Farmers, bakers, and millers from across California met at our granary to discuss current issues about cultivating and using sustainably-grown grains. Some farmers came from Ojai, California, though most were from Northern California. Doug did an excellent job of facilitating conversations covering widely divergent topics: weed control, grain storage, grain processing, marketing, media, and product labels. This forum provided an excellent, broad-ranging introduction to the world of grains.
Jared of Organic Seed Alliance kicked-off the meeting with a presentation about the grain test plots in Humboldt at John LaBoyteaux's farm and at Front Porch Farm. Seven varieties of wheat were chosen to measure their weed competitiveness, ability to grow in organic coastal conditions, rust resistance, lodging resistance, and quality. Weed competition and mitigation stood at as salient areas of interest.
Afflictions
Weeds present a noxious problem for organic grain growers because they contribute moist matter and inedible seeds to harvested grain. The added moisture increases the likelihood that grain will grow mold or rancid when stored. Undesirable seeds may be benign, but they can be indigestible. When I came to interview at the Mendocino Grain Project, I spent a few hours picking bind weed seeds out of threshed and cleaned foisy wheat berries. The seeds are black and have an irregular shape, but is approximately the same size as many wheat berries such that they are difficult to sift out without losing desired grains.
Rust is another concern among grain growers. I'm not sure what rust is; is it a bacteria, fungus? It turns grain heads the colour of rust and ruins the crop. Rust can remain the in soil and destroy future crops. I don't know how long it lasts and what methods of mitigation exist, so I'll report on this after doing some research. Moist conditions are conducive to rust, which makes for an argument for spring planting. Spring planting of wheat reduces the potential for exposure to rain. Doug said that rust concerns coastal growers more than us. I wonder if rust can arise from other factors.
Storage and Processing
The millers and bakers contributed interesting tips about proper storage and processing of grains. Some debate arose about whether milled flour can be kept for months without degrading the nutrients and protein. No conclusive arguments were presented; rather, everyone agreed that they err on the side of caution by using milled flour as soon as possible and reducing exposure to sun, moisture, and air. Grain moisture levels shouldn't be more than 12%. The most vehement assertions were made about the best temperature to mill grains at, which is that the flour should not be warmer than 120 degrees F, though body temperature acts as a good, qualitative gauge while milling. Temperatures above 120 degrees F degrade the proteins and gluten in the grains.
External Relations
How to talk about grains became a vibrant topic of discussion. Price points came up first, wherein people unanimously agreed that prices should be set at what makes a living wage and reflects labour inputs. We talked about setting standard prices for similar products among participants of the Grain Growers Gathering. While there was agreement on price points, perspectives varied regarding labelling, of what and how much information to put on packages. Views also diverged about how to talk to the public about why we're doing what we're doing and what produced. Many people expressed that they shouldn't have to market their products, that if they're good at what they do then people will come to them.
I remained a quiet observer throughout the meeting. I found all the discussions interesting and noted that there was no mention of addressing poverty, for farmers or customers, or accessibility. I also strongly disagreed with the idea that farmers should leave publicity to the media or others who might be interested in this work. Defining our work is important to setting ourselves and values apart from destructive agricultural practices that we're maintaining an alternative to.
Jared of Organic Seed Alliance kicked-off the meeting with a presentation about the grain test plots in Humboldt at John LaBoyteaux's farm and at Front Porch Farm. Seven varieties of wheat were chosen to measure their weed competitiveness, ability to grow in organic coastal conditions, rust resistance, lodging resistance, and quality. Weed competition and mitigation stood at as salient areas of interest.
Afflictions
Weeds present a noxious problem for organic grain growers because they contribute moist matter and inedible seeds to harvested grain. The added moisture increases the likelihood that grain will grow mold or rancid when stored. Undesirable seeds may be benign, but they can be indigestible. When I came to interview at the Mendocino Grain Project, I spent a few hours picking bind weed seeds out of threshed and cleaned foisy wheat berries. The seeds are black and have an irregular shape, but is approximately the same size as many wheat berries such that they are difficult to sift out without losing desired grains.
Rust is another concern among grain growers. I'm not sure what rust is; is it a bacteria, fungus? It turns grain heads the colour of rust and ruins the crop. Rust can remain the in soil and destroy future crops. I don't know how long it lasts and what methods of mitigation exist, so I'll report on this after doing some research. Moist conditions are conducive to rust, which makes for an argument for spring planting. Spring planting of wheat reduces the potential for exposure to rain. Doug said that rust concerns coastal growers more than us. I wonder if rust can arise from other factors.
Storage and Processing
The millers and bakers contributed interesting tips about proper storage and processing of grains. Some debate arose about whether milled flour can be kept for months without degrading the nutrients and protein. No conclusive arguments were presented; rather, everyone agreed that they err on the side of caution by using milled flour as soon as possible and reducing exposure to sun, moisture, and air. Grain moisture levels shouldn't be more than 12%. The most vehement assertions were made about the best temperature to mill grains at, which is that the flour should not be warmer than 120 degrees F, though body temperature acts as a good, qualitative gauge while milling. Temperatures above 120 degrees F degrade the proteins and gluten in the grains.
External Relations
How to talk about grains became a vibrant topic of discussion. Price points came up first, wherein people unanimously agreed that prices should be set at what makes a living wage and reflects labour inputs. We talked about setting standard prices for similar products among participants of the Grain Growers Gathering. While there was agreement on price points, perspectives varied regarding labelling, of what and how much information to put on packages. Views also diverged about how to talk to the public about why we're doing what we're doing and what produced. Many people expressed that they shouldn't have to market their products, that if they're good at what they do then people will come to them.
I remained a quiet observer throughout the meeting. I found all the discussions interesting and noted that there was no mention of addressing poverty, for farmers or customers, or accessibility. I also strongly disagreed with the idea that farmers should leave publicity to the media or others who might be interested in this work. Defining our work is important to setting ourselves and values apart from destructive agricultural practices that we're maintaining an alternative to.
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