September 2024 - Collab - lists.millets2023.space

NYTimes essay mentioning fonio, pearl millet, & teff
by Don Osborn 27 Sep '24

27 Sep '24

The New York Times on Wednesday (25 Sept. 2024) featured a guest essay by Marcus Samuelsson entitled "I’m a Chef. This Grain Should Be the Next Quinoa," in which three millets of Afrian origin were mentioned: fonio, pearl millet, and teff. (Thanks to David Brenner for sharing.) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/opinion/millet-teff-fonio-quinoa.html?un… Chef Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian-Swedish-American chef who owns the restaurants Hav & Mar and Metropolis in New York City, among others. In his essay he makes the case for more attention to African foods, and gives personal examples. A couple of minor issues: First, I'm not sure pearl millet likes waterlogged soils. (Sorghum, in my understanding, does better in heavier soils and/or with temporary watlogging.) Second, regarding imports of teff to the US, some does come from Ethiopia, but my impression is that more comes from farms in the US. (Need some figures on that.) Pearl millet, of course, is already imported from India, but I'm not aware of any in the US from Africa. The comparison with quinoa is not new, but the article approaches it in a fresh way, and introduces us to another voice in support of millets For more about Chef Marcus, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Samuelsson Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance - co-founder

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 32, Issue 7
by Gary Wietgrefe 15 Sep '24

