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Sorgho Squad - Creative Approaches to Consumer Marketing
by Sorghum United 09 Nov '23

09 Nov '23

All: We can all agree that one big challenge to our shared priorities of promoting the International Year of Millets now...and beyond, is that of consumer engagement. A majority of consumers are not aware of sorghum and other millets. Thus, how can there be market demand for products made with these grains? Sorghum United, a global NGO focused on facilitating connectivity and markets development within our industry, is addressing this with the Sorgho Squad adventure series. This graphic novel-style book series is aimed at children between the ages of 8 and 12, and their parents, educators, and more. The books are educational and fun. Chapters 1-3 of the Sorgho Squad are now available for purchase online at: www.sorghosquad.com and at amazon.com. We recently also had a billboard in New York's Times Square. You can see a video of the full book trailer attached to this email. Please feel free to share our organization and work within your networks. You can also join our global whatsapp network by visiting: www.sorghumunited.com. All the best, Sorgho Squad_V1_2.mp4 <https://drive.google.com/file/d/18OAErFVO-pi1bTCgWFfy1IkzGECUmCLC/view?usp=…> -- *Nate Blum* Chief Executive Officer Sorghum United +1 402 802 1850 sorghumunited(a)gmail.com

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11th Millets Webinar, Wed. 2023/11/15: Non-food uses of millets in North America
by Don Osborn 07 Nov '23

07 Nov '23

Save the date! The 11th in our monthly Millets Webinar Series, on Wednesday 15 Nov. at 5 pm EST, has as its core theme, "Not just for the birds: Millets and animal farming" (altho we will range a bit more widely). It will feature presentations by two experts, followed by Q&A: * Dr. Robert Myers, Dir. of the University of Missouri Center for Regenerative Agriculture and adjunct faculty in Plant Science and Technology Division, also at MU, who has expertise on sustainable ag and crop diversification, including many years work with several millets. In this return to the Millets Webinars, he will present on "Millets used for cover crops, songbirds, and waterfowl.” * Gary Wietgrefe, retired agronomist, also with a long career in which he has dealt with millets both domestically, in South Dakota, and internationally. He is currently researching the less-documented degree to which millets are cultivated for purposes other than grain, and will present on "U.S. millet for forage, conservation, wildlife, and ornamental uses." This month we are turning from our focus on millets as food, to consider the surprising range of other uses of millets in North America - on farms (for feeding animals and as cover crops), in wildlife areas, and in other settings. While the number of acres planted in millets for human consumption (mainly sorghum, proso millet, and teff) is relatively limited, several species of millets are planted in this region for other purposes on a large area. This is a testament both to the versatility of millets and the ingenuity of farmers and researchers. Could this wide and apparently extensive use facilitate future introduction of food-grade varieties of more millets into agriculture and food systems here? If you are not already registered for the Millets Webinar Series, you may sign up here: https://umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctduutrTgoGNLZnrkxtUw614DEjAT3S… For past editions of our Millets Webinar, please see: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7IvZCKUBap-6AaoCjPSFTMMq772t_Yb The Millets Webinar Series is being organized during the International Year of Millets (2023) by the North American Millets Alliance (NAMA) and the Food Engineering and Sustainable Technologies (FEAST) Lab at the University of Missouri, with additional support from the Center for Regenerative Agriculture, also at the University of Missouri. DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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Links to 6 articles on millets & IYM, with comments
by Don Osborn 05 Nov '23

