August 2025 - Collab - lists.millets2023.space

Echinochloa spp., rice-farming, & provenance of what the Mojave & Yuma grew
by Don Osborn 31 Aug '25

31 Aug '25

In contexts where farmers are trying to grow other crops, millets are frequently considered weeds. This is the case with Echinochloa species (the barnyard millet complex, including wild relatives) and rice cultivation in the US. Echinochloa, remember, is a genus with tolerance for flooding / waterlogging. The following article does a deep dive into Echinochloa spp. & rice cultivation, including detailed discussions of selected species and subspecies of the former: Godar, Amar S., and Jason K. Norsworthy. 2023. “Echinochloa in Mid-Southern U.S. and California Rice: What Is Known and What Are the Knowledge Gaps?” *Weed Technology* 37(4): 452–69. doi: 10.1017/wet.2023.52. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/weed-technology/article/echinochloa… According to that article, seeds of more than one Echinochloa species apparently accompanied rice seed brought to California. While commercial rice production in that state became established only in the early 20th century,efforts to grow rice there began decades earlier, with a Chinese connection. See "History" at https://www.usarice.com/thinkrice/discover-us-rice/where-rice-grows/state/c…, and also "Rice and Labor–The Asian Community in the Sacramento Valley" at https://www.pattyarnold.com/local.html So this provides a hypothesis for how the Mojave were managing or cultivating ankee millet - E. crus-galli as identified in the late 1890s (see https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2024-July/000561.html ) and the Yuma in a similar timeframe (see https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2024-July/000564.html ). Recall that these peoples practiced a recessional agriculture on the banks of the Colorado River before the flows of the latter were changed dramatically by the Hoover Dam. The hypothesis would be that ankee millet was descended from seed accompanying rice seed introduced maybe four decades earlier. Could the introduced Echinochloa spp. have spread from the Sacramento Valley to the lower Colorado in that time period? Native Americans in this region would likely have been familiar with the native Echinochloa muricata https://floranorthamerica.org/Echinochloa_muricata which is similar in appearance to E. crus-galli. E. muricata ("rough barnyard grass") is a useful plant, having apparently been used for thatching and matting ( https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/echinochloa/muricata/ ) and its seeds can be used for meal or flour (see ILPIN notes at https://wwv.inhs.illinois.edu/data/plantdb/detail/2902 ). Another question, following on the latter information, is whether the tall ankee millet identified by Thomas Williams as E. crus-galli ( https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Millets_%28IA_CAT872015… ) might actually have been a variety of E. muricata, misidentified and since lost? Way out of my depth on much of this, but it would be interesting to see any research on the history of Echinochloa spp. in North America. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Blue Dot Living article on millets, with focus on proso millet
by Don Osborn 30 Aug '25

30 Aug '25

"Introducing Proso Millet" by Caroline Saunders in Bluedot Living (22 Aug. 2025) spotlights this grain as a highly water efficient crop and tasty food. https://bluedotliving.com/introducing-proso-millet Among the millets, proso is already an established if relatively minor grain crop in the northern Great Plains, and one that has great potential in the face of climate challenges and dwindling groundwater reserves. A key to its wider adoption in North America is how it can gain wider acceptance in our diets. (It's typically sold in the US labeled simply as "millet.") The article features quotes from Prof. James Schnable (University of Nebraska-Lincoln & Dryland Genetics), Joni Kindwall-Moore (Snacktivist & NAMA), and Gary Wietgrefe (also of NAMA). It also references Bob's Red Mill and the work of Brian Levy (cookbook author and recipe developer). Note the recipe for Millet and Hazelnut Stone Fruit Galette at the end of the article.. Ms. Saunders is a noted free-lance journalist on food systems, climate cuisine, and media. Bluedot Living is a media company founded in 2021 that produces content focused on climate solutions, sustainability, and green living. . Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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List check. Please disregard
by MailmanLists Support 30 Aug '25

30 Aug '25

List check. Please disregard this test message. 21:50

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Japanese (barnyard) millet for food in North America?
by Don Osborn 30 Aug '25

