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Featured Product
Johnny Cakes are a Rhode Island traditional food made with stone ground white corn meal, a dash of sugar and salt, and hot/boiling water (or milk) - cooked on a griddle. This very special White Cap Indian Flint Corn comes from Tibbits Farm in West Kingston, Rhode Island. What makes this grain so unique? It is the original variety of white corn grown in New England. It was introduced to the settlers by the Native Americans. Traditionally, each stalk bore a single, six inch, eight row cob of corn. Today, Flint Corn is not widely cultivated due to its weak growing characteristics. A few hard core traditional farmers still harvest a very limited quantity. Kenyon's Grist Mill is proud to take part in bringing this rare delicacy to your table. For details on how to get this season's featured product for FREE, click here.
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Johnny Cake Festival: Oct. 20 & 21, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Celebrate the autumn harvest, while taking a step back in time at Kenyon's Grist Mill in the quaint village of Usquepaugh. Enjoy free samples of seasonal fare, beverages, sweets, snacks, Johnny Cakes, and more. Purchase from a variety of food, art, products, and gifts from over 85 local vendors, including area farms, artisans, restaurants, and businesses. Look below for more information...  Savor old fashioned, apple, or southwestern Johnny Cakes, and learn how to cook them. Indulge in clam cakes, chowder, barbecue chicken sandwiches, wood-fired pizza, lobster rolls, oysters, pulled pork sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, pies, ice cream, corn-on-the-cob, fudge, kettle corn, maple syrup, corn bread, apples, nuts, pumpkin seeds, breads, jams, coffee, milk, hot/cold cider, and so much more. Listen to live music from over twelve, talented bands. Songs include, "Clam Cakes and Chowder" by Uncle Funk and "Johnny Cakes" by Bill E. Payne. Enjoy wine tasting from four local wineries, sample local/craft beer, and purchase by the glass. Take a tour of the historic mill, the oldest manufacturing business in Rhode Island, and enjoy a colonial encampment from 1775 to 1830. Visit with the alpacas, sheep, goats, and wild birds, and enjoy the foliage along the scenic Queen's River and waterfall. Watch a variety of old world demonstrations, such as blacksmithing, basket weaving, flute playing, chair caning, bowl turning, wheel and drop spinning, flax spinning, loom weaving, bucket making, woodworking, stone carving, leathersmithing, and pottery throwing. Enjoy book signing, wampum shell cutting and shaping, glass foiling, watercolor painting, rug weaving, face painting, charcoal portraits, silhouettes, massages, and pumpkin carving. Special guests throughout the weekend include Munroe Dairy's MooCow, Fresh Fanatics, Plummy (the Plum Beach Lighthouse), Roger Williams, and the commander of the Gaspee, to name a few. Food and clothing donations will be collected to benefit the Jonnycake Center. Locally made festival shirts, designed and printed by Block Prints Graphics, will be available for purchase. For a list of participants, featured local products, music/tour schedules, directions/parking details, historic photos, and more information, visit www.JohnnyCakeFestival.com. |
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The Old Grist Mill Store ~ Local Holiday Gifts
Stone Ground Corn Meal and Flours, Old Fashioned Mixes, and Wholesome Pancake Mixes are only a few of the products sold in the Old Grist Mill Store. This small country shop, located across the street from the mill, also features a variety of other Rhode Island items, perfect for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. until December 30th. Winter hours will begin on February 2nd.
Kenyon's Grist Mill Holiday Gift Packages will also be coming soon! A locally made wooden crate will house arrangements of freshly ground products, Lightfoot's Pine Soap, Rhode Island Maple Syrup, and Queen's River Jams. We ship anywhere in the country. Orders can also be made online here.
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Miller's Tale
Autumn is, by far, my favorite time of year. The crisp air, the hustle and bustle around the mill, and the vibrant colors reflecting off the water, all remind me how important this season was for gristmills throughout history. Families would gather at the mill with harvested crop ready to be ground. These grains were essential staples, making gristmills vital to society. The ability to harness power from the environment made them the center of every village. Communities grew around these sites. Other self-sustaining enterprises were soon to follow, such as planting, weaving, carpentry, smithing, animal husbandry, dairy work, and more. The mill became a meeting place where people socialized, traded, and exchanged ideas.
As I walk the property along the Queen's River and pace the roads of the small village of Usquepaugh, I imagine what it was like in the past. I would visit the general store, the post office, the woolen mill, the cider press, and the carriage works. Although these buildings no longer remain, the history lingers in the advent of autumn. While the leaves that drop from the trees may cover the footsteps of times gone by, they also remind us that new history is created every day. At Kenyon's Grist Mill, autumn is a wonderful occasion to learn what once was. It is also an exciting time to come together and celebrate the many businesses that represent our community today.
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