My mother is visiting for a couple of days and I thought it would be nice to take the free tour at Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukee, OR. Since we are gluten free and my mother enjoys Bob's Red Mill products too it seemed like a perfect time to tour.
We learned about Bob and his vision and action to keep the company locally owned - each employee is an owner. We learned how important it is not to give up and to be willing to start fresh, roll up your sleeves and get to working on your purpose. The arson fire that burned the mill in the late 80's, while a real tragedy, was the catalyst to the great expansion of Bob's Red Mill. I am not articulating well here how significant this tour impacted me personally.
The boys harvested and ground wheat by hand. We felt the quartz stones that grind. We saw the whole process and learned about how Bob and his wife Charlie started.
The grand highlight was we got to meet Bob personally. At almost 85, he was bright and kind and interested in life and his life's work. Wow! What an inspiration. I would love to have met his wife Charlie and given her a great big hug. I'll aspire to be a grandma like her.
Here are photos that will tell more...
