-11-18T20:00:20Z)
-  (2025-11-14T20:42:22Z)
- 800+ Investors Strong, Almost Sold Out Again & CLOSING SOON (2025-11-13T20:36:19Z)
- Thank you for backing Cairnspring - we’re closing the round soon! (2025-11-11T21:19:36Z)
-  (2025-10-31T04:07:23Z)
- 📸 See the latest from the Blue Mountain mill site! (2025-10-28T22:16:15Z)
- We’re expanding our round! Your chance to invest or double down (2025-10-23T00:32:33Z)
- Blue Mountain Mill Partnership Celebration (2025-10-14T17:09:55Z)
- Kingscrowd’s Investment Week Replay 🎥 (2025-10-09T15:38:56Z)
- $1.5M+ Raised + celebrating 775+ investors (2025-10-06T19:42:51Z)

## Q&A
- Q: Hi There, Thank you for offering equity on Wefunder. A few Questions. 1. I like you are using the funds raised for a new mill. I see in another question the total cost is 63 million. How much is debt financed? What would the interest expense be? 2. If you can hit your 48 million revenue target by 2028. What is your expected profitability in terms of both EBITDA and GAAP? I am CPA and far more concerned with ultimate GAAP numbers. 3. How would you deliver returns to shareholders? Once the mill is operating at full potential would dividends be an option at some point. I've learned over the years on this site it is very hard to see an actual monetary return. Personally, I only want to invest in companies that are offering dividends are a viable path to a liquidity event within 3 to 5 years. Thanks again for a great opportunity! - Thomas
  - A: The class of securities we’re offering via WeFunder does not carry a mandatory dividend. We plan to reinvest cash flow from the Blue Mountain Mill into the development of a third mill in Maryland, starting in 2028, so we do not plan to pay dividends for at least 5 years. However, we do plan to offer secondary sale opportunities to investors in the next 3 to 5 years, but of course cannot guarantee that. If you’re still interested we can provide answers to your other questions. Thank you.
- Q: Hi Team, Thank you for your continued efforts. 1). With the new mill in future, has this led to more affordable flour for consumers, or is it primarily aimed at meeting increased demand? 2). Looking ahead, how do you see profitability evolving alongside revenue growth? Will margins improve as well? 3). Lastly, what plans are in place to reward your early investors as the company continues to scale?
  - A: Yes, due to the significantly increased operating leverage at the new mill, our prices will come down and more flour more affordable for consumers. Our Gross Profit margin percentages are forecasted to stay roughly flat but we forecast to earn substantially higher gross profit dollars and EBITDA as a result of the increased capacity. Our goal is to generate healthy returns for early investors through future liquidation opportunities and we are fully committed to generating attractive investor returns.
- Q: Are we actually purchasing shares of the company or donating $$
  - A: Hi Marlene, this is a chance to purchase shares and own real equity in Cairnspring Mills! The terms will be visible once we file the paperwork with the SEC, but essentially this will be a priced round. Early investors will get the same discounted terms as some of our institutional investors, like Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation.
- Q: Hi - How does this campaign affect your Steward loan? Will there be a need for future funding through either Steward or additional equity raises?
  - A: This campaign does not affect our current Steward loans, which will continue to be serviced and repaid in full. Steward is providing additional funds as part of the capital stack for the Blue Mountain mill construction. After construction is complete we do not anticipate any additional funding needs for the Blue Mountain mill outside of normal working capital and inventory financing. We do have plans to build additional mills in the future which would require additional outside funding.
- Q: What type of ownership is being purchased by investors in this offering?
  - A: Hi Garrett, the terms will be visible once we file the paperwork with the SEC, but essentially this will be a priced round offering actual shares. Early investors will get the same discounted terms as some of our institutional investors, like Peter Buffett’s NoVo Foundation.
- Q: A quick question, less about financing and more about the product. Obviously, with Regenerative Agriculture you are looking to prioritize practices that lead to holistic land management, soil health, and biodiversity. How successful do you feel you've been to that end - Is the wheat used GMO or non-GMO, and if GMO is used, are you looking to move away from this? Is the wheat organically grown without the need for pesticides and herbicides, and if these are used, are you looking to move away from that also? I've always been a fan of the Rodale Institute's teachings on Crop Rotation and Regenerative Organic Agriculture.
  - A: Thanks for the thoughtful question — it’s one we love to get. At Cairnspring, we believe better flour starts with better grains and farming. We source all of our wheat directly from regional farmers who use regenerative practices focused on soil health. Examples include crop rotation, cover crops, animal integration, and direct no till seeding. That includes no glyphosate as a harvest aid and no neonicotinoid-coated seeds or applications— full stop. To your GMO question: none of the wheat we mill is genetically modified. All of our products are 100% non-GMO certified and always have been. Roughly 30% of our current volume is Certified Organic, and that number is growing as we expand. For the remaining grains, we go well beyond standard industrial practices, prioritizing varietals selected for natural disease resistance and flavor, so that farmers can reduce or eliminate chemical inputs. Our practices are aligned with the Rodale Institute’s regenerative organic principles, though we’re not yet certified under Rodale’s ROC standard across all farms. We’ve been SQF Certified since 2018 and achieved a 97 score on our March 2025 audit. We’re in the process of obtaining new regenerative certifications across all our farms by 2027. Some SKUs will carry that badge as early as Q4 this year. These principles are at the core of our sourcing strategy and some of the reasons why our flour is so packed full of flavor.
