Not so long ago, windmills played an essential role in daily life in the netherlands. Grist mills ground wheat to flour, polder mills (drainage mills) managed the water level, saw mills cut trees to timbers and boards, oil mills pressed oil from different kinds of seeds, bark mills ground bark for tanning, hulling mills peeled barley to pearl barley, and dye mills ground pigemnts to be used in paint. Even now, some mills perform thes tasks.
