Gristmill

The Gristmill is a Folktails mid-game food processing building that grinds plant matter into flour, forming a critical link in the Folktails bread production chain. Unlocked for 250 Science Points and built from 40 Logs, 20 Planks, and 20 Gears, this 3x2 powered structure requires 60 horsepower and employs 1 worker. It processes two recipes: Wheat into Wheat Flour (1 Wheat yields 1 Wheat Flour in 0.5 hours) and Cattail Roots into Cattail Flour (1 Cattail Root yields 1 Cattail Flour in just 0.25 hours). As the only powered food building in the Folktails lineup, the Gristmill marks a significant step up in your colony's food infrastructure.

The Gristmill sits at the center of the Folktails flour-to-baked-goods pipeline. Wheat Flour produced here feeds into the Bakery, where it becomes Bread (5 per flour), Maple Pastries (3 per flour, combined with Maple Syrup from the Tapper's Shack), or stays as a versatile intermediate ingredient. Cattail Flour similarly travels to the Bakery for Cattail Crackers (4 per flour). Production ratios are important to get right: one Gristmill running Wheat Flour can supply 2 Bakeries making Bread or 3 Bakeries making Maple Pastries. One Gristmill producing Cattail Flour keeps 2 Bakeries in Cattail Crackers. Internal storage holds 20 units of input and 20 units of output, so keep warehouses nearby to prevent bottlenecks.

Position your Gristmills adjacent to Bakeries to minimize hauling distances, and ensure a reliable power supply from Water Wheels, Windmills, or Power Wheels. Unlike the Grill and Bakery (which transmit power), the Gristmill only consumes power, so it must be connected to your power grid via shafts. Wheat from the Efficient Farmhouse and Cattail Roots from the Aquatic Farmhouse should flow to the Gristmill through well-placed warehouses or direct proximity. During droughts, having a stockpile of flour in storage can keep your Bakeries running even when fresh crops are unavailable, making the Gristmill a key component in drought preparedness for any Folktails settlement.