30 Aug '25

"Barnyard millet" is our millet of the month in August. It's actually two separate but very closely related species - Echinochloa esculenta, called Japanese barnyard millet, or commonly in the US, simply Japanese millet, and E. frumentacea, called Indian barnyard millet, or sometimes in the US, "billion dollar grass." I understand that the term Japanese millet sometimes covers the latter as well. Sometimes their predecessor (wild) species are referenced as well - E. crus-galli and E. colona, respectively (altho there has been some discussion of those relationships). The "barnyard millets" are cultivated in North America as cover crops, for forage, and for wildlife. I am not aware of any barnyard millet cultivated ast scale or commercially for food. There was an instance of an Echinochloa species called "ankee" that grown for food by the Mohave a century ago, that I reported on this list last year - that post & ensuing thread can be accessed at https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2024-July/thread.html#561 . No further info on that at this time. This past April, I contacted a seed seller in Kentucky - Roundstone Native Seed, LLC - to inquire about a note they had on a webpage about Japanese millet. The link to the page is https://roundstoneseed.com/wildlife-food-plot-seed/284-japanese-millet.html and the note on it was (and is still): "We are working to source seed that is for human consumption and will make pages for that available once we have the seed available." In response to my inquiry about whether there might be any developments on this, they kindly replied that they still haven't found any such seed. Personally, I'm intrigued by the potential for Japanese (barnyard) millet - E. esculenta - as an alternative grain crop in the more humid zones of North America. There would be a long road before that might become a reality, however. One quick story about the use of Japanese millet for wildlife and hunting. About a year and a half ago, ast year my son and I visited a Michigan DNR field in the vicinity of Rose Lake near Bath, MI. that had old posted signage relating to pheasant hunting. By chance I happened to see on the side of the large field (there was a clearing around it and a copse of trees in its middle) the dried head and stem of what was clearly an Echinochloa species. Clearly this had been planted there and cut. Went back this year but the field had been used for hay production with quite a number of round bales present. There were no plant remains I could identify to give any clues about the species or mix planted. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Reynald Gauthier (aka "Millet King"), 1966-2025
by Don Osborn 29 Aug '25

29 Aug '25

Passing on the sad news of the passing of Reynald Gauthier, a Manitoba farmer and promoter of proso millet, who used the title "Millet King" in his commercial venture with this grain. Obituary: https://www.afh.ca/obituaries/Reynald-Gauthier The website of his enterprise at MilletKing.com has no content now, but you can access an archived version at https://web.archive.org/web/20250404054927/https://milletking.com/ A nice article on Mr. Gauthier and his plans was mentioned on this list in November 2023. That is now available only in archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20240418092956/www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canada-mille… Thanks to Gary Wietgrefe for mentioning this recently. He had been in touch with Mr. Gauthier in the recent past, including by phone (when, if I recall the story, the latter was literally in his fields). Millets have lost a champion in Canada, it seems, but certainly he inspired others before his untimely departure. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Revising one part of NAMA's founding paradigm?
by Don Osborn 25 Aug '25

25 Aug '25

Since before the founding of NAMA, I have been personally fond of saying "North America will produce more millets for diverse uses, and consume more millets as food from diverse sources." While I think that remains broadly true, I'm reflecting on Gary's research on the extent of cultivation of millets (proso, pearl, foxtail, Japanese barnyard, teff, and browntop, not to mention the giant in this equation, sorghum). and whether the first part of the above statement might be revised somehow. In other words, in terms of cultivating millets for diverse purposes, we're already doing a lot of that - even if official statistics don't always reflect it. And while it's always possible to grow more, is the more interesting dynamic here something more qualitative? How might we express that? The second part of the statement seems to hold more steady. While we certainly will be getting more domestically-grown food grade millets - even if this is as much a qualitative as quantitative process - the import of various millets as CPGs, many of which we don't grow for food, will just as certainly continue (even despite tariffs). Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks in advance, Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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GSA Global Millets Conclave, 5-6 Sept. 2025 (changed)
by Don Osborn 25 Aug '25

