Conservation Grains in Montana: History, What It Grows, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Conservation Grains is a craft flour business in Choteau, Montana, run by Judy Cornell from grain grown on her Spring Coulee Farm between Choteau and Dutton and from farms that manage for soil health and wildlife habitat. Each bag lists the milling date, the grains in the blend and where the grain was grown, and customers have ordered from both coasts and Wyoming.
| Location | Farm between Choteau and Dutton; mill in Choteau, Teton County, Montana |
|---|---|
| Founded | Farm purchased by Judy Cornell about 2008; milling began around Christmas 2018, per the Associated Press |
| Sectors | Hard red winter, hard red spring and hard white wheat; rye, kamut, spelt, einkorn; flax, black chickpeas; milling |
| Scale | Acreage and annual flour volume not published in the sources reviewed |
| Why it is notable | Conservation-focused stone mill that labels grain origin; wheat sold to a Helena distillery; flour shipped nationally |
| Ownership | Judy Cornell; her husband Jeff and son Jack help |
| Official website | Conservation Grains official site |
History of Conservation Grains
Judy Cornell, a former accountant, bought the Spring Coulee land and started farming about 11 years before the Associated Press profile in 2019. She later added milling after finding a corn-cracking mill in a barn near Paradise, having the stone redressed, and starting to mill around Christmas 2018.
The mill sits in a small former lumberyard office from Helena that was moved to Choteau. Her husband, Jeff, is a rare bookseller, and their son, Jack, helps with bread testing.
What Conservation Grains Grows and Raises
Spring Coulee Farm produces wheat and other small grains, flax, black chickpeas and, in 2019, hemp for the first time, along with black currants from the shelterbelt. Conservation work on the farm includes ponds, pheasant brood strips, shelterbelts and nesting cover.
The mill produces whole-grain flour blends from hard white, hard red winter and hard red spring wheat, rye, kamut, spelt and einkorn. Cornell also sources grain from farmers who focus on wildlife habitat and soil health. In 2019 purple barley was malted by Ryan Pfeifle of Farm Power Malt and added to bread.
How Conservation Grains Makes Money
Milled whole-grain flour
Flour is sold in stores and through the website, and customers have ordered from both coasts and Wyoming. Milling keeps the margin that normally goes to a processor.
Subscription boxes and specialty buyers
The flour has appeared in a Last Best Box subscription, and wheat has been sold to a Helena distillery. Black currants were sold for a vodka made for Big Sky Pride.
Origin labeling
Putting the milling date and grain source on each bag gives buyers a reason to choose the flour over an unlabeled commodity product.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Conservation Grains
Tell the buyer where the grain came from. Labeling the farm and the date turns conservation practices into a selling point and rewards neighbors who farm the same way.
Start small with a used mill. Cornell began with a salvaged mill and a small building, then built the customer base before investing more. Home bakers and craft distillers are a more practical first market than a large wholesale account.
Not every wheat farmer finds her mill in a barn and her mill house in a lumberyard office, but Judy Cornell turned both into flour with a conscience. Readers who love farm satire, farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes about sourdough starters with more personality than the staff should rise and shine at farm.FM, where we mill every punchline fresh and label the date on the bag.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
How to Contact Conservation Grains
Website: https://conservationgrains.com/
Website as named in the 2019 Associated Press profile, November 2026. No street address, phone or email was available in the sources reviewed; use the website to order flour or ask about wholesale.
Conservation Grains Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Conservation Grains - Website named in the Associated Press profile
- Associated Press - Choteau craft miller combines conservation and ancient grains
- Montana Department of Agriculture - Pulse marketing and production information
- USDA Census of Agriculture - National and state farm and ranch statistics
- USDA Farmers.gov - Federal programs for farmers and ranchers
Conservation Grains FAQ
Where is Conservation Grains?
The mill is in Choteau, Montana, and the farm is between Choteau and Dutton.
Who runs it?
Judy Cornell, who started farming around 2008 and began milling around Christmas 2018.
What does it sell?
Whole-grain flour blends made from wheat, rye, kamut, spelt and einkorn, sold in stores and through the website.
Where does the grain come from?
Spring Coulee Farm and other farmers focused on wildlife habitat and soil health.
Conservation Grains shows how a small Montana farm can build a flour brand around transparency and land stewardship. For more notable operations and practical guidance on markets, programs and credit, see the Montana farms guide.