Blizzard Branch

Blizzard Branch lies on the border of the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in Chesterfield County. The engine on display next to the sign is indicative of owner John Catoe’s passion for collecting and rebuilding old engines. “Old iron collectors are some of the best people you will ever meet,” he says on his website, where he has generously posted many pictures of his old farm machinery.

The grits mill and cane press are housed inside this barn, which provides a sort of gathering place for visitors and those hoping to purchase some freshly ground, South Carolina grits. Beyond the barn the field of sugar cane is visible. Had this picture been taken just two weeks earlier, corn stalks could also be seen in the background.

From left to right: Andy, Randy, John, and Jerry after a full day of grits-making. The farm prides itself on being family-owned and operated – John and Randy are brothers, and Andy is John’s son.

A rebuilt tractor engine runs Blizzard Branch’s grist mill. The sign’s instruction is not for the faint of heart; in an effort to ensure they would not miss any visitors, the Catoes wired an air horn to the rope and installed it on the roof of the barn.

Blizzard Branch uses a mill made in the 1930s which owner John Catoe obtained from Wilkesboro, North Carolina. On the left, Jerry scoops cornmeal, while Randy readies the next batch of kernels for grinding.

Dried kernels are poured into the hopper, then funneled into the grinder. Two granite grinding stones are located in the box shown here under the hopper.

A close-up shows yellow corn seconds away from becoming our state food!

Ground corn is transferred to a machine with different sized filters which separate cornmeal, coarsely ground grits, and finely ground grits from the chaff. The chaff is then discarded or used as feed for farm animals.

Blizzard Branch grits retain the healthy germ, and they are unbleached. The grits in John’s right hand are not as coarse as those in his left. Some people prefer one consistency over the other, but Blizzard Branch combines the two consistencies.

Grits are placed in 50-pound sacks, then weighed on this particularly beautiful old scale. They are then ready to be sold to various retailers around the state, who will package them in their own bags for grocer’s shelves.

Grits are also packaged and sold directly from Blizzard Branch. In the character of Blizzard Branch, the back of the packages read, “Made by people who want you to enjoy some good old fashioned farm products that may have fallen by the wayside.”