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Pearl millet for pollinators
by Don Osborn 23 Jun '24

23 Jun '24

Another role filled by pearl millet turns out to be as a food source for bees and other pollinators. This according to recent research in Georgia that is summarized in this piece: "Pearl millet wins approval from honey bees and other pollinators," Morning Ag Clips, 20 June 2024 https://www.morningagclips.com/pearl-millet-wins-approval-from-honey-bees-a… The research picks up on work on pearl millet and pollinators last done 6 decades ago, and fits into a larger line of thinking about the sometimes dismissed value of grasses for pollinators. This project was undertaken by researchers from USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "[T]he research team focused on bees and other pollinators of grasses, especially centipede grass and sorghum. The researchers took an interest in pearl millet because of its ability to thrive in areas characterized by drought, low soil fertility and high temperatures. These traits make pearl millet, which is grown primarily in the Southeastern U.S., a low-input crop with great benefits for pollinators and farmers looking for a good field border plant." I've previously noted the use of pearl millet in crop rotation to combat nematodes, and experiments with it in a swath grazing system - both also in North America. Pearl millet is already established as a forage crop in the US. It will be good to see more work with it as a food crop. The original research article referenced by the Morning Ag Clips feature linked above is:: Karen R. Harris-Shultz, Jonathan S. O’Hearn, Joseph Knoll, C. Scott Clem. "Insects Foraging on Pearl Millet, *Cenchrus americanus*, Pollen." *Journal of Entomological Science* 2024; doi: https://doi.org/10.18474/JES23-91 For general information on pearl millet, see the USDA Plant Guide publication on it at https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_pegl2.pdf Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 29, Issue 18
by Gary Wietgrefe 22 Jun '24

22 Jun '24

Here are more links to document early use of sorghum by American founders....Gary Wietgrefe --Ben Franklin From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Ward, 24 March 1757 (archives.gov) <https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-07-02-0058> --Thomas Jefferson (note also comments on hemp seed and eating broom corn) Thomas Appleton to Thomas Jefferson, 15 January 1820 (archives.gov) <https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/03-15-02-0297> and a short broom corn reference To Thomas Jefferson from Thomas Mann Randolph, 14 June 1805 (archives.gov) <https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/99-01-02-1898> --James Madison To Thomas Jefferson from James Madison, 1 July 1791 (archives.gov) <https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-20-02-0239> On Fri, Jun 21, 2024 at 6:02 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. History of sorghum in North America? (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:46:32 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: [Collab] History of sorghum in North America? > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibXN1idZnjASc12HgL63PvG4+uSVmM2fv8d9_NYuQPQABQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > What is the history of sorghum in North America? > > For some perspectives we turn first to a quite good piece on the True > Treats Historic Candy LLC website that offers a broad US historical context > while focusing on sorghum syrup or molasses: "The Triumph, Defeats, and > Ultimate Victory of the Sorghum Syrup" > > > https://truetreatscandy.com/the-triumph-defeats-and-ultimate-victory-og-the… > > The National Sorghum Producers quarterly magazine, Sorghum Grower, has an > article taking the focus more to the central plains "sorghum belt" entitled > "Milo or Sorghum What Say You?" > > https://sorghumgrowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021_SorghumGrower_Fa… > (scroll down to p. 6) > > What of the supposed role of Benjamin Franklin in the introduction of > "broomcorn" US (another name for sorghum) to the US. It turns out that > sources are not clear, even if he had a role in promoting it: > > https://bacacountyhistory.com/2016/12/09/did-ben-franklin-really-have-an-ke… > > It bears noting, in any case, that the first seeds of sorghum in America > likely came with enslaved Africans (like seeds of pearl millet & African > rice, to speak only of grains). Amont the sources discussing this: > https://www.pullupyourplants.com/archive/sorghum/benfranklin > > Sorghum came as a crop to Canada only about 3 decades ago: > https://www.topcropmanager.com/sorghum-in-canada-20528/ > > Altho sorghum may have come to Mexico much earlier, the first publication > about it there was in 1882, and its cultivation as a crop was boosted > beginning in the 1950s by availability of hybrid varieties from Texas (per > a 2002 paper by Hector Williams-Alan?s, "Sorghum and Millet in Mexico"): > https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470384923.ch75 (I shared this link previously > on Collab). > > Don Osborn, PhD > (East Lansing, MI, US) > North American Millets Alliance >