05 Nov '23

Here are references, links, and short descriptions for six popular press and blog articles on millets and the International Year of Millets (IYM). They are in reverse chronological order - most are a few months old which means I haven't been keeping up with my research on them. There are some more in the hopper that I'll post separately, but feel free to post items on millets that you find particularly interesting. "Why 2023 is the International Year of Millets," by Hannah Walhout, FoodPrint, 5-6 October 2023 https://foodprint.org/blog/international-year-of-the-millets/ (This is a well-researched and link-rich intro to millets, in the context of the IYM. Plus a recipe. It also mentions the work of: Chef Pierre Thiam, author and head of Yolélé; Tayler Reinman, grad student in crop science at Washington State U.; and NAMA co-founder, Joni Kindwall-Moore (head of Snacktivist). While the angle is US, activities in Senegal and India are noted. NAMA is mentioned, along with its other co-founders - Jonathon Landeck and myself.) https://foodprint.org/blog/international-year-of-the-millets/ "What is Millet?" by Shandra Martinez, Healthier Michigan, 30 Aug. 2023 https://www.ahealthiermichigan.org/stories/food-and-recipes/what-is-millet (A short intro to millets, which has some good info on what is certainly proso. It mentions the IYM, but approaches the suject as if it is about one grain.) "Millet's Moment: The United Nations draws attention to this ancient grain," by Larry Reichenberger, The Furrow (John Deere), 1 June 2023 https://www.deere.com/en/publications/the-furrow/2023/summer-2023/millet-mo… (A good intro to millets, with mention of the IYM, focus on proso millet and sorghum, with mention of teff and óthers.' Features quotes by: Jean Hediger [see also the article on her, at end of list below]; Chris Stum, grower in Colorado and president of the High Plains Millet Association; John Duff, sustainability consultant with National Sorghum Producers; and our NAMA colleague, Joni Kindwall-Moore, who of course runs Snacktivist Foods.) "Millets — ancient drought-resistant grains — could help the Midwest survive climate change," by Eva Tesfaye, KBIA, 23 May 2023 https://www.kbia.org/2023-05-23/millets-ancient-drought-resistant-grains-co… (This is essentially the same NPR / Harvest Public Media story and audio that we discussed briefly on this list last June. Excellent overview, and worth recycling, especially for those who didn't catch it earlier. It features: Makiko Taguchi of FAO; three researchers, Dr. Rob Myers of U. Missouri, Prof. James Schnable of U. Nebraska-Lincoln, and Prof. Ram Perumal of Kansas State U.; and farmers, Linus Rothermich in Missouri, Matt Little in Oklahoma, and Jeff Taylor in Iowa.) "Colorado Farmer Develops Millet Flour Products," by Tim Hammerich, AgInfo Network / Farm of the Future, 27 April 2023 https://www.aginfo.net/report/56198/Farm-of-the-Future/Colorado-Farmer-Deve… (Short piece on Roy Pfaltzgrass, Colorado farmer & entrepreneur, who began growing proso millet in a search for gluten-free products for his wife, and now markets products made with the flour.) "Millet is Having a Moment. Is the Ancient Grain Ready for a Resurgence?" by Lindsay Campbell, Modern Farmer, 27 Dec. 2022 https://modernfarmer.com/2022/12/year-of-millet/ (With mention of the IYM, this article spotlights the farm of Jean Hediger, who has for some years run a large organic proso millet farm in northern Colorado, where she is apparently sometimes called the "millet queen." Reasons for interest in this crop are discussed, and Kelly LeBlanc of Oldways is quoted. Ms. Hediger also heads an organic proso millet growers group in the Rocky Mountain states called "Golden Prairie" https://goldenprairie.com/ .) Summary thoughts: Most all attention to millets is welcome, esp. during IYM. It is nice to see items that describe local initiatives that don't get big press coverage. That said, one can see the "dance" of singular and plural in some articles, reminding this topic is a bit complicated (because there are many millets) and evidently not fully familiar to many otherwise good writers. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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IYM 2023 Photo Contest (deadline, 31 Oct. 2023)
by Don Osborn 04 Nov '23

04 Nov '23

Forwarding this message about the IYM 2023 Photo Contest, The text below is edited from 2 mailings by Eloisa Caixeta Cunha of FAO (bcc'd) to the Millets dgroup. DO, EL, MI, US NAMA ________________ Dear all, Are you a professional or amateur photographer, or simply passionate about millets? Enter up to 5 of your photos in the International Year of Millets 2023 Photo Contest before 31 October 2023, and help spread the word about the many benefits of millets, from their diversity to the variety of nutritious dishes they can produce, their ability to thrive on arid lands, and their market potential. Join the contest now: https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/international-year-of-millets-photo-contes… Spread the word: https://trello.com/c/ExC8i4MT/29-yearofmillets-photo-contest * Photographs will be selected by an international professional jury, including the Magnum Photos Editorial Director. * The first prize winner of the photo contest will be invited to the official closing ceremony of the International Year of Millets in 2024. * All 5 winners will be promoted on FAO social media and partner websites and will receive a certificate of recognition and a surprise gift bag. [image: Footer]