15 Sep '24

*Biblical millet*: Color, agronomics, and social status should be added to the interesting discussion on Ezekiel 4:9. *Color*: Seed color is most likely why both Hebrew and Arabic references "smokey." It is highly unlikely the gray color was referring to the millet plant or leaf as suggested by McClintock and Strong. Proso has had many colors over the centuries, with white, yellow, and red are he common colors in the 21st century. *Example 1*: see pages 181-189 in my book (5) (PDF) How to Produce Proso Millet: A Farmer's Guide (researchgate.net) <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284179184_How_to_Produce_Proso_Mil…'s_Guide> where I listed 1920s U.S. proso varieties varying in color from creamy (off) white (White Ural), brownish yellow (Hanson white Siberian), reddish brown (red Russian), and brownish black (Black Voronezh). *Example 2*: Crown, a 20th-century proso variety with seed color gray-green, was developed by Canada. Some old research claimed the Corn Belt weed, wild proso millet, with dark red turning into black seeded weeds supposedly initially came from planting Crown. Recent research suggests otherwise The Biology of Canadian Weeds: 155. Panicum miliaceum L. (cdnsciencepub.com) <https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjps-2015-0152#sec-2-3>. See seed colors Figure 7 of Proso millet | ontario.ca <https://www.ontario.ca/page/proso-millet#:~:text=Proso%20millet%20was%20fir….> . *Example 3*: Argentina's *plata* (yellow or silver) proso millet still has remnants of gray (smokey) seed coat. See PRODUCTS – El Campo S.A (elcamposa.com.ar) <https://en.elcamposa.com.ar/products/>. *Example 4*: "Proso" in North America and Europe is the current name *Panicum miliaceum*, but as the world's "common" millet, it has had many names including "*browncorn*" millet. Varieties around the world often referred to production location or seed color. I have never found an agronomic reference to proso leaf or plant color to identify the crop. *Agronomics*: All crops have moved over the years, but even with good breeding agronomics force crops to certain latitudes. Argentine and Australian production of proso in the southern hemisphere is at comparable latitudes of proso production in North America, Europe, and Asia. After the Soviet Union state farms collapsed, I reintroduced U.S. varieties of proso in Mongolia comparing it to local and Russian varieties. See my 2022 research paper (5) (PDF) Ancient Proso Millet and the Twentieth Century Survival of Mongolia (researchgate.net) <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358270886_Ancient_Proso_Millet_and…>. In the late 1990s I reintroduced proso millet in Turkey since it was an early source of U.S. varieties. See (5) (PDF) Effect of Seeding Rate and Nitrogen Fertilization on Proso Millet Under Dryland and Irrigated Conditions (researchgate.net) <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233118183_Effect_of_Seeding_Rate_a…> . Ezekiel ate millet while living along Nebuchadnezzar's private canal on the Chebar River near Nippur in what is now eastern Iraq which would have been the southern belt of ancient proso production. In 1903 E.A. Bessey working for USDA introduced in the U.S. the yellowish-brown Turghai from Russia or Siberia. In 1968 Colorado's breeding program released the yellow-tan colored Leonard from seed collected earlier from Afghanistan. I haven't found sources of U.S. varieties collected in Iraq or Iran, but I seriously doubt they produced white varieties so common today. Who knows? Farmers have always kept back proso seed to plant the following year. They still do. They certainly did to supply their prophet Ezekiel. *Social*: Ezekiel was a prophet of high status even as a captive where he lived in his own home under Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. Though he lived on about eight ounces of coarse bread while laying on his side prophesying for 190 or possibly 390 (depending on the translation), he would have been supplied with grains by his followers. I can't imagine old Ezek out in the field looking for a smokey colored plant. Thanks Don for bringing the topic forward....Gary Wietgrefe On Tue, Sep 10, 2024 at 12:44 AM <collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > Send Collab mailing list submissions to > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > collab-request(a)lists.millets2023.space > > You can reach the person managing the list at > collab-owner(a)lists.millets2023.space > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Collab digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Which "millet" is in the Biblical verse, Ezekiel 4:9? > (Don Osborn) > 2. Re: Official Request, Seeking Importers of Millets from NAMA. > (saiway_in(a)outlook.com) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2024 12:55:51 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: Dipak Santra <dsantra2(a)unl.edu> > Cc: "collab(a)lists.millets2023.space" <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Subject: Re: [Collab] Which "millet" is in the Biblical verse, Ezekiel > 4:9? > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibWhu4+dJDxDk0Y_MHK8tRg7D97BfRFmwzf++_QfTb8QyA(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Thank you for the feedback, Dipak. > > Here's a question: Could one describe the leaves of proso millet as having > a "dark-green or smoky color," as the McClintock and Strong source does? I > would have placed proso plants more or less in the middle of a spectrum of > greens, along with many other crops. Anyway, that source seems to cite > something for this that I can't find online - "Sept. ???????,Vulg. > nzilium." > > Another site has a page with commentary from several sources: > https://reformadoresdasaude.com/dicb/?sis=3683 . Some of those mention > sorghum as a possibility One of them mentions foxtail (as Italian millet), > but also states that proso ("common millet") was "cultivated in Egypt in > very ancient times," which other sources would not agree with. Recall also > that there appears to be evidence of pearl millet in ancient Egypt (at > least one source suggests there is not, but see below). To be clear, wheat > and barley were by far the dominant crops in Egypt's Nile valley. > > One article by Dorian Q. Fuller and Leilani Lucas ("Savanna on the Nile: > Long?term Agricultural Diversification and Intensification in Nubia," in