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History of sorghum in North America?
by Don Osborn 20 Jun '24

20 Jun '24

What is the history of sorghum in North America? For some perspectives we turn first to a quite good piece on the True Treats Historic Candy LLC website that offers a broad US historical context while focusing on sorghum syrup or molasses: "The Triumph, Defeats, and Ultimate Victory of the Sorghum Syrup" https://truetreatscandy.com/the-triumph-defeats-and-ultimate-victory-og-the… The National Sorghum Producers quarterly magazine, Sorghum Grower, has an article taking the focus more to the central plains "sorghum belt" entitled "Milo or Sorghum What Say You?" https://sorghumgrowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021_SorghumGrower_Fa… (scroll down to p. 6) What of the supposed role of Benjamin Franklin in the introduction of "broomcorn" US (another name for sorghum) to the US. It turns out that sources are not clear, even if he had a role in promoting it: https://bacacountyhistory.com/2016/12/09/did-ben-franklin-really-have-an-ke… It bears noting, in any case, that the first seeds of sorghum in America likely came with enslaved Africans (like seeds of pearl millet & African rice, to speak only of grains). Amont the sources discussing this: https://www.pullupyourplants.com/archive/sorghum/benfranklin Sorghum came as a crop to Canada only about 3 decades ago: https://www.topcropmanager.com/sorghum-in-canada-20528/ Altho sorghum may have come to Mexico much earlier, the first publication about it there was in 1882, and its cultivation as a crop was boosted beginning in the 1950s by availability of hybrid varieties from Texas (per a 2002 paper by Hector Williams-Alanís, "Sorghum and Millet in Mexico"): https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470384923.ch75 (I shared this link previously on Collab). Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Bill Gates on fonio (& finger millet & teff)
by Don Osborn 17 Jun '24

17 Jun '24

In his blog, "GatesNotes," Bill Gates recently expressed fascination with millets, and spotlighted fonio, along with mentions of finger millet and teff. This attention to millets as a group (which he associates with the word "magic," twice), and the specificity within it, are appreciated. "Could a grain older than the wheel be the future of food?: Lost crops like fonio could help us fight climate change and malnutrition." by Bill Gates, Gates Notes: The Blog of Bill Gates, 16 April 2024 https://www.gatesnotes.com/Fonio Mr. Gates approaches the subject with a particular interest in smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia, reflecting the Gates Foundation's agricultural development focus./1 In much of this piece, Mr. Gates focuses on fonio, including the key problem of dehulling, and how Terra Ingredients (US)/2 partnered with CAA (Senegal) to develop a solution. Bill Gates is an important, if sometimes controversial, figure in agriculture and food, but it does help for millets to have such high profile attention as we seek to build on the momentum of the International Year. Regarding the "ancient" (or "older than the wheel") aspect he mentioned, I thought it would be of interest to note that aside from millets being among our first crops, some of them were among the first globalized crops. One can imagine a vast counterclockwise prehistoric spread of pearl millet, sorghum, and finger millet from Africa east to India and beyond, and of foxtail millet and proso millet from China west across Eurasia. Other millets, such as fonio, teff and several in Asia, remained more regional or local over the ages. From that perspective, one could argue that we're entering into a second great globalization of millets, involving new or expanded trade of some, and spread of cultivation of others. Millets have a legacy of being deeply rooted historically and often culturally, even while they are also readily shared. So as we explore new opportunities with these diverse crops, it is important to respect those roots, as well as their genetic heritage. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Notes: 0. Subject article is cited & linked at the beginning of the text, above. 1. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/our-work/programs/global-growth-and-opportu… 2. https://www.terraingredients.com/news/bill-gates-takes-note-of-fonio/

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4 podcasts (& 3 series) about sorghum
by Don Osborn 16 Jun '24

