In February I was lucky enough to sit down with Sandy McHenry, the founder of Big River Grains. Big River Grains is a new, local gluten-free grains company. The company is based out of Corvallis and offers 100% naturally gluten-free grains. We absolutely love this company! The following is a transcript of my conversation with McHenry, Enjoy!

How long have you been in operation?

We conceived the idea about a year ago, and we have been in wholesale operation for about 60 days.

What is your connection to Celiac Disease?

I have two daughters who both have their own unique story related to gluten intolerance.  I watched both my girls suffer for years with undiagnosed Celiac Disease. Once they were diagnosed it was a learning process for our whole family. After accidently making our daughters sick through cross contamination we made the decision to make our entire home gluten free. We have now been gluten free for quite some time, and I have noticed a great difference in my health.  I no longer am living off of Prilosec for my heartburn, and my high cholesterol has gone down. My family has benefited immensely from living a gluten free lifestyle.

Why did you start Big River Grains?

I had gone to a local meeting with my daughter to talk with the community about starting a gluten free restaurant. It was here that I learned how large the gluten free community was, and how big the markets for gluten free products were. After listening to others frustrations involving cross contamination, and hearing the overwhelming statistics of how many are affected by gluten intolerance. I went home and started my research. I researched for months, and I found a true need for a good gluten free grain company. It was not easy starting a company that had so many hurdles, yet through determination and learning I was able to get the ball rolling.

What is your company’s mission statement?

We don’t currently have a mission statement. However, our goal is to be the “gold standard” in gluten free grains. We want the gluten free community to be able to trust our company. We understand how important it is for our customers to trust us.

What types of grains do you have in production now?

Last year we planted 8 different gluten free grains. Those grains were; Buckwheat, Amaranth, Flax, Millet, Oats, Quinoa, Sorghum and Teff.  Although the wet and late spring provided challenges in our crops we were pleased to announce that six of our grains surpassed the harsh weather. The Quinoa and Amaranth did not make it through, but we secured another grower of Quinoa and we are working on finding a source of Amaranth. We want to continue to grow our line of grains. Our hope is to be able to grow any gluten-free grain that will with stand the climate conditions in the Willamette valley.

I noticed you don’t grow oats, is there a reason for that?

Yes. Originally we wanted to have gluten free oats in production, yet we received an overwhelming amount of feedback that the majority of our consumers were not interested in oats. A vast amount of the gluten-free community expressed to us that they could not tolerate any oats and were not interested in them. So due to that feed back and cross contamination concerns, we decided against growing them. We might revisit the idea in the future, but for now we are staying away.

Where can your grains be purchased?

Currently our grains can be purchased at the Co-op in Corvallis. We are working on setting up a PayPal account on our website. Within the next 30 days it should be possible to buy our products through our website.

For those worried about cross contamination issues, can you explain why your grains are 100% safe?

As I explained before, my story with Celiac Disease is a very personal one. I only sell grains that I would feel comfortable feeding to the loved ones in my life. I  watched my daughters suffer severely from cross contamination and I would never feed them anything that might be contaminated. My journey to developing grains that are completely gluten free has not always been an easy one. It is not an easy process to take a grain from seed to the plant without dealing with any cross contamination issues. I have dealt with all different types of contaminating problems.  The main concern is that the majority of the population simply doesn’t understand celiac disease. They don’t understand how crucial it is to keep wheat separate from our crops. Through trial and error I have found systems that work for keeping our grains clean. I know that it will continue to be a learning curve but our company’s number one priority is to make sure those grains are 100% gluten free.

Who grows the grains?

I have a real passion for local farmers and I have connected with a great group of local farmers. The most important aspect of this business is making sure the grain stays gluten free from the time it is planted to the time it enters the store. I have been fortunate enough to find a good group of farmers who understand the importance of contamination. I have been able to follow many of my grains from the day of planting to the processing plant.

Are your grains organic?

Are grains are not currently certified organic. Unfortunately there is a lot of work involved in becoming certified organic. Our goal is to eventually have all of our grains certified organic and gluten free.