25 Aug '25

GSA* has apparently revised the title and changed the venue for their 5-6 September 2025 event. More information on that, as well as context of their planned follow-ups are below: New name & venue (same dates): GSA Global Millets Conclave 2025, to be held in Hillside, Illinois at the Medstar Auditorium. For registration, see: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/gsa-global-sorghum-and-millets-initia… For further information (in the form of a 2-page advertisement/announcement, see: https://globaleyedigital.com/Newspaper/2025/63/GE-63.pdf (see pages 7-8) As of this writing, the website listed in the publicity - https://globaleyeleadershipinstitute.org/ - still has the publicity for the GSA Global Sorghum & Millets Expo in Naperville, IL on the subdomain https://ggsme.globaleyeleadershipinstitute.org/ (I am writing for clarification). Regarding GSA's stated plans, they indicate follow-up meetings as follows: - GSA Second Roundtable on Millets Cultivation, Growth, Research and Millets Products Development, 10 Sep. 2025, 12-5 PM, Mississippi State Agriculture and Commerce Department, Jackson, MS. (NB- The "First Roundtable" was held at the Purdue University Department of Food Science in October, 2023) - GSA Global Millets Conclave Sequel 1.0, 12 Sep. 2025, Atlanta, GA - GSA Millets Pavilion, Mississippi State Fair, 2-12 Oct. 2025, Jackson, MS For background on GSA's connection with Mississippi regarding millets, here's a brief article: <https://www.facebook.com/100083293121366/photos/741818838604547/?_rdr> "Mississippi State Agriculture and Commerce Department to Co-Host GSA Sorghum & Millets Initiative Series," GSA Global Eye, 60, 4 July 2025, page 17 https://globaleyedigital.com/Newspaper/2025/60/GE-60.pdf Jackson, Mississippi: "Dr Udaya Shivangi , Executive Chair of Global Strategic Alliance USA met Mississippi State Agriculture and Commerce Department Commissioner Andy Gipson to invite the agriculture department to Co host the GSA Sorghum & Millets Initiative Series. Commissioner Andy Gipson welcomed the opportunity to have the Mississippi State Agriculture Department be a co-host and collaborative partner for the GSA Sorghum & Millets Initiative Series 2025. Dr Udaya Shivangi , GSA Executive Chair explained that the initiative series includes a two day expo , "GSA Global Sorghum & Millets Expo on September 5 & 6, 2025 at Yellow Box , Naperville, Illinois, a GSA Roundtable Meet on Millets Cultivation , Growth & Research on September 10 at Jackson, Mississippi and the GSA Global Sorghum & Millets Expo Sequel 1.0 on September 12&13 at Atlanta, Georgia. For more details on this GSA Global Sorghum & Millets Initiative Series, please free to contact Dr Vasavi Chakka, Dean, The Global Eye International Institute of Leadership NFP, Chicago." I have previously written to Dr. Vasavi Chakka, and will share any relevant information I may receive with the list. Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Note: * From previous research, "GSA" expands as Global Strategic Associates or Global Strategic Alliance. It has no connection with the GSA (Global Sorghum Association) that is co-sponsoring the Global Sorghum Conference next year (14-18 Sep. 2026) in Lubbock, Texas.

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Video of the Agrospectrum webinar on millets in the Americas (2025-8-19)
by Don Osborn 24 Aug '25

24 Aug '25

The video recording of last Tuesday's Agrospectrum webinar entitled "Agri-Americas 2.0 : Powered by Millets" is available on the event webpage at https://agrospectrumindia.com/webinar-milletamerica There was a change in line-up with the addition of Sujala Balaji, founder of Rainfed Foods, and the regretted absence of Prof. Dipak Santra, due to a connection issue (he was on travel in connection with his work). Connection issues also arose with Joni, but these were resolved as we started, and with Gary, which cut short his presentation. Featured speakers, topics & start times: * Gary Wietgrefe - overview of millets (incl. sorghum) as crops (4:02) * Joni Kindwall-Moore - overview of processing and marketing of millets (16:54) * Cícero Beserra de Menezes - overview of sorghum and millets in South America (27:56) * Sujala Balaji - challenges of marketing millet-based products (42:59) * Don Osborn - some context and prospective (shifted from history) (59:59) Suchetana Choudhury of Agrospectrum moderated. Thanks to all for your contributions, and especially to Suchetana and the AgroSpectrum team for making this webinar possible. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance PS- I will post separately about the 7 factors outlined in my presentation

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"Millets" - good overview of history in US; dated info on varieties
by Don Osborn 20 Aug '25

20 Aug '25

I came across an older article that holds up well in its treatment of the history of millets in the US and general descriptions: E. A. Oelke, et al, 1990, "Millets," Alternative Field Crops Manual ( University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Minnesota Extension Service and the Center for Alternative Plant and Animal Products) Available at: * https://corn.aae.wisc.edu/Crops/Millets.aspx * https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/millet.html Being already 35 years old, its information on varieties as well as some other technical information would need updating, of course. The article references growing conditions in the upper Midwest. The Alternative Field Crops Manual was compiled - evidently online - in 1989-1992. There are a lot of publications on "alternative crops," as well as on millets in particular. While many are more recent, I find it of interest to note early treatments that (a) hold up well, and (b) have or may have contributed to current understanding. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US - +1 202-621-3911) North American Millets Alliance

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"Millets in Americas: From niche to necessity" - Agro Spectrum India
by Don Osborn 13 Aug '25

13 Aug '25

In connection with the upcoming 8/19 webinar on millets in the Americas, AgroSpectrum has released a really nice background article entitled: "Millets in Americas: From niche to necessity" (13 Aug. 2025) https://agrospectrumindia.com/2025/08/13/millets-in-americas-from-niche-to-… Well worth the read! Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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