Chris Hergesheimer was hand-milling flour at Sechelt's Farmer's Market when he came up with a creative idea: build a bicycle-based mill. It would speed up the milling process and would give his arms and hands a well-deserved rest. His subsequent invention produced flour in a fraction of the time, and Hergesheimer, along with his brother Josh, saw the potential for the bicycle mill to help others half a world away.

The Flour Peddlar (Caitlin Press, 2015) recounts the Hergesheimer brothers' journey as they take their pedal-powered milling technology from Roberts Creek, B.C., to a woman's cooperative in the South Sudanese village of Panlang. During their trek, there are challenges and obstacles, from the outbreak of war, to broken down vehicles to wild animals. The Flour Peddlar is more than just a travelogue; it offers insights into local food system trends and the benefits of alternative food movements.

When not peddling locally milled flour, Chris Hergesheimer is a research, policy and project management consultant specializing in issues around food and farming. He obtained a Master of Arts in sociology from SFU, and is a PhD candidate in UBC's department of Land and Food Systems.

Hergesheimer is passionate about research - he is the director of research education and a co-teacher of research methodology at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine. He has conducted research for a number of organizations, including the University of Northern British Columbia, the BC Association of Farmers' Markets and FarmFolk CityFolk. Hergesheimer lives in Roberts Creek, B.C.

BOOKS:

Co-Written with Josh Hergesheimer:
The Flour Peddlar (Caitlin Press, 2015) $24.95 9781927575864

[BCBW 2015]