VALENCIA FLOUR MILL
About Valencia Flour Mill
Jose D. Cordova, I, Founder of the Valencia Flour Mill, then called the Jarales Trading Post & Roller Mill, decided to build his Mill in 1914 because of the plentiful wheat crop in central New Mexico. He packed the flour into a nationally popular Flavo brand in cloth bags from the Midget Marvel Milling Company Jose D. Cordova & his wife, Josefita Lopez Cordova were 1st Generation Mill Owners.
The Family Mill ownership continued under Arturo Cordova and his wife, Vivianita Sanchez Cordova, the founder's son & daughter-in-law. He ran the Mill through the 1930s with Vivian Sanchez, his brother-in-law and partner. Vivian died in 1940 but Arturo continued on until the 1970's when he was semi-retired. He sold a bread flour under the brand name Royal Crust. After he died in 1983, the Jarales Roller Mill fell into disuse for 5 years.
The 3rd Generation Flour Miller is
Jose D. Cordova, grandson & namesake of the founder. In August, 1988 Jose & his wife, Kathy purchased the mill from the Cordova Family estate and changed the business name to Valencia Flour Mill with Valencia as the brand name. Jose resigned from his 21-year process engineering career at the 3M Company & moved
his family from St. Paul, Minnesota to Belen, New Mexico in December, 1988. Soon after the Valencia Flour Mill re-opened in 1990, customers asked for easy-to-use mixes. Co-owner Kathy's degree in science journalism plus her family background in foods contributed to the Mill's R&D efforts.
Our Business Story
Talk about an Old Mill -- The Valencia Flour Mill still uses wood & steel machines which look like cabinets, but actually make flour.
Bucket Elevators (1930s)
Twentieth Century Milling Machine (1920s)
Jose's specialty unbleached flour has a wholesome wheat flavor due to the way he adjusts the bolting cloths in a
"craft-milling" technique.
Line Shaft (1930) with 25 hp Motor (1950s)
Jose redesigned his family's Mill in 1989. He connected
all the old milling machinery with belts to one 25 hp motor attached to the original line shaft to conserve energy.
S. Howes Flour Packer (1917)
Ingredients Mixer (1950s)
Using a portable Fischbein
sewing machine, employee
Luis Dueñas seals a 25 lbs. Valencia Sopaipilla & Fry Bread Mix.
The yellow Mixer behind Luis is a batch mixer that combines
Valencia flour with micro ingredients to make our
"just-add-water"mixes.
His "appropriate tech" methods are economical and efficient for the manufacture of consistent, yet innovative mixes.
Milling Machine Photos Courtesy of Wayne Abraham
