London baker has strong CareerTech ties in Oklahoma

First released Sept. 22, 2023; Published March 6, 2024

Graison Gill knows a thing or two about bread. The former owner of a popular New Orleans bakery was a finalist for the James Beard Outstanding Baker Award in 2020; at that time Gill was making about 10,000 loaves of bread a week.

After making delicious breads and pastries for more than a decade, Gill decided he could make them even better if he had better ingredients. Especially flour. He knew his bread was only as good as the flour that went into it, so he decided to start grinding his own.

After looking for an experienced wheat grower to partner with, he ultimately connected with Oklahoma State University farmer and agricultural entrepreneur Brady Sidwell. The two men decided to create a wheat mill in Oklahoma that would preserve the heritage of the state’s wheat, celebrate Oklahoma’s soil and produce good tasting, healthy flour.

In 2021, Gill and Sidwell created Chisholm Trail Milling inside the James W. Strate Center for Business Development at Autry Technology Center. The Enid tech center’s business incubator program helps startup companies and individual entrepreneurs can get resources and mentoring to help them get their businesses up and running.

Chisholm Trail Milling produces stone-milled flour from 100% local grain. The company works with wheat breeders and grain companies in Oklahoma to supply the flour, and they work directly with the Wheat Improvement Team of Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and the Oklahoma Wheat Growers Association to develop a high-quality product.

The business mills all the flour to order, crushing it between two natural granite stones until it’s extremely fine. The flour is then shipped throughout the United States.

In addition to operating at the technology center, Chisholm Trail Milling has expanded its partnership to include a bread-baking demonstration in collaboration with Autry Tech’s culinary arts program. The company also hires former Autry Tech students and recently assisted in an event for Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Gill recently sold Bellegarde Bakery in New Orleans, and he has purchased a new bakery in London.

Oklahoma CareerTech: Education that works for you

The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education provides leadership and resources and assures standards of excellence for a comprehensive statewide system of career and technology education. The system offers programs and services in 29 technology center districts operating on 60 campuses, 391 PK-12 school districts, 16 Skills Centers sites that include three juvenile facilities and 32 adult education and family literacy providers.

The agency is governed by the State Board of Career and Technology Education and works closely with the State Department of Education and the State Regents for Higher Education to provide a seamless educational system for all Oklahomans.