E. > Emberling & B.B. Williams, eds., *The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Nubia*, > 2021, > > https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10119133/1/Nubia%20handbook%20final%2… > ) notes evidence of sorghum and pearl millet in some sites in Nubia and up > into oasis areas of Egypt. Proso/broomcorn millet is mentioned in the later > Meroitic period. (Interested to note also mention of "a lost indigenous > foxtail millet, Setaria sphaceleata" - which, rather than foxtail millet, > S. italica, was apparently also cultivated there in ancient times.) > > In any event, Egypt, with its dominant flooding agriculture, is a different > situation than either Nubia or the Levant, which in turn are in different > climate and agro-ecological zones. Anyway, it's complicated. > > In addition to better understanding what millets were grown where and when > in the Middle East, cultural and historical factors during the time of > Ezekiel would be helpful in reviewing the question of which millet was > being referred to in Ezekiel 4:9. > > Anyway, that's all I have now on this... > > Don > > DO, EL, MI, US > NAMA > > > On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 9:44?PM Dipak Santra <dsantra2(a)unl.edu> wrote: > > > Don, > > Wow?. Amazing fact?I will keep this question in mind while searching > > literature. > > > > Thank you very much for sharing this. > > > > Dipak > > > > Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef> > > ------------------------------ > > *From:* Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Don > > Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > > *Sent:* Sunday, September 8, 2024 6:24:30 PM > > *To:* collab(a)lists.millets2023.space <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > > *Subject:* [Collab] Which "millet" is in the Biblical verse, Ezekiel 4:9? > > > > Caution: Non-NU Email > > > > Even if you haven't read the Bible, you may have seen the one verse from > > it that mentions "millet" on a brand of sprouted bread and cereal named > > after that verse: Ezekiel 4:9. > > > > "Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and > > millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread > thereof; > > according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, > even > > three hundred and ninety days, shalt thou eat thereof." Ezekiel 4:9 > (ASV)/1 > > > > But do we know what millet it was exactly? > > > > The Hebrew is ?????? (do'chan), which more than one source on the Bible > > say is Panicum miliaceum (proso or broomcorn millet). One of those > sources, > > the authoritative *McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia* is among > > those commentaries./2 > > > > That source also notes the Arabic cognate, ????? (du?n), which it says > > also refers to P. miliaceum. However, Wehr and Cowan's authoritative *A > > Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic* (3rd ed., 1976) defines the term as > > pearl millet, i.e., Pennisetum glaucum./3 > > > > Both the Hebrew and Arabic words come from roots that also denote smoke. > McClintock > > and Strong see the connection with proso as being "the dark-green or > > smoky color of the leaf." However, one should also note that the grains > of > > pearl millet typically have a greyish hue, that might be called a smoky > > color as well. > > > > Another source on the Bible, says that the Arabic word is used "to > > describe two different kinds of millet" (which it does not specify)./4 > That > > might remove the ambiguity in favor of the Hebrew word meaning P. > miliaceum > > - if perhaps the two millets in Arabic are proso and pearl. > > > > However, it would be useful to consult work of historians and > > ethnobotanists on the dissemination of these two crops in the ancient > > Middle East - one coming from China and the other from West Africa. > > > > A shallow dive on the latter suggestion ... > > > > It's hard from researching online to get any clear answer, and I'm under > > no illusion that "doing my own research" on the internet about common > names > > for millets in ancient languages would refute the conclusions of > > Biblical scholars. However, having worked along the boundaries of domain > > expertise, where understandable errors can be made and overlooked, I > would > > not be astonished if a valid case could be made for pearl millet in the > > Book of Ezekiel. > > > > There has been research and discussion about how the African-origin > > millets - pearl millet, sorghum, and finger millet - made their way to > > India./5 It is also known that on the one hand, pearl millet was in Egypt > > fairly early, and that proso was in Sudanese Nubia for a time, even > though > > there's apparently no evidence for it in Egypt or Mesopotamia. While > proso > > disseminated across Eurasia to Europe, did it also follow a sea-coast > route > > from Asia to Nubia (the reverse of what has been posited for African > > millets to India)? > > > > All of this, by the way, before the time of the Book of Ezekiel. Could > > proso have become the or an established millet in the Middle East in the > > time of Ezekiel? Keep in mind that its cultivation in Nubia did not > endure. > > What of pearl millet in the region during this period? > > > > Anyway, lots of questions. > > > > Don > > > > Don Osborn, PhD > > (East Lansing, MI, US) > > North American Millets Alliance > > > > Notes: > > 1. https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/EZK.4.9 > > < > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/EZK.4.9__;!… > > > > 2. https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/M/millet.html > > < > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/M/millet.htm… > > > > 3. > > > https://ia803408.us.archive.org/3/items/dictionary-of-modern-written-arabic… > > < > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://ia803408.us.archive.org/3/items/diction… > > > > (scroll to p; 275) > > 4. > https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Millet > > < > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclop… > > > > 5. > > > https://dispatchesfromturtleisland.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-did-african-cro… > > < > https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://dispatchesfromturtleisland.blogspot.com… > > > > (a discussion about research, including by noted millets scholar Dorian > Q. > > Fuller) > > > > >

