James Brown

James A. Brown received his B.A. in Organ and his M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of Houston. He recently retired after a 30+ year career in church music, including more than 15 years as the Director of Worship and the Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Austin. James also has a culinary degree from the Art Institute of Houston and worked at the Houston Country Club under the direction of Certified Master Chef Fritz Gitschner and as the chef de cuisine at the Hotel Sofitel in Houston.

His love of the culinary arts led him to an interest in bread and pizza as a hobby while still working in the church music field. Upon learning there were no viable local options for freshly milled landrace and heritage grains and gauging the interest of local chefs, James came up with the concept of starting his own mill. He found farmers who were willing to grow organic heritage grains, as well as sources for rare seed varieties, and opened Barton Springs Mill for business in January 2017. Barton Springs Mill provides artisan flours, cornmeal, grits, and whole grains to wholesale clients throughout the Austin/Hill Country area, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio, and to retail clients online nationwide.

Where to find Barton Springs Mill:

Online at bartonspringhsmill.com