From Seed to Slice: Virginia Field Trip

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | 9:45am–5:45pm ET 

This From Seed to Slice field trip takes us to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley at the start of the winter wheat season. We’ll explore a regional grain economy in action and meet a new generation of growers, millers, and bakers who are redefining what it means to work with local grains.  

We begin at Mill Song Bakery, a one-of-a-kind home bakery run by Nico Melas in the Harrisonburg area. Nico’s work is a true expression of full-cycle baking: he farms, mills, and bakes, producing naturally leavened breads using flour he stone-mills on-site. His grains are sourced exclusively from the Chesapeake Bay watershed, an inspiring example of hyper-local grain sourcing and craftsmanship.  

From there, we head into the field with Gary Knicely, an organic farmer with more than two decades of experience in regenerative agriculture. Gary’s work focuses on building resilient systems through practices like cover cropping, interseeding, and soil health management. His approach to farming offers insight into how grain can be grown in ways that support both the land and long-term farm viability.  

Finally, we travel to Lowesville, VA, home to the historic Woodson’s Mill. Originally built in the 1790s, this mill stands as a remarkable link to America’s grain milling past. Here we visit Deep Roots Milling, where millers Aaron Grigsby and Ian Gamble and their team continue to operate the mill using traditional methods while supporting a modern, values-driven grain economy. Deep Roots Milling sources 100% of its grain from family farms across the Mid-Atlantic, producing high-quality flours from wheat, corn, rye, and other grains.  

By the end of the day, you’ll see how grain moves through a region—from soil to mill to bakery—and the people who make that possible. Whether you’re a baker, miller, farmer, or simply passionate about good bread, this trip offers a closer look at the relationships and practices shaping the future of regional grain. 

A boxed lunch is included. 

Presented in partnership with Common Grain Alliance 

Our Guides:

Nico Melas 

Nico is the baker, miller, and farmer behind Mill Song Bakery in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. At Mill Song, Nico produces naturally leavened breads using local grains sourced from organic and biological farms within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Flour is stone-milled on-site a few days before each bake, and doughs are naturally-leavened, hand-mixed, and hearth-baked to create breads that are flavorful, nutritious, and deeply connected to the region. Nico trained in traditional wood-fired and fresh-milled baking in France before continuing his grain-focused baking education at Seylou Bakery & Mill. 

Gary Knicely 

Gary is an organic farmer with over 20 years of experience focused on regenerative agriculture. At Hilltop Farm in Dayton, VA, he experiments with cover crops, interseeding, soil micorbiology, and nutrition management to buildresilient cropping systems and solve practical field challenges. 

Aaron Grigsby

Ian Gamble 

Aaron and Ian are the millers behind Deep Roots Milling at the historic Woodson’s Mill in Roseland, VA. Aaron started his journey in traditional foodways working on small vegetable farms in southwest Virginia, the vineyards and cellars of Tuscany, and Sri Lankan communes. While apprenticing at a bakery in Floyd, he developed an affinity for small grains, natural leaven, and wood-fired cookery, experiences that eventually led him to become a miller and help establish a lynchpin for the regional grainshed at Woodson’s Mill.  

Ian, a longtime friend and collaborator of Aaron’s, came to milling through his interests in good food, diverse economy, and sensible work. Upon visiting the mill you will find him greasing, packing, hauling sacks, milling, cleaning, and, of course, joking around with David Woodson.When not at the mill Ian pursues his crafts as a potter and oven-maker in rural North Carolina. 

Itinerary (subject to change): 

9:45am – 10:00am 
Meet at Mill Song Bakery at 1130 Lincolnshire Dr, Rockingham, VA 22802 

10:00am – 11:30am 
Tour of Mill Song Bakery with Nico Melas 

11:30am – 11:40am 
Travel by bus to Hilltop Farm at 6675 Horeb Church Road, Dayton, VA 22821 

11:40am – 1:00pm 

Tour of Hilltop Farm with Gary Knicely 

1:00pm – 1:45pm 
Lunch in Harrisonburg 

1:45pm – 3:00pm 
Travel by bus to Deep Roots Milling at 3211 Lowesville Rd, Lowesville, VA 22967 

3:00pm – 4:30pm 
Tour of Deep Roots Milling with Aaron Grigsby 

4:30pm – 5:45pm 
Bus returns to Mill Song Bakery 

Space is limited—register now to reserve your spot!