16 Jun '24

Sorghum is our millet of the month in June. Here are 4 podcasts I came across that have some good information about sorghum that you may want to check out. Also, three series of podcasts that offer more information for growers and businesses. (Numbering has no significance other than for reference.) 1. "The Health Benefits of Sorghum," Nutrition Facts Podcast with Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM, 3 June 2021 (~12 min.) https://nutritionfacts.org/audio/the-health-benefits-of-sorghum/ (Dr. Greger offers an interesting short overview. His delivery is anything but monotonic.) 2. "Sorghum," Steel Magnolias Podcast, 5 October 2021 (~26 min.) https://steelmagnoliaspodcast.com/episode/sorghum (Hosts Laura Beth Peters and Lainie Stubblefield focus on a location in Tennessee where sorghum syrup is produced, and along the way discuss various uses of the crop.) 3. "Sorghum: Planting Possibilities," Gravy; Stories of the changing American South, 5 March 2020 (00:23:31) https://sfagravy.libsyn.com/sorghum-planting-possibilities (Hosts Melissa Hall and John T. Edge of the Southern Food Alliance, and reporter Wilson Sayre also begin with sorghum syrup, but pivot to discussion of its history and exploration of other food uses. Includes conversation with Glenn Roberts of Anson Mills, which (at least until recently) was producing sorghum with the thought of reviving its use in Southern food culture.) 4. "Making The Case For Grain Sorghum With Nate Blum," The Commstock Report (podcast/ YouTube channel), 6 June 2024 (~23 min.) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-case-for-grain-sorghum/id1… or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24RHtY8-tUM (Host Martin Bohling interviewed Sorghum United CEO Nate Blum, who gives a background on Sorghum United and its focus on food security. Nate discusses sorghum value addition, expors, and the state of sorghum cultivation in Nebraska, where he previously worked for the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board, and the Plains.) The Plains states in the US have a high sorghum production. Here are three podcast series with information primarily for producers and processors: 5. Sorghum State Podcast, a production of Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers, since 2022 ("The Sorghum State Podcast brings leaders in industry, government, and academia together for insights and color pertaining to grain sorghum in Kansas. ") * https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sorghum-state-podcast--2980411 * https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sorghum-state-podcast/id1531899620 * https://ksgrainsorghum.org/kansas-grain-sorghum-producers-launches-sorghum-… (announcement of the podcast on the KGSP website, dated Nov. 2018?) * Kansas is the state with the highest sorghum production 6. Sorghum Smart Talk Podcast: Policy Edition, National Sorghum Producers, 19 episodes from 2021-2023 ("The Sorghum Smart Talk: Policy Edition features the latest information on legislative and regulatory matters impacting sorghum producers and the agriculture industry.") * https://sorghumgrowers.com/podcast/ * https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sorghum-smart-talk-policy-edition/id1… 7. Sorghum Smart Talk Poscast, United Sorghum Checkoff Program, 131 episodes from 2019-2023 ("Sorghum Smart Talk exists to feature useful information and provide credible resources relating to the sorghum industry in order to benefit sorghum growers and industry stakeholders.") * https://www.sorghumcheckoff.com/resources/smart-talk-podcast/ * https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sorghum-smart-talk/id1437839733 That's all I have for now. If you know of any other podcast productions on sorghum, please let us know. (A decent accounting of video productions would be another matter, but info on same is definitely also welcome.) Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Sorghum United on the BBC
by Sorghum United 16 Jun '24

16 Jun '24

Greetings, fello millets advocates. I thought you may be interested to see the conversation that Sorghum United had on the BBC World News this past Monday. Enjoy: https://youtu.be/ebQN3rNQlxU nate-blum-bbcw-10-jun-24-0734-6OL.mp4 <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fPJaF_YScvm6yC_A4RphNYklNjOtslnd/view?usp=…> -- *Nate Blum* Chief Executive Officer Sorghum United +1 402 802 1850 sorghumunited(a)gmail.com

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Official Request, Seeking Importers of Millets from NAMA.
by saiway_in＠outlook.com 16 Jun '24

16 Jun '24

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 www.saiway-international.com<http://www.saiway-international.com> EXPORTING EXCELLENECE WORLDWIDE [cid:f0ba43e3-a870-41b0-8933-5f9ea657c0a0] [cid:12ea91c1-2898-492c-992e-ec93a021c5ce] [cid:b6877e13-e578-4016-814e-a75794963c51] [cid:fccd370e-437c-4f88-85b8-af4c276ca34f] [cid:3e07ed29-bdce-441b-9e15-525064d05d71] [cid:7581d4fb-30eb-477f-b37b-c00b094c2cf3] [cid:013ed6b4-04f3-459c-91f3-43ab0fcd459c]

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Webinar on sorghum in school meals, 6/20/2024, 3 pm EDT
by Don Osborn 12 Jun '24

