About us
Farming & Ranching has always been a way of life for the Maraggia family. As the generations continue in this present time we still hold on to our family roots. Blending the old with the new, South Texas Milling, Inc. was established in 2001 with the sole purpose to bring the fruits of our labor to your family in a nutritious way. We offer a range of products to complement our stone ground whole grain product line, Retail/Wholesale sales and a Fundraising Program. As our family and company grow, we hope you will come back and visit us often.
Thank You,
Michael Maraggia
South Texas Milling, Inc. History
South Texas Milling, Inc. is a family owned and operated business located in Inez, Texas, a small farming and ranching community ten miles east of Victoria along the Texas Gulf Coast. We are a fourth-generation farm family with our roots dating back to the 1800’s. Natale Maraggia came from Italy in May of 1891 through the Port of New Orleans to help build railroads. The railroad was later called the Macaroni Line because of all of the Italians that came over for work. He then settled in the Inez area as a farmer. Great Grandfather’s son Nat married Lucille Franz in the 1930’s and continued with the family farming and ranching way of life. When the Miller and Maraggia families joined the farming and ranching continued. The Meiss/Bischoff/Miller family adds the 18th century stone grinding history. People would come from miles around to have their corn stone ground. With this diverse family history including farming and the mill, it is only natural for history to repeat itself. South Texas Milling, Inc. began its diversified venture using century old stone grinding methods to process yellow corn into products that are all natural “The Way Nature Intended" Nothing Added. At South Texas Milling we Stone Grind, mix and package over fifty different products at our FDA facility right here on the farm. We also bag the cleanest Recleaned Deer Corn in South Texas and Milo for wildlife use, in our TDA inspected cleaning and bagging room. South Texas Milling plans to continue along its past roots of farming and caring for the land to provide the public with wholesome products made with family pride.
Lamb's Gristmill History
Louise Lamb, the founder of "Lamb’s Gristmill", started her milling business in the late 1960's in Hillsboro, Texas. Her vision was to offer wholesome, all natural stone ground corn products to the consumer. In 2014 South Texas Milling, Inc. purchased Lamb’s Gristmill and moved it to its home base in Inez, Texas. We are proud to continue this tradition in bringing you gluten-free, all natural cornmeal, which we process with the same century old stone grinding method that Louise used for almost 50 years.
When South Texas Milling, Inc. purchased Lamb’s Gristmill the company was only producing two stone ground products, the Stone Ground Original Coarse Yellow Cornmeal and the Stone Ground Original Coarse White Cornmeal. Since the purchase, we have added eight new products to our line: Stone Ground Fine Cornmeal, Stone Ground Fish Fry, Stone Ground Shrimp and Oyster Fry, Stone Ground White Grits, Stone Ground Yellow Grits, Stone Ground Yellow Corn Flour, Fiesta Cornbread Mix and Southern Sweet Cornbread Mix.
Tipsy Italian History
When the Tipsy Italian line was designed, it was our hope that this line would be a special way to honor the heritage of the hard working Italian immigrants who we call family. Italian’s have a very unique culture. It has been said that for Italians, food is not only for mere survival but enjoying a meal with friends or family is the most important ingredient in every meal. Sunday lunches with the entire family which last until dinner, meal time means that each family member is surrounded with a lot of food and love. The Tipsy Italian line was created to encourage convenient dinners for two with a classic Italian flare. The Italian heritage of the Maraggia family is present in each dish. The Tipsy Italian line was created in loving memory of David Maraggia.
The Old Grist Mill
The Mill is in the National Register of Historic Places and a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark. In 1870, Fred Meiss purchased two four foot stones from Louis Albrecht which came from Germany in the 1850's to build a Dutch styled windmill with a wingspan of 35 feet. Mr. Meiss built his mill in Spring Creek, just outside of Victoria, Texas, and people traveled for miles to bring him corn to grind into cornmeal. Years later his descendants donated the mill to the Morning Study Club and it was restored and moved to Memorial Square in downtown Victoria. Over 130 years after Mr. Meiss started his business, his great-great-great grandson Michael Maraggia has started his own stone milling business, South Texas Milling, Inc., about 20 miles from where the original mill stood. November of 2009 the Morning Study Club passed this historical relic back to a Meiss relative, by entrusting it to Michael Maraggia who in the future will relocate and restore it for public viewing in Victoria County.
