Episode Eight - Ancient Grains from Farm to Table

Discuss

• Tom and Mary Klein have been farming organically since 1996. Despite their success, their neighbors have stuck with conventional methods.  Why would some farmers embrace change, and others be more resistant?  Did you hear anything in the Kleins background that would make them more open to organic practices?

• Why does Mary Klein call weeds “angels of the soil”?  How does she treat such angels? How would a conventional farmer deal with weeds?  How would you describe the difference between these approaches to farming? 

• What are the benefits and challenges of “seed-saving”?  How do they compare to the benefits and challenges of buying seeds from manufacturers?  

• When Michelle Abjamian and Brandon Jaeger started out, they wanted to make a difference in their community.  How did they adapt their dreams when they founded Shagbark Mills?  What is their current vision for the community?  

• What does the Neighbor Loaves program do? 

• The food insecurity rate in Athens County is among the highest in Ohio. Why do you think “growing your own food” seems like a potential remedy for food insecurity?  What are the drawbacks to such a strategy?  

• Karin Bright of the Athens County Food Pantry declares that their goal is “to go out of business because nobody is hungry.” What would have to happen for that goal to be achievable?

Listen

Learn about how to bake and cook with einkorn, an ancient grain. 

Rowen White is a Mohawk seedkeeper and an activist for inidgenous food sovereignty. Here is an interview with her from Emergence magazine. She is interested in returning seeds to their original keepers. 

And here is a For the Wild podcast interview with Rowen. 

Here is the story of Nikolay Vavilov, the plant explorer who worked to prevent famine and died of starvation in a Soviet gulag. 

The Native Seed Pod is a podcast that explores and celebrates Native Foodways, Ancestral Seeds, and the Traditional Ecological Knowledge needed to renew the health of the Earth and all our relations. From planting songs to cultural foodscapes, we highlight the importance of protecting and restoring agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty to sustain resilient communities.

Watch

Winona LaDuke speaks here about the efforts of the Ojibwe nation to save manoomin, their wild rice. This TedTalk is called Seeds of our Ancestors, Seeds of Life. 

Learn more about the traditional harvesting of wild rice. 

High on the Hog, found on Netflix and based upon the book by culinary historian culinary and co-host Jessica B. Harris, explores the culinary contributions of the African diaspora, including stories on various grains. 

The Grain Divide is a documentary film focusing on growing concerns about our modern grains.

Read

During Reconstruction, thousands of formerly enslaved people, known as “Exodusters”, made their way to Kansas to buy land and to begin a life of farming for themselves. Most of their settlements from that time are now ghost towns, but at least one, Nicodemus, remains. Gil and Gary Alexander, Nicodemus farmers, are growing teff an ancient grain used, among other ways, to make injera, the sour-dough risen spongy flat bread that is a staple of Ethiopian cooking.

Learn about the differences in various types of ancient grains. 

Read about the Heritage Grain Conservancy

Hildegard von Bingen had some interesting things to say about the benefits of spelt.

Shagbark Seed and Mill is helping to transform a regional economy through the reestablishment of a grist mill that supports the growing of new and older grains by local and regional farmers. 

Here is their website where you can learn about how they are working to build the processing infrastructure needed for robust regional food systems, focusing on grain. 

Read more here about the Village Bakery in Athens, Ohio, featured in this podcast. 

The Land Institute, founded by Wes Jackson is working to advance diverse perennial grain agriculture at a global scale. Among other projects, their Kernza,™  is a domesticated perennial grain and a cousin of wheat, originating from intermediate wheatgrass. 

Read Gary Paul Nabhan’s important history of Nikolay Vivilov Where Our Food Comes From: Retracing Nikolay Vavilov's Quest to End Famine, (2011). Vivilov traveled five continents collecting thousands of varieties of seeds of all sorts in an effort to understand genetic diversity  toward the idea of food security and helping to  prevent famine.  He was jailed by Stalin for his efforts and ironically and tragically died of starvation. 

Restoring Heritage Grains: The Culture, Biodiversity, Resilience, and Cuisine of Ancient Wheats (2016) by Eli Rugosa explores the history of ancient grains with excellent advice, and reasons about how and why to bring them back and how they can be a solution to our food resilience for the future.  

Ancient Grains for Modern Meals: Mediterranean Whole Grain Recipes for Barley, Farro, Kamut, Polenta, Wheat Berries & More (2011) provides recipes and ideas for cooking these older, important grains. 

Here is information about Native Seed Search’s work to rematriate seeds and grains to Native communities. 

Do

Learn how (and why) to nixtemalize corn, then serve up this dish to your friends! 

https://www.culturesforhealth.com/learn/blog/nixtamalization-corn-historic-practice/

What is corn detasseling and why is it necessary? Would you like an adventure? Join a corn detasseling team in Iowa or Illinois as your next summer job. You can apply at one of the largest detasseling companies in the Midwest.

Eat

You don’t need yeast to make bread! Try this famous sourdough no-knead-bread recipe from Sullivan Street bakery. 

If you’d like to experiment with a variety of unusual grains, you can find them in local groceries by looking for Bob's Red Mill products. Try their recipe for Jalapeno cornbread in a skillet.