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2024 sorghum production in the US
by Don Osborn 15 Sep '24

15 Sep '24

Another year, another harvest season. Here are some perspectives on sorghum production in the US. The bottom line is apparently cautious optimism, after a good start and then a period of high temperatures. Production projected to be somewhat less than in 2023. "Sorghum production up on month, down on year," by John Perkins, Brownfield Ag News, 12 Sep. 2024 https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/sorghum-production-up-on-month-down-o… "Keep the bigger picture in mind at harvest. Sorghum Focus: Harvest brings challenges, but have faith," by John Duff, Farm Progress, 10 Sep. 2024 https://www.farmprogress.com/harvest/keep-the-bigger-picture-in-mind-at-har… "U.S. sorghum production and demand outlook," by Matthew Wilde, CHS, 20 Aug. 2024 https://www.chsinc.com/en/news/2024/08/20/sorghum-production-demand-outlook On the lookout for projections of grain proso and grain teff production. Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Re: [Collab] Official Request, Seeking Importers of Millets from NAMA.
by saiway_in＠outlook.com 12 Sep '24

12 Sep '24

Hii Don Any updates regarding business opportunities to export Millets to USA and Cannada ,I would be happy to feed your country with All 9 Millets , it would be great if you would refer me as reference to some importers over there, and also provide their point of contact. My point is that why don't you only start millet imports in your region we are one of the biggest producers of millets in India and we can supply you nearly 200 Tons of Millets every month with top Quality and Assurance and our Millets are imported by one client in USA presently and FDA approved. Please support me on this accordingly. Regards, SAIWAY INTERNATIONAL Chinmay Salimath(Dir) Ph:7760396183/7892540270 saiway_in@outlook.com/connectus@saiway-international.com www.saiway-international.com<http://www.saiway-international.com> EXPORTING EXCELLENECE WORLDWIDE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [cid:8c607074-fa88-48d2-b638-efc8da691c5b] [cid:54aee862-66a4-4dea-be32-17b3253041ba] [cid:acf46938-f04e-4843-9099-7b21f7ddfe51] [cid:a0b9cc07-2cf1-493e-939d-30b15dccf1c5] [cid:55bd763f-7d62-40f2-b766-66d28051e0db] [cid:11a1d98f-a88f-49ce-8869-9a1abf0af77b] [cid:08deb465-490c-4d9b-9aad-4906b7fd8de7] ________________________________ From: saiway_in(a)outlook.com <saiway_in(a)outlook.com> Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2024 8:02 PM To: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> Subject: Re: [Collab] Official Request, Seeking Importers of Millets from NAMA. Hii Don, Yes we are Affiliated With FIEO,APEDA,GLOBAL LINKER,FSSAI .Yes we are member of one of the 30 k members also. Recently we have also got our Facility Registerd with USFDA. I am just waiting for all you and your team to support and Updates for my Business in North America. We want to let people know how Millets can bring change to a Healthy Life. Thank you have a wonderful year Don & the Team SAIWAY INTERNATIONAL Chinmay Salimath(Dir) Ph:7760396183/7892540270 saiway_in@outlook.com/connectus@saiway-international.com www.saiway-international.com<http://www.saiway-international.com> EXPORTING EXCELLENECE WORLDWIDE [cid:de3d7335-546a-48ea-ac9c-6d8b844c3dac] [cid:912ed4ea-ba64-4e31-bf09-7cbdffc3dc6a] [cid:571af36b-7ea4-44ca-b3bf-7b8c7a0c0309] [cid:4c6b8970-3199-472a-963a-d0c8fa5b6a3b] [cid:25fa5b42-ae9a-4ab4-8348-e4fbe372a201] [cid:4980cb68-5351-4ebd-9778-f1598cf1418a] [cid:da7fe88e-79bb-4a1a-86e9-c200d6a4681b] ________________________________ From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2024 5:01 PM To: saiway_in(a)outlook.com <saiway_in(a)outlook.com> Cc: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> Subject: Re: [Collab] Official Request, Seeking Importers of Millets from NAMA. You're most welcome, Chinmay Salimath. Noting that you have the logo of the Federation of Indian Exporting Organisations (FIEO) in your sig, I'm guessing you are affiliated with them, perhaps as one of their over 30k members? Also noting the logo of APEDA, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority,/2 and that on their website, they have a millets portal with various information and directories on millets production in India and on exporting to various countries./3 Regarding your own website (also in your sig, of course), it has a very nice and informative presentation. Thank you for bringing all this to our attention. All the best, Don DO, EL, MI, US NAMA Notes: 1. https://fieo.org/ 2. https://apeda.gov.in/ 