George Allen and Danny Cowan founded Red Tail Grains while living together in Mebane, North Carolina. At the time, George maintained a large garden, and Danny was starting a small bakery. Encouraged by local baker Abraham Palmer and farming mentor Luther Livermon, the pair planted a small plot of Red Fife wheat. Although their first crop failed, they replanted the following year and successfully harvested a crop that summer, which they sold to Abraham Palmer.
Since then, Red Tail Grains has expanded its crop rotation to include wheat, corn, spelt, rye, buckwheat, and cowpeas. Their on-farm mill enables them to process their crops into stone-milled flour, cornmeal, grits, and other products for local bakers, brewers, restaurants, and consumers. With the support of the RAFI 2024 grant, Red Tail Grains plans to expand its seed cleaning room and grain storage area, further enhancing its operations.