DENVER — Ardent Mills is introducing new capabilities at its Denver mill. In addition to flour milling, the company will clean and pack intact grains, pearl barley and dehull heirloom grains like emmer, einkorn and spelt, the Denver-based company said May 22. More farmers are seeking to bring these grains to market, according to Ardent Mills, and the company is seeing increasing demand from its customers in segments such as artisan baking, brewing and distilling, food service, and retail foods.

The mill, which is in the River North Art District (RiNo) of Denver, will produce and clean organic and non-bioengineered/non-G.M.O. grains and sell them nationwide in 25-lb and 50-lb bags and totes. With 5,000 cwts of daily milling capacity, the facility is the smaller of two flour mills Ardent Mills operates in the Denver area. The second, located in Commerce City, has 20,000 cwts of daily milling capacity and includes family flour packaging, bakery mix manufacturing and a specialty mill that produces baker’s brand and mills whole wheat flour.

The RiNo mill’s new processing capabilities will support The Annex by Ardent Mills, a business unit that Ardent Mills set up last year to cultivate the future of specialty grains and plant-based ingredients.

“Our first year has been wrapped in innovation,” said Shrene White, director of The Annex. “We have listened to our customers, worked closely with our farmers and evaluated the future of the markets we can serve. Through the organic-certified mill, we are helping our customers bring these grains to life as their source for dependable, food-safe, high-quality intact grains.”

The project at the Denver mill was announced less than two weeks after Ardent Mills said it would be closing 4 of the 39 mills it operates in North America. The mills to be closed are located in Macon, Ga.; Rush City, Minn.; Loudonville, Ohio; and Red Lion, Pa.