3. https://apeda.gov.in/milletportal/ On Fri, Jun 14, 2024 at 10:45 AM saiway_in(a)outlook.com<mailto:saiway_in@outlook.com> <saiway_in(a)outlook.com<mailto:saiway_in@outlook.com>> wrote: Hii Don Osborn, Thank you so much for the Opportunity We will Be waiting for your Updates. Let us together Promote NAMA and Guide people about importance of Growing and consuming Millets . Best Regards, SAIWAY INTERNATIONAL Chinmay Salimath(Dir) Ph:7760396183/7892540270 saiway_in@outlook.com/connectus@saiway-international.com<http://saiway_in@outlook.com/connectus@saiway-international.com> www.saiway-international.com<http://www.saiway-international.com> EXPORTING EXCELLENECE WORLDWIDE [cid:ii_1902060418cad98d9188] [cid:ii_1902060418c6651ccf29] [cid:ii_1902060418cdadfe637a] [cid:ii_1902060418ccb6acac2b] [cid:ii_1902060418c914b29c6c] [cid:ii_1902060418cb6e3aa45d] [cid:ii_1902060418df9783656e] ________________________________ From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org<mailto:don@milletsalliance.org>> Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2024 7:05 PM To: saiway_in(a)outlook.com<mailto:saiway_in@outlook.com> <saiway_in(a)outlook.com<mailto:saiway_in@outlook.com>> Cc: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space<mailto:collab@lists.millets2023.space> <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space<mailto:collab@lists.millets2023.space>> Subject: Re: [Collab] Official Request, Seeking Importers of Millets from NAMA. Thank you, Chinmay Salimath, for your communication about your millets export business, and your interest in developing it in North America. The service NAMA can offer to businesses such as yours, at this time, is simply to facilitate sharing of this information within our community of interest. One of the areas I personally am interested in is developing a directory of importers of millets and millet products to this region (US, Canada, Mexico). So what you have shared is helpful. My impression is that there is much better information on exporters of millets (specifically sorghum, proso millet, and perhaps teff) from this region to the rest of the world, since some of that is on a much larger scale. To the Collab list membership in general, just a reminder that we do allow companies involved with millets to promote their business or products on this list once every 6 months. Best to all, Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance - co-founder On Wed, Jun 12, 2024 at 9:16 AM saiway_in--- via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space<mailto:collab@lists.millets2023.space>> wrote: Hii NAMA Team, Good day to you!!! We would like to introduce “SAIWAY INTERNATIONAL” which has come a long way ever since its establishment in the year 2015, and has established a strong foothold in the market. We have come to be recognized as an eminent Manufacturer, Supplier and Exporter of Millets and Millets Value Products Now, we are focusing to develop business in Being our valuable representative in a North America We need your help / support to establish new trade relationship with North America So we request you to kindly provide us details of the Buyers, Importers, Wholesalers, Companies and Traders related to below mentioned items to communicate with them and to establish new business relationship. Kindly Revert We are forwarding below our company details for your kind reference. COMPANY PROFILE: Business Type : Exporter, Supplier, Export Perce80ntage : 100% Primary Competitive Advantages : Superlative quality, Competitive prices, timely Delivery, Customer oriented approach Annual Production Capacity : 800 Tons / month Product Range : Millets and Millet Value Products Membership : Registered Exporter under Govt. of India DGFT, FIEO, MSME-UDYAM, FSSAI, Global LINKER and USFDA Facility Registered. Focused Industries : Manufacturer, Traders & Exporters of Millets, Fruits We look forward to receive your earliest and positive reply and the details. Best Regards, SAIWAY INTERNATIONAL Chinmay Salimath(Dir) Ph:7760396183/7892540270 saiway_in@outlook.com/connectus@saiway-international.com<http://saiway_in@outlook.com/connectus@saiway-international.com> www.saiway-international.com<http://www.saiway-international.com> EXPORTING EXCELLENECE WORLDWIDE [cid:ii_1902060418cc87bc9941] [cid:ii_1902060418c1bd346ee2] [cid:ii_1902060418cd5a491f43] [cid:ii_1902060418c2ef19d3a4] [cid:ii_1902060418c3e1261b55] [cid:ii_1902060418c9d2c2c96] [cid:ii_1902060418c2334c7247] -- Collab mailing list Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space<mailto:Collab@lists.millets2023.space> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab

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Which "millet" is in the Biblical verse, Ezekiel 4:9?
by Don Osborn 09 Sep '24

09 Sep '24

Even if you haven't read the Bible, you may have seen the one verse from it that mentions "millet" on a brand of sprouted bread and cereal named after that verse: Ezekiel 4:9. "Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof; according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, even three hundred and ninety days, shalt thou eat thereof." Ezekiel 4:9 (ASV)/1 But do we know what millet it was exactly? The Hebrew is דֹּחִן (do'chan), which more than one source on the Bible say is Panicum miliaceum (proso or broomcorn millet). One of those sources, the authoritative *McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia* is among those commentaries./2 That source also notes the Arabic cognate, دُخْن (duḵn), which it says also refers to P. miliaceum. However, Wehr and Cowan's authoritative *A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic* (3rd ed., 1976) defines the term as pearl millet, i.e., Pennisetum glaucum./3 Both the Hebrew and Arabic words come from roots that also denote smoke. McClintock and Strong see the connection with proso as being "the dark-green or smoky color of the leaf." However, one should also note that the grains of pearl millet typically have a greyish hue, that might be called a smoky color as well. Another source on the Bible, says that the Arabic word is used "to describe two different kinds of millet" (which it does not specify)./4 That might remove the ambiguity in favor of the Hebrew word meaning P. miliaceum - if perhaps the two millets in Arabic are proso and pearl. However, it would be useful to consult work of historians and ethnobotanists on the dissemination of these two crops in the ancient Middle East - one coming from China and the other from West Africa. A shallow dive on the latter suggestion ... It's hard from researching online to get any clear answer, and I'm under no illusion that "doing my own research" on the internet about common names for millets in ancient languages would refute the conclusions of Biblical scholars. However, having worked along the boundaries of domain expertise, where understandable errors can be made and overlooked, I would not be astonished if a valid case could be made for pearl millet in the Book of Ezekiel. There has been research and discussion about how the African-origin millets - pearl millet, sorghum, and finger millet - made their way to India./5 It is also known that on the one hand, pearl millet was in Egypt fairly early, and that proso was in Sudanese Nubia for a time, even though there's apparently no evidence for it in Egypt or Mesopotamia. While proso disseminated across Eurasia to Europe, did it also follow a sea-coast route from Asia to Nubia (the reverse of what has been posited for African millets to India)? All of this, by the way, before the time of the Book of Ezekiel. Could proso have become the or an established millet in the Middle East in the time of Ezekiel? Keep in mind that its cultivation in Nubia did not endure. What of pearl millet in the region during this period? Anyway, lots of questions. Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Notes: 1. https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/EZK.4.9 2. https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/M/millet.html 3. https://ia803408.us.archive.org/3/items/dictionary-of-modern-written-arabic… (scroll to p; 275) 4. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Millet 5. https://dispatchesfromturtleisland.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-did-african-cro… (a discussion about research, including by noted millets scholar Dorian Q. Fuller)

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Millets Market Report, ... 2024-2032
by Don Osborn 08 Sep '24

08 Sep '24

"Millets Market Report, Forecast by Product, Application, Distribution Channels, Countries and Company Analysis 2024-2032" is a 200 page document released in August 2024 by Renub Research. https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5459139/millets-market-report-fo… The linked page has a summary and table of contents, plus purchase options (prices are not for the faint of heart or thin of wallet!). The overall forecast looks similar to previous such documents seen in recent years: "The global millets market is expected to touch US$ 17.65 billion by 2032 from US$ 10.56 billion in 2023, with a CAGR of 5.88% between 2023-2032. The driving forces are rising customer demand for health and fitness requirements, shift in dietetics: vegan and vegetarian meals, millets being large scale food crops, more stress on nutritionals around the world." Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Deeper dive on "Polish millet"
by Don Osborn 02 Sep '24

