I was reading over at The Deliberate Agrarian about modernized wheat. I had never heard about our modern wheat being so much different from the wheat grown in the 1800s.
I started looking on line for information and there's quite a bit out there. Modern wheat has been selected and bred for high yield and high gluten. Some people think that this may be causing all of the issues, such as gluten intolerance and celiac disease, that are so common right now.
I found this information over at The Sustainable Seed Company.
What makes heirloom grains so special? Heirloom grains,
(generally speaking are those over 50 years of age) are still very adaptable.
Meaning, unlike many of todays hybrid wheats these heritage wheats have a huge
genetic background allowing them to fight off pests and adapt to local growing
conditions over generations. Why is that so important? Because as petroleum
becomes even more expensive transporting such a heavy food commodity, most
grains will once again be grown locally. To do this you will need locally
adapted varieties of heritage grain. That is a big reason, but another
important one is the flavor. Many heirloom grains retain unique and rich
flavors that were sacrificed in modern hybrids for high yields.
After doing some research, I'm thinking I may trade in my spring red wheat for some kamut. I need to look into it some more and would love any advice you may have on growing grains. The weather here is cold, we're a zone 3. Winter wheat has never worked for me, but then again, I just might not know what I'm doing. Any wheat growers out there? How about barley growers? Another grain on my list.
Thanks.
Oct 3, 2012
Old Wheat
I was reading over at The Deliberate Agrarian about modernized wheat. I had never heard about our modern wheat being so much different from the wheat grown in the 1800s.
I started looking on line for information and there's quite a bit out there. Modern wheat has been selected and bred for high yield and high gluten. Some people think that this may be causing all of the issues, such as gluten intolerance and celiac disease, that are so common right now.
I found this information over at The Sustainable Seed Company.
What makes heirloom grains so special? Heirloom grains, (generally speaking are those over 50 years of age) are still very adaptable. Meaning, unlike many of todays hybrid wheats these heritage wheats have a huge genetic background allowing them to fight off pests and adapt to local growing conditions over generations. Why is that so important? Because as petroleum becomes even more expensive transporting such a heavy food commodity, most grains will once again be grown locally. To do this you will need locally adapted varieties of heritage grain. That is a big reason, but another important one is the flavor. Many heirloom grains retain unique and rich flavors that were sacrificed in modern hybrids for high yields.
After doing some research, I'm thinking I may trade in my spring red wheat for some kamut. I need to look into it some more and would love any advice you may have on growing grains. The weather here is cold, we're a zone 3. Winter wheat has never worked for me, but then again, I just might not know what I'm doing. Any wheat growers out there? How about barley growers? Another grain on my list.
Thanks.
I started looking on line for information and there's quite a bit out there. Modern wheat has been selected and bred for high yield and high gluten. Some people think that this may be causing all of the issues, such as gluten intolerance and celiac disease, that are so common right now.
I found this information over at The Sustainable Seed Company.
What makes heirloom grains so special? Heirloom grains, (generally speaking are those over 50 years of age) are still very adaptable. Meaning, unlike many of todays hybrid wheats these heritage wheats have a huge genetic background allowing them to fight off pests and adapt to local growing conditions over generations. Why is that so important? Because as petroleum becomes even more expensive transporting such a heavy food commodity, most grains will once again be grown locally. To do this you will need locally adapted varieties of heritage grain. That is a big reason, but another important one is the flavor. Many heirloom grains retain unique and rich flavors that were sacrificed in modern hybrids for high yields.
After doing some research, I'm thinking I may trade in my spring red wheat for some kamut. I need to look into it some more and would love any advice you may have on growing grains. The weather here is cold, we're a zone 3. Winter wheat has never worked for me, but then again, I just might not know what I'm doing. Any wheat growers out there? How about barley growers? Another grain on my list.
Thanks.
2 comments:
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Mama Pea said...
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I'm not able to give you information on growing grains (no fields of waving grain up here, that's for sure) but I would suggest using spelt instead of the wheat that has been so messed with and is, sadly, now a far cry from what it once was. Spelt is an ancient grain, a species of wheat, but hasn't been modified the way wheat has. I substitute spelt berries for wheat berries when I grind my flour. In most recipes you can't tell the difference from whole wheat, but sometimes a recipe will require a slightly larger amount of spelt flour . . . such as in bread . . . to get the right consistency. People who are allergic to wheat can often tolerate spelt.
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October 4, 2012 at 5:40 PM
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odiie said...
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Mama Pea,
I'll research this a bit and see what I come up with. Thanks for the recommendation. I may try a few different grains next spring. -
October 6, 2012 at 10:58 AM
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2 comments:
I'm not able to give you information on growing grains (no fields of waving grain up here, that's for sure) but I would suggest using spelt instead of the wheat that has been so messed with and is, sadly, now a far cry from what it once was. Spelt is an ancient grain, a species of wheat, but hasn't been modified the way wheat has. I substitute spelt berries for wheat berries when I grind my flour. In most recipes you can't tell the difference from whole wheat, but sometimes a recipe will require a slightly larger amount of spelt flour . . . such as in bread . . . to get the right consistency. People who are allergic to wheat can often tolerate spelt.
Mama Pea,
I'll research this a bit and see what I come up with. Thanks for the recommendation. I may try a few different grains next spring.
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