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Sunday, June 28, 2015

New interest in ancient grains


http://www.inforum.com/news/3775755-new-interest-ancient-grains

New interest in ancient grains


Elizabeth Dyck is a long-time fan, both professionally and personally, of so-called "ancient grains." Now, she and other advocates of these obscure grains are encouraged by growing consumer interest in them—which is slowly leading to more opportunities for U.S. farmers, including ones in the Upper Midwest.
"It's extraordinary," says Dyck, an agronomist who is founder and coordinator of the Organic Growers' Research and Information Network in Bainbridge, N.Y. "It's a very hot topic right now."
Once a food on the fringe, ancient grains are going mainstream. Cheerios, the iconic breakfast cereal, has even come out with a new version that contains small amounts of several ancient grains. Advocates of ancient grains praise both their taste and health benefits.
There's no official or hard-and-fast definition of ancient grains. But the Whole Grains Council defines them as "grains that are largely unchanged over the last several hundred years," in contrast to modern wheat, which is "constantly bred and changed."
A few ancient grains, most notably emmer, were once popular in parts of the Upper Midwest, but fell into disfavor as new varieties of higher-yielding conventional wheat were developed in the early 20th century.
Pros and cons
Today, fewer than 1,000 acres of emmer are grown annually in North Dakota, though acreage has been rising recently, says Steve Zwinger, a crops researcher at the North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center. He's been testing ancient grains, including emmer and spelt, for two decades.
Though rare, ancient grains can play a useful role in area agriculture, he says.
For starters, they can be fed to livestock.
"They make an excellent feed source," he says.
Adding ancient grains to a crop rotation can improve soil health and bring other agronomic benefits. And they can be grown with relatively few inputs, making them less costly to raise than conventional wheat, though seed of ancient grains can be expensive, he says.
Ancient grains, though lower yielding than conventional wheat when soil and weather conditions are good, are unusually hardy, allowing them to succeed in poor soils and in adverse weather. "They may have an advantage (over conventional wheat) in some conditions," Zwinger says.
Ancient grains also can potentially bring higher prices than conventional wheat because some consumers are willing to pay more for them, he says.
Farmers who already grow conventional wheat generally have the skill and knowledge to grow the ancient types of wheat, too, he says.
One more bonus, at least to agriculture in general, is that growing emmer and other ancient grains preserves their genetic traits, which can be of great long-term value, he says.
But there also are challenges and obstacles in growing ancient grains.
The biggest is that ancient grains are enclosed in a husk or hull that doesn't fall off during threshing. The husks need to be removed before the grain can be sold for human consumption, a process known as "dehulling."
Improving farmers' access to dehulling equipment has been a priority, and progress is being made, Zwinger and Dyck say.
Progress also is being made in improving the supply of ancient grain seed, which has been another concern, they say.
And though raising and selling conventionally grown ancient grains is possible, most established markets for it are organic. Also, as is the case with every niche or specialty crop, farmers interested in ancient grains need to have buyers arranged in advance before they plant or even buy seed.
It's uncertain if ancient grains will ever enjoy wide popularity with farmers in the Upper Midwest, where farms tend to be relatively large and well suited to conventional wheat.
But some area farmers looking to add value to their operations, especially small-scale ones, might do well with emmer or other ancient grains, Zwinger says.
East Coast farmers, who typically have small fields geared to vegetable production, can benefit agronomically, and diversify economically, by mixing in ancient grains, Dyck says.
Health benefits
Some fans of ancient grains claim they're far healthier than conventional wheat.
Dyck stresses that she doesn't think modern wheat varieties are necessarily bad. As an advocate of organic agriculture, however, she has concerns about some of the farming practices involved with conventional wheat.
In any case, the health benefits of ancient grains are "substantial and backed up by considerable scientific research," she says.
For instance, einkorn is unusually high in lutein, a nutrient in the carotenoid family that helps fight macular degeneration, among other benefits.
At the same time, she warns of "extravagant claims" being made about the health benefits of ancient grains.
"The hilarious thing, they're not necessary. We have plenty of valid scientific evidence (of legitimate health benefits.) A lot of myths are growing up. They're well-intentioned, but some are stupid," she says.
And a final reason why consumers might want to investigate ancient grains: "They have a rich, nutty taste. They're delicious," Dyck says.
Primer on prominent ancient grains
Here's a quick look at three ancient grains, also known as "heirloom" or "relic" wheats, that hold promise in the Upper Midwest: emmer, spelt and einkorn.
They're sometimes known as "covered" or "hulled" wheat because their grains are enclosed in a husk or hull that doesn't fall off during threshing.
They generally don't yield as well as modern wheat, nor are they as easy to handle after harvest as modern wheat, in which the grain threshes free of the hull during harvest.
Emmer — Believed to have been cultivated for at least 7,000 years. Sometimes known as Pharaoh's wheat because it was common in ancient Egypt. Referred to in newer translations of the Bible. Still popular in Italy, where it's known as farro.
Spelt — Also cultivated for thousands of years. Sometimes confused with emmer; sometimes mistakenly referred to as spletz. Enjoyed a minor renaissance in the U.S. in the late 20th century, in part because of rising interest from organic and health food stores.
Einkorn — One of the first crops cultivated for food. Thought by some to have crossed with wild grass to produce both emmer and spelt. Grown today in parts of southern Europe and the Middle East, mainly for livestock.

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