02 Sep '24

I was curious to understand better what the state and usage of Polish millet was anyway, but learning that a variety of this same species (Digitaria sanguinalis) for food in part of India (per my post on "sikiya millet") prompted me to take a deeper dive. First, a German contact from my language/localization days, who also has an interest in food diversity, kindly did a search not long ago for references in German to current cultivation of this grain. All she found was mention of its possible use for mouse food. Historically, there is more to it, however, so with a different research tack (and in English), here are some more items under two headings. POLISH MILLET IN EUROPE First, how was Digitaria sanguinalis a European crop grown, how important was it, and what was it used for? J.C. Loudon's 1825 *An Encyclopedia of Gardening* (London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green) offers a couple of helpful perspectives: "The common millet is grown on the [European] continent as a garden-plant for its seeds, to be used as a substitute for rice : the Polish millet (Digitaria sanguinalis) is grown for this purpose in the cottage gardens in Poland ; as is the carnation poppy (Papaver somniferum], for its seeds, which form a seasoning to buck-wheat porridge." p. 684 https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofg00loudrich/page/684/mode/1up [NB- "common millet" in this context is probably proso millet, Psnicum miliaceum] "In some places [in Poland], the common carnation poppy is grown for the seed, which taken when beginning to ripen, and strewed on a sort of milk-porridge, or milk-paste, made from the meal of buck-wheat, or Polish millet (Dactylon sanguinale), is reckoned a delicacy." p. 63 https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofg00loudrich/page/63/mode/1up [NB- the species name is a synonym for Digitaria sanguinalis, per Kew.org] Looking further back in history, L.J. Reitsema et al's 2017 "Resilience and local dietary adaptation in rural Poland, 1000–1400 CE" (Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 45: 38-52) adds some context: "A less-often mentioned C4 plant in medieval Polish diet is Digitarium sanguinalis, known today as Polish millet or crabgrass, and known in historic times as 'sown manna.' Its seeds are small and harvested by hand, thus sown manna was more likely an elite food than a daily staple, and likely contributed few calories to diet, unlike millet." p. 41 https://anthropology.uga.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Reitsema%20et… [NB- Digitarium should be Digitaria. Also, I was surprised not to find clarification of the species of "millet" mentioned in the article, again most likely Panicum miliaceum] So, Polish millet may not have been a field crop so much as one grown on smaller scales. (The idea of growing cereal grains in a garden setting is not so unusual - there are people who do that with certain varieties of wheat in the US, for example.) And this grain figures as a source of variety in diet, rather than as a main staple. Still lots of questions, but this fills out the picture somewhat. POLISH MILLET / CRABGRASS IN NORTH AMERICA How was this species used when first brought to North America? I'm still looking for a good source on that, but in the meantime, Wikipedia tells us that "The plant was brought to the United States by immigrants to serve as hand-foraged grain." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitaria_sanguinalis The earliest reference in the US to "Polish millet" that I see (via Newspapers.com) is from the New England Farmer (Boston, MA), 14 March 1857, p. 1 https://www.newspapers.com/image/404591118/: "'Of the Millet there are three distinct genera. Tho Polish millet, cultivated in Poland, the common millet cultivated in Germany, and in England and United States, and the great or Indian millet, cultivated in India, Italy, and now in America.' The Egyptian millet which you spoke of we think must be the great or Indian millet. We have it dried and hung up in our seed-room, as also the common millet. The latter is a frequent crop in this State. It is excellent both as a green fodder, or to be cured for hay." NB- This is a pretty prominent mention for Polish millet, such as it is. The "great or Indian millet" may be sorghum. "Egyptian millet" may be pearl millet?? Regarding "common millet," this is a term I avoid, because its application varies, but I suspect that here, as generally in the US during the 19th century, it referred to foxtail millet, Setaria italica, of which a variety from Germany (sometimes called German millet) being apparently common. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) had a 2 part series on millets in 1877. It confirms some of my hunches concerning nomenclature above. The second part (13 Sep. 1877, p. 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/27309529/ ) has this about Polish millet: "Polish millet. The manna grass of the Germans, [D]igitaria sanguinalis of some botanists, has already been noticed in a former paper under the name Panicum sanguinale. It is sometimes cultivated in Poland, whence its trivial name, for the grain as a substitute for rice. etc. It seems to thrive there under cultivation, almost as well as with us, in spite of our attempts to exterminate it." The latter remark indicates a perception of the plant that was at least ambiguous. Later reporting on the species refers to it more often as crabgrass, and as a weed problem on farms, and how to deal with it. Searching on "crabgrass" and "Digitaria" I found a reference earlier than all the above to using this species for hay in the SE US: The Newbernian (New Bern, NC), 16 Aug. 1833, p. 3 https://www.newspapers.com/image/53995071/ . Forty years later in the same state, a longish article on crabgrass acknowledged that it was a "public enemy," but made the contrarian case for promoting it as a forage crop given its tenacity and ability to grow on poor soils. Scotchman and Observer, 29 July 1873, p. 2 https://www.newspapers.com/image/73230269/ (If you dig deeper on the subject, there are discussions elsewhere of when and how to best mow this species for hay, and how to dry it - people have put some time into it.) As for crabgrass as a weed on lawns, the earliest mention I saw in my rapid searches was in 1889 (the same article in several papers). These references got more frequent by the 1920s or so. That brings us to a context more widely familiar to many people today. I'd conclude with the usual call for more research, but do think that this relative of fonio deserves more attention. How do varieties cultivated in central Europe (if we still have them) and India compare with each other, and with the weedy varieties that we try to get rid of? Are the grains of this obscure millet really a "manna" in terms of taste? How hard would it be to breed varieties that produce seed in a shorter time window, making production for grain more feasible? Could the lessons from processing fonio be directly applied to this Polish millet? Is crabgrass actually a potential temperate-zone fonio, both as a resilient crop and as a nutritious food? Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Article on millets in Spanish
by Don Osborn 02 Sep '24

