Home

TIMS Website - Home Page

The International Molinological Society (TIMS) is active since 1965, and is the only organization dedicated to mills at a worldwide scale. TIMS has around 400 members in over 35 countries.

TIMS Online Presentations 2026

Our next TIMS Online Presentation will be on the 30th of May.

The presentation will be given by Alisa Crawford and the topic will be "Chocolate Mills".

Chocolate Mills

This talk offers a structured introduction to early American chocolate mills, combining a clear overview of terminology with a reconstruction of the traditional chocolate-making process. It situates chocolate within its broader historical context, tracing the origins of its consumption, the sourcing of cacao, and the transatlantic trade routes that sustained production in the American colonies.

Building on the research of James Gay and drawing extensively on advertisements published in eighteenth-century newspapers, the presentation sheds light on how chocolate mills functioned in practice. These sources reveal details about power sources, the seasonal nature of production, the diversification of activities, and the geographic distribution of milling centres. They also illustrate the diversity of makers and the range of products and services offered, while highlighting the impact of war and economic disruption on the trade, as well as early efforts to ensure product quality for consumers.

A comparative perspective with contemporary Dutch cocoa mills broadens the discussion, before the presentation concludes with a modern example of sustainable craft chocolate milling, linking historical practices with present-day approaches.

Alisa Crawford is a historian by degree, miller by trade and author by award. She holds a BA in history and MA in History Museum Studies. She trained in Europe in milling and became the first Dutch-certified miller in the Americas and the first woman in the Traditional Grain Millers Guild of the Netherlands. She was the miller of the Dutch windmill in Holland, Michigan for 18 ½ years and has a diploma in milling from the International Association of Operative Millers. She represents the US on the council of TIMS and on a committee to preserve the craft of a miller internationally. She is author of the award-winning book, “De Zwaan: The True Story of America’s Authentic Dutch Windmill” and “Jack and Jill Went to the Mill.”

The presentation will appeal to those interested in the history of milling, early industry, and food production, offering both scholarly insight and the perspective of a practicing miller.

The following previous Online Presentations can be downloaded (just click on the title):

"2026 Belgium Mid-Term Tour"

"60 Years TIMS - What is TIMS all about?"

All other presentations can be found in the Digital Library . . .

PL2027 - The 17th TIMS Symposium in Poland - Introduction

PL2027 logo small The 17th TIMS Symposium will take place from the 10th to the 16th of May 2027, and the Post-Tour will be from the 17th to the 21st of May.

The venue of the Symposium will be the National Museum of Agriculture and Food Industry in Szreniawa, which is about 14 km south of the city of Poznan. Poznan can easily be reached by car, and has excellent railway connections, as well as its own airport.

Our Symposium Chairman is Marcin Stefaniak, who is working at the Museum of Milling and Water Equipment of Rural Industry in Jaracz, a branch of the National Museum of Agriculture and Food Industry in Szreniawa.

Of course, a visit to Marcin's museum is planned during the Symposium.

The theme for the Symposium is “Documentation and Restoration of Historic Mill Buildings”, so papers on this topic will be appreciated. Of course, papers on other topics are welcome as well.

PL2027 Hotel

The Symposium hotel will be Hotel Delicjusz, about 3 km south west of the Symposium venue.

PL2027 - Invitation to the 17th TIMS Symposium in Poland

PL2027 Invitation

PL2027 - Call for Papers

We call on all TIMS members and others to present their molinological research as a formal paper and/or as an informal, short contribution. Papers on all molinological topics are welcome.

It is our intention to let the theme “Documentation and Restoration of Historic Mill Buildings” be the guiding theme throughout the Symposium. Therefore, we especially would appreciate papers on this topic.

Please let us know, when you plan to submit a formal paper or to present a short/informal contribution, by means of a filled-in "Paper Submission Form". The deadline for submitting this form is the 31th of May 2026.

Deadline for submission of papers is the 15th of January 2027. Please read and follow the “Formal Paper instructions”, as well as the "Instructions and Information for Presenters".

Registration for the TIMS Mid-Term Tour to Belgium

The registration for the 2026 Mid-Term Tour to Belgium can still be done, but do not wait too long, as there are just a small number of places available . . .

Please go to the registation website: https://www.flandersmills.be/midterm-registration/

Here you can register online, and you will find all information about the tour.