Key Takeaways
- Cairnspring Mills secured a blended capital and ownership structure exceeding $50 million to support the Blue Mountain Mill project
- The regenerative flour mill is being built on land owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon
- The project combines mission-aligned debt, tribal equity, public financing, and community investment
- The facility is scheduled for completion in Q3 2026 and will expand Cairnspring Mills’ milling capacity twelvefold
- The mill is expected to generate significant regional economic impact through jobs and farmer income
Cairnspring Mills Moves Blue Mountain Mill Into Construction Phase
Cairnspring Mills announced the completion of a capital and ownership structure supporting the construction of its Blue Mountain Mill, a regenerative flour facility under development in Pendleton, Oregon. With funding secured and construction underway, the project has transitioned from planning into execution—an inflection point for mid-scale food infrastructure projects that often struggle to secure appropriate financing.
The mill is being developed on land belonging to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and is designed to address infrastructure gaps that have limited the scaling of regenerative agriculture beyond the farm level.
Cairnspring Mills Aligns Capital, Tribal Ownership, and Public Financing
The Blue Mountain Mill is backed by a diversified capital stack that integrates private, public, tribal, and community participation. Total project funding exceeds $50 million and includes construction and inventory lending from Steward, a mission-driven lender focused on regenerative agriculture.
Steward also facilitated a $25 million USDA-guaranteed loan through Native American Bank as senior debt. In addition, CTUIR made a $5 million equity investment in the project, securing long-term ownership participation alongside a 50-year land lease that supports economic development and food sovereignty objectives.
Kevin Morse, Co-Founder and CEO of Cairnspring Mills, said, “What we’re building here is what I call the ‘remarkable middle’, infrastructure that serves real markets, keeps value in the community, supports farmers, and can actually get built when partners align around long-term outcomes.”
Cairnspring Mills Expands Regenerative Grain Infrastructure at Scale
Once operational, the 27,000-square-foot Blue Mountain Mill is expected to expand Cairnspring Mills’ milling capacity by a factor of twelve. The facility is projected to create more than 20 local living-wage jobs and generate over $22 million annually for regenerative farmers cultivating approximately 50,000 acres across the Pacific Northwest.
The mill will anchor a regional supply chain connecting growers directly with bakers and food companies nationwide. Cairnspring Mills sources identity-preserved grain from farmers using regenerative practices and produces stone-milled flour in small batches to retain nutritional and functional qualities.
Dan Miller, Founder and CEO of Steward, commented, “Cairnspring is a clear industry leader with the operating discipline, demand, and partners to succeed. Blue Mountain demonstrates how aligned capital and underwriting discipline can make regional-scale infrastructure viable.”
Completion Timeline and Broader Industry Implications
Construction of the Blue Mountain Mill is scheduled for completion in late Q3 2026. Beyond the facility itself, the project highlights a financing and ownership model that may be replicable for regenerative food infrastructure where disciplined operations, contracted demand, and aligned capital partners are present.