12 Jun '24

The School Nutrition Association (SNA), with the support of United Sorghum Checkoff, will hold a webinar on Thursday, 20 June 2024 (3-4:30 pm EDT) entitled "Unlocking the Power of Sorghum: A Sustainable Supergrain for School Meals." (There is a fee for participation by non-SNA members - at end of this email) For a description (summarized below) and to register, see: https://training.schoolnutrition.org/courses/69242/webinars/45983 Key points: * Sorghum is portrayed as being "set to revolutionize the school foodservice world" * The webinar will cover the "nutritional, sustainable, and culinary benefits of sorghum" as well as its history, growth in the US, and how it can "enhance school meals" Presenters: * Chase Obenchain, Corporate Chef Consultant, Sorghum Checkoff * Lillian Barnett, Child Nutrition Director, Florence Independent School District (Texas) * Lanier Dabruzzi, MS, RD, LD, Director of Nutrition & Food Innovation, Sorghum Checkoff Learning objectives of the webinar (quoted from the info/registration page): 1. Review sorghum's nutrition and health attributes as it applies to K12 school aged children. 2. Explore forms, cooking methods and applications of whole grain sorghum can be used for school foodservice use. 3. Review best practices and examples of introduction of sorghum to staff and students. CEU credit is offered for those in continuing education. This "Training Zone" webinar is free for SNA members, For non-members, full access to one webinar is $20 (per https://schoolnutrition.org/conferences-events/event-calendar/webinar-faqs/ ). Annual membership dues, should you be interested, range from $20-143, depending on professional status (per https://schoolnutrition.org/sna-news/sna-important-update-national-member-d… ). NAMA is not connected with SNA, and recieves no consideraton for any subscriptions purchased (boilerplate disclaimer). Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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Joyfull Millets, with finger millet, sorghum & pearl millet
by Don Osborn 08 Jun '24

08 Jun '24

The "Joyfull Millets" muesli line/1 launched recently by Tata Consumer Products in the US/2 and Canada/3 may be the first attempt to mass market products with finger millet and pearl millet in North America. (These mueslis also include sorghum as well as some other grains.) While NAMA advocates for all #millets, and does not promote any brand above others, this effort represents an interesting case study. Aside from flavor, a selling point of these products is that the pieces made with millets tend to preserve their crunchiness longer than other typical muesli ingredients. In the three Joyfull Millets flavors - Fruit & Nut, Honey & Nut, and Choco & Nut - include 10-11% #fingermillet flour, 7.8-8.8% #sorghum flour, and 5.8% #pearlmillet flour./4 Other grains included are oats, rice, wheat, and corn (the last 2 not in the Choco product). Finger & pearl millets are imported in consumer goods (grains, flour & processed foods) to this region from India, but are available only in specialty stores, and generally not marketed widely. Sorghum, which one may group with the millets, is grown for food-grade grain in North America, which can be obtained in some major market chains. Proso millet and teff, also grown in the region, are also sold in some major grocery stores, as is fonio, imported from West Africa. Tata Consumer Products is an Indian multinational. Its US office is in New Jersey,/5 and the Canadian one is in Ontario./6 The company has also launched Joyfull Millets in the UK. Note on marketing: The identity of the millets in Joyfull Millets is not featured in publicity, and required some research to determine. Tata might consider at least featuring these three millets, and what makes them nutritionally interesting, in its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page./7 Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Notes: 1. https://joyfullmillet.com/ 2. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tata-consumer-products-usa_foodcpg-newproduc… 3. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/tata-consumer-products-launches-joyfu… 4. Per ingredients lists via https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/food-cupboard/cereals/muesli/all… 5. https://www.linkedin.com/company/tata-consumer-products-usa/ 6. https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.tata_consumer_produ… 7. https://joyfullmillet.com/pages/faq

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Proso Millet Survey
by Joni Kindwall-Moore 07 Jun '24

07 Jun '24

Hello everyone, I am assessing the availability of stored proso millet in the US. I have created a simple form to help collect the information. I will be doing the survey quarterly and the information not be shared without permission. Please feel free to share with your network. https://forms.gle/cBRdX7tXghBLyrw89 Thanks *Joni Kindwall-Moore BSN-RN, BA* Founder, Innovator, Mother, Nurse, Activist *P: 406-334-1608* *www.snacktivistfoods.com <http://www.snacktivistfoods.com/>* *Scan this QR code to experience the Snacktivist Nation! *

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