Originally posted August 19th 2026 by New Hope Network
Dry Storage is applying a heightened level of social and environmental responsibility to what it sees as a commoditized flour market.
The Boulder, Colorado-based bakery and milling company partners with organic farmers in the Rocky Mountain region to grow specialty grains that it then supplies to chefs and others who are seeking high-quality, organic flours. Dry Storage recently won the Naturally Rising pitch competition for the Naturally Colorado chapter and is preparing to exhibit at New Hope Network’s Newtopia Now conference, scheduled for Aug. 18-20 in Denver, Colorado.
Dry Storage is a division of Id Est Hospitality Group, founded by chef and restaurateur Kelly Whitaker, a 2024 James Beard Award winner and operator of The Wolf’s Tailor, Colorado’s first restaurant to receive two Michelin stars. Other entities that comprise Id Est include the restaurants Basta, Hey Kiddo (and its cocktail bar, OK Yeah) and Nonesuch.
As it prepares for Newtopia Now, Dry Storage is reframing its expansion efforts to focus on retail partnerships. After launching as a brand that targeted chefs and other culinary professionals, it now seeks to grow in the consumer products arena, says Emily Philpott, CEO of Dry Storage. She credits Whitaker for imbuing Dry Storage with its holistic approach to quality and environmentally conscious practices. Whitaker started the company by sourcing heirloom grain from a farmer in Colorado’s San Luis Valley to use in his wood-fired pizza restaurant, Basta. He stone milled the grain and used it to make pizza dough that is known for what Philpott describes as an “unbelievable, off the hook” flavor.
Whitaker is concerned with more than just great flavor, however. “One of the most important things to Kelly is how he can make a change for the world, for people, for food systems and for the planet,” says Philpott. “For him, sustainability isn’t enough. It’s actually making a change and leaving things better than when you found them.”
Whitaker has long been an advocate for the local cultivation and production of heirloom grains using organic and regenerative practices aimed at protecting the environment. He co-founded the Noble Grain Alliance in 2016 to support local grain production and has been at the forefront of the effort to create awareness around the quality and attributes of heirloom grains and the flours they produce
An ideal climate for grain farming
Dry Storage currently sources grains from 10 farmers in Colorado, one in Wyoming and has multiple farmers in Montana lined up as new partners. These farmers altogether operate 1,000 acres of organic and regeneratively farmed grains. Many practice dryland farming, a method of water conservation that relies on natural rainfall rather than irrigation.
The Rocky Mountain region, with its warm days, cold nights and often harsh weather conditions, provides an ideal growing environment for enhancing the grains’ flavor and protein structure, says Philpott.
Dry Storage takes steps to ensure that its farmers are treated fairly, she says. Farmers earn between two and three times the rate that they get paid for conventional grains, for example. In addition, Dry Storage provides the farmers with the seeds for planting the crops at no up-front cost, which helps the farmers’ cash flow, Philpott says.
“We are profitability-minded, but we will always protect the farmer,” she says.
Dry Storage works with agriculture experts, including consulting firm Mad Agriculture, to help farmers execute their organic and regenerative growing practices, thus contributing to the positive environmental impact of the enterprise as a whole.
The grain varietals currently offered by Dry Storage include Yecora Rojo, Rouge de Bordeaux, White Sonora, India Jammu, Winter Langin, Spelt and Rye.
Dry Storage is exploring the addition of a semolina varietal, which has been requested by some pasta makers. It is also looking at expanding its functional “all-purpose” line of flour into additional varieties that can be blended with its other flours.
In addition to its milling and flour supply business, Dry Storage runs a bakery of its own that functions as an R&D test kitchen and grain showroom.
Transitioning into retail
Although the company has largely focused on supplying professional chefs, bakers and distillers, it has rolled out its flours to about 20 retail locations. The company also offers its flours to consumers in 1-kg., 5-kg. and 50-lb. bags directly through its website, DryStorage.com
“We have some consumers who are really, really into sourdough, and they’re actually buying 50-pound bags,” says Philpott.
More and more home bakers are discovering the possibilities of blending the varietals with other flours to yield different results, she says.
As the company seeks to expand into more retail locations, it is looking to foster mutually beneficial relationships with its retail partners, much as it has with its growers and chefs.
Dry Storage’s involvement with Naturally Rising has helped the company refine its approach to the retail channel, says Philpott. The company was paired with John Simmons, president of Berri Organics, who was one of the coaches that helped contestants prepare for the pitch competition.
“I was excited for the competition and to meet all of the competitors, but also to get his mentorship around CPG, since this is new to us,” says Philpott. Simmons provided useful guidance around pricing strategies, how to work with brokers and other key aspects of becoming a bigger retail supplier.
“He really helped us understand what the company needs to do to be able to thrive,” says Philpott. “He also helped me personally stay focused on how we can help the retail ecosystem.”
The preparation for the competition was intensive, says Philpott. “Naturally Colorado provided incredible resources for us,” she says, citing access to Whole Foods Market, Nielsen and other industry experts.
In addition to its planned growth in the retail sphere, Dry Storage is expanding its B2B reach into new markets, including Florida and Los Angeles.
Dry Storage is also expanding its production capacity at its Boulder mill. The company recently received a grant from the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Climate Smart Markets Program, which will allow it to upgrade its milling facility and double its capacity.
