HOLLAND, Mich. — There's nothing more American than baseball, and there's nothing more Dutch than windmills. FOX 17 met with a mom and miller, which is a person who operates things like the iconic windmill in Holland, on Saturday at her son's little league practice. It's the perfect way to wrap up another Tulip Time weekend.
Alisa Crawford has made another accomplishment with the historic craft of milling.
“It’s a pretty thick book," Crawford said while referencing a textbook she studies.
Crawford is a world-class miller, who calls Holland, Michigan home. She's traveled all the way to the Netherlands to become the only person in America with three certifications from the Dutch Guild of Millers.
“Although I’m not Dutch by DNA, I’m a Hollander in my heart,” Crawford said.
It's that heart, that's filled with a love of the craft, community, and connections she's made throughout the years, that has lead Alisa to become the person she is today.
“It’s a very traditional old trade that goes back many centuries and has been necessary because people need to eat. So there needs to be millers to grind the grain,” Crawford said.
Getting to the finish line, was a grind all in itself. Alisa had to learn Dutch to take all the tests.
“Set your goal. Work hard and achieve it. It’s such an amazing joy that you get afterward,” Crawford said.
Alisa was most recently Dutch-certified to run water mills, but also holds a badge to run a windmill, as well as an artisan grain miller's certification.
For nearly two decades, Crawford ran the iconic windmill in Holland.
“I’m really a historian and a preservationist at heart. Even as a young child I loved history,” Crawford said.
This latest accomplishment is about more than a love of history, or her craft.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a miller, a mechanic. Be good at what you do,” Crawford said.
It's about doing what you didn't know you could. Reaching for goals you didn't know you could attain, and striving for more.
“I think everyone should be a lifelong learner," Crawford said.
Crawford says if there's one thing people take away form her story, it's that if you want to do something: go out and do it.
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