- Q: Why would I want to invest in a company led by people coming from mega corporations with some of the worst environmental records that actively engage in greenwashing and deceptive PR campaigns, like General Mills and Nestle? What happens when you go public and your primary focus becomes shareholder profit, rather than paying farmers fairly and sourcing grain from regenerative farming practitioners? You're already shipping your products in single use plastics that end up in landfills and oceans, when there are perfectly good paper alternatives in use all over the world. How sustainable is that? This seems very much like a money grab by existing industry.
  - A: Thank you for your question. Regarding your observations about our team, many of whom previously worked for larger corporations, I wanted to share my perspective, which comes from my own experience, on why they are important and valuable team members. For example, I went to Kansas State for an executive milling course. This is the only school in the country that teaches industrial milling sciences. Graduates end up working for the large domestic and international milling companies like Ardent Mills, General Mills, Seaboard Corporation, etc. I gained valuable insight into the economics, operations, and grain sourcing strategies they deploy, which are highly extractive and, in my opinion, unsustainable. The values and approach were completely opposite to mine. I learned exactly how I did not want to mill or run a milling company, which ultimately has helped to shape our value-added regenerative business model. My teammates have a similar perspective. They learned that those companies were not aligned with their values, and they have all migrated to companies that are aligned and mission driven, like Cairnspring. Their experience has allowed them to gain the exceptional operating skills needed to successfully run and grow a business. We would not have made it this far without their guidance and expertise. We do not have plans to go public. Our goal is to build a financially viable company that grows, endures, and continues to have a positive impact on the ground and in communities where we operate. Thank you, Kevin
- Q: Do you allow visitors to the mill? Mad keen British sourdough baker about to visit Seattle.
  - A: Hello Serena, we do with enough advance notice. Please email hello@cairnspring.com and we can continue the planning.
- Q: Question from an investor taxation perspective: when do you plan to issue K1s annually?
  - A: Hi Catie, thanks for your question. You can find more information about K1s here https://help.wefunder.com/investortaxes/when-will-i-receive-my-schedule-k-1-for-the-prior-tax-year
- Q: Hi - just checking on this, thanks! Apologies if I missed this detail but a few quick questions: 1) what was the valuations of your prior (including most recent) rounds of funding and how did you agree to the current proposed valuation of $21.15mm pre-money; 2) do you own or lease the real estate for the mills and if owned, is the entity that we are investing in the owner (or a related entity)? Thank you.
  - A: Hi Robert, We lease the real estate for both mills. We continue to maintain an excellent relationship with the Port of Skagit who owns the real estate for our current mill in Washington, and have built a trusted partnerships with the Umatilla Tribe who owns the land where the new mill is being built (they are also our single largest equity investor in this round). The current pre-money of this round was negotiated with our lead investors and agreed upon as a fair valuation for the business based on past performance, future growth, and forecasted investor IRR. We are not publicly disclosing prior round valuations at this time.
- Q: Hi, Just checking before going further--are your products and company vegan? Thanks, Mark founder, Vegan Investing Club
  - A: Hi Mark, thanks for your interest. Our products are 100% vegan. Our flours are not artificially enriched or treated. We don’t add dough stabilizers or conditioners such as enzymes, ascorbic acid, mononitrate, or malted barley. None of our flours are bromated or bleached.
- Q: Hi Kevin! I run a newsletter that is hyper-focused on the crowdfunding industry and goes out to 5,000 retail investors each week. I'm interested by your raise and would love to chat for a potential story on my blog (no cost, this is purely editorial content). Reach out to hellocrowdscale@gmail.com so that we can connect. Blog for reference: https://thecrowdscale.com/
  - A: Hi Kevin, thanks for reaching out! We’ll drop you an email.
- Q: Hello, I am interested in a possible investment. I have a few questions. You had mentioned in your pitch that your existing customers have committed to purchasing a significant production capacity of the new mill. Are you able to share that information? Additionally, based your financial modeling, what amount of flour does the mill need to produce and sell for breakeven?
  - A: Hello Wei, Thanks for the question. One of the largest flour and baking brands in the US is our anchor customer for the new mill with a nine-figure offtake agreement. Given our high price points and margins, our model shows that we will be profitable operating at only 55% of capacity.
- Q: Hi Cairnspring Mills team, I’m an investor and have a tax planning question. Can you confirm whether Cairnspring Mills is structured as a C corporation and if investments through this campaign qualify as Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) under IRC Section 1202? I noticed you’re listed as “Cairnspring Mills, SPC” - does this designation maintain C corp tax status for QSBS eligibility? This information would help me understand the potential tax benefits of holding the investment long-term. Thanks!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
  - A: Hi GM, Thanks for your question. We are taxed as a C corp. I am still working with my team and our accountant to determine if we qualify as a QSBS. I will share the answer as soon as I can. More soon.
- Q: When you mention a recapitalization that rewards early investors, do you envision specific mechanisms like bonus shares, future discounts, or liquidity preferences?
  - A: A recapitalization could occur through a variety of mechanisms, but our primary goal is to provide a secondary sale opportunity to existing investors. We plan to raise additional funds for our future third mill, and plan to offer a secondary sale opportunity for current investors when we raise funds for the third mill construction.