02 Sep '24

"Mijo: qué es, propiedades y beneficios" (Bon Viveur, 12 June 2024) is a very nice introduction to millets by food journalist Laia Shamirian Pulido. https://www.bonviveur.es/gastroteca/mijo The article introduces millets and their origins, with mention of specific millets. It touches on various aspects of these grains and their consumption, from nutritional qualities to how to cook them. The only downsides are: * Stating that fonio is in East Africa (it's actually West, of course) * A discussion of "contraindications" concerning pearl millet and goiter that leaves an impression that it is more serious than current research seems to indicate (see my recent post, "Goitrogen issue again ... https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2024-August/000621.html ) Altogether, however, it seems like a good article to share as an intro to millets. It would be helpful to have recommendations of other good articles in Spanish on millets. (And in French as well, but I'll come back to that topic later.) Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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"Millets in the U.S.A.: Importance, Challenges, and Potential for Innovation"
by Don Osborn 01 Sep '24

01 Sep '24

The July issue of the Plant Breeding and Genetics Newsletter (#53) includes articles from distinguished researchers on millets in various regions, including one by Dinakaran Elango, Juan Di Salvo, Srikanth Panthulugiri, Rituraj Khound, David M. Brenner, Asheesh K. Singh, and Dipak K. Santra entitled "Millets in the U.S.A.: Importance, Challenges, and Potential for Innovation" (pp. 12-13). This is a very nice and succinct overview of millets in the US and their potential. As one would expect, a significant part of the article discusses proso millet. The whole issue of the newsletter is available at: https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Newsletters/pbg-53.pdf The other titles regarding millets, and their authors are: * "Millets: The Climate-Resilient Solution to Global Food Security Challenges." Fatma Sarsu and Shashi Kumar Gupta (pp. 6-8) * "Millets in Africa: Importance, Challenges, and Potential for Innovation." Adane Gebreyohannes, Maliata Athon Wanga, Elisabeth Zida, Fatma Sarsu, and Hussein Shimelis (pp. 8-10) * "Innovations of Millets in China." Guanqing Jia and Xianmin Diao (pp. 10-11) The Plant Breeding and Genetics Newsletter is a publication of the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme: Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. For more info, see: https://www.iaea.org/about/organizational-structure/department-of-nuclear-s… DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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