What is your favorite gluten free food?

My true passion is BBQ and I love anything that revolves around BBQ.   So my favorite would have to be one of my many gluten free BBQ recipes.  On our website we encourage everyone to share their favorite gluten free recipe. If you send us a recipe that we decide to share on our website we will send you a free sample of our grains.

Where do you see your company in 5 years?

The most important thing to our company is that we become the trusted source for gluten free grains.  After we accomplish that then we believe anything is possible.  In the future we would like to open a dedicated kitchen and facility. Through this facility we would love to start a line of flours, mixes, sauces and rubs.

We recently got an email about a young gluten-free Italian exchange student looking for a host family for the 2011-2012 school year. She is a very active girl who loves aerobics, dancing, singing, and playing the guitar. She seems to be a very outgoing girl who will do well in a new environment!  The home would need to be able to provide gluten-free food and be dog and cat free. If you are interested in learning more about this student please contact Katie Stemp at 866-985-4111 or email Nadine@GlutenFreeRN.com

When did you start Fleurish Beauty?

I started Fleurish Beauty in late 2006, after a long search trying to find gluten-free hair and body products that worked well with my skin and hair.  When I realized that the only options available at that time didn’t work for me, I started searching for other people like me, and found that there were many in need of a better product.  That is when I knew I had to do something.  I wanted high quality products with the best ingredients.  After almost two years of research, I figured out what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.  I have several allergies myself, so I worked back and forth with chemists to come up with products that didn’t irritate my skin and would offer all of the other benefits I wanted in a product.  Our products are gluten-free, paraben-free, dye-free, vegan and cruelty-free.  We also carry other eco friendly products as well.

Where is Fleurish Beauty located?

We are located in Woods Cross, Utah

What is your companies mission statement?

To offer high quality products for those with and without allergies.  We use natural and organic ingredients, because we feel it is just as important to treat the outside of our body with the nutrients that we would want inside our body.

What is your connection to the gluten intolerance/celiac disease community?

I have Celiac Disease, and have had the symptoms of Dermatitis Herpetiformis, so the drive behind creating these products came from knowing I needed something different to use on my body.  I am very passionate about the research and education of Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis and that is why I donate a portion of all sales to different programs that help educate and continue the research of these conditions.  I have also had the amazing opportunity to attend the GIG Conference.  It is so inspiring to hear each individual story, and to have the opportunity to be involved in so many people’s lives.

Do you process any gluten ingredients at your company?

Our products are made in a cosmetics lab that is completely sterilized between the processing of each product.    The lab does process gluten ingredients, but we have been assured the sterilization process is extremely thorough.

Where can your products be purchased?

Products can be purchased from our website www.fleurishbeauty.com,  Gluten Free RN, Lomonaco Family Chiropractic in Highland Village, Texas, and Christe’s Cutaway in Salt Lake City, Utah

What it is your favorite beauty product?

That is a hard question!  I love all of our products for different reasons.  Our shampoo and conditioner are so moisturizing and the result is beautiful healthy hair.  Our lotion is amazing too!  I love how well it absorbs and how great my skin feels all the time.  The body wash is gentle and smells fantastic.

What is your most popular product?

Our most popular product is the Premium Shampoo.

What sets Fleurish Beauty apart from other gluten-free beauty companies?

Unlike many companies, Fleurish Beauty exists for personal reasons.  I need to use the products, so I wanted the quality to be the best.  (I am very picky!)  I have many skin sensitivities, so I decided the best way to get the products that work for me is to be the guinea pig for our products.  We came up with the perfect formulations for my hair and skin, and the end result is amazing!  I am thrilled that we have been able to help so many other people as well.

Do you have any beauty tips to share with our readers?

The key to beautiful, healthy skin is a quality moisturizer that doesn’t have mineral oil or water as an ingredient.  Our lotion is very moisturizing, soothing and healing.

Where would you like your company to be in five years?

I would love our company to grow and be more accessible locally and worldwide.  We want Fleurish Beauty to be known as a company that people can rely upon and trust.  We want to continue to provide products that others will love, just as much as we do.