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Millets-of-the-month: Some thoughts
by Don Osborn 02 Nov '23

02 Nov '23

One of our initiatives during the International Year of Millets has been the "millet-of-the-month" calendar. Here are some personal reflections on it as we approach the end of 2023 and look forward. (A list of the millets of the month is appended below, and attached as an image.) The idea of spotlighting one millet a month is to disambiguate the category of #millets. In order to better understand what we're talking about in the International Year of Millets, especially in a region where this category of small round grains is not well-known, it makes sense to try to give a brief profile of each specific millet. What does the plant look like? What do its grains look like? What are some facts about it? And links to more info? A next step - and we do hope to continue this effort - would be to convey the story of each millet and how it is used. These are distinct species (perhaps 20, when we count some locally used ones) from diverse regions, that speak to us in different ways in the field and on the plate. Since there are more millets than there are months, we've had to double up in some months, grouping very closely related millets, so the stories can get a bit complex. In July, for example, the millet(s)-of-the-month was the barnyard millet group - Echinochloa spp. When getting into the subject, however, it started to become a bit fuzzy. There are 2 main species, each with a wild precursor, but the relationships may not be as established as it seemed at the outset. Nomenclature is also a problem, with one common name in English - barnyard millet or Japanese millet (the latter especially in the US, it seems) - sometimes being used for either or both, so that you're not always sure which one people are writing about. Then there are some species cultivated locally in southern China. Much more here to explore - and experiment with as well? Another doubling up month was fonio in May. The main species is Digitaria exilis, and that appears to be what we see imported into Northern countries from West Africa. There is another, which is cultivated mainly in eastern West Africa - D. iburua. We need more information on the latter. The fonio picture in West Africa is complicated slightly by the fact that one of the Brachiaria species spotlighted in September - B. deflexa - is apparently treated locally as a "large-grained fonio" in the part of Futa Jalon Guinea where it is cultivated. All of this left out two Digitaria species from other regions: raishan (D. compacta) in NE India; and "Polish millet" (D. sanguinalis), which was in the past cultivated in Eastern Europe, but we have no info on current use. So, May presents a more complicated picture than the millet-of-the-month concept was initially designed for. Kodo had last month, October, to itself, and in researching it, the beginnings of a story started to emerge. It is a grain of contrasts: coming from Africa, but being cultivated in Asia. It is both a crop said to have high production potential, and an annoying invasive species to farmers in many regions. Kodo also has an attractive nutritional profile, but under certain conditions can be susceptible to a fungus creating mycotoxins. I personally found it to be a nice addition to my repertoire of grains (a millet without the proverbial "nutty" flavor). What is the future of this millet worldwide, and could it ever be a crop in suitable growing areas of North America? Each of the millets has a compelling story, in my estimation, and those stories are developing as we move forward. Anyway, stay tuned for more on all the above..In the meantime, any feedback is welcome on this project and its form and future. (One issue is how late in each month the info has tended to go out - that is my fault.) We close out the International Year of Millets and the millet-of-the-month calendar for 2023 with teff in November; and adlay millet or Job's tears in December - taking us from the smallest millet, which happens to be from Africa, to the largest one, which is from Asia. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance NAMA Millet-of-the-Month calendar Jan., proso millet, Panicum miliaceum Feb., finger millet, Eleusine coracana Mar., foxtail millet, Setaria italica Apr., pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum May, fonio, Digitaria spp. June, sorghum, Sorghum bicolor July, barnyard millet, Echinochloa spp. Aug., little millet, Panicum sumatrense (plus P. hirticaule, sometimes called Sonoran millet) Sep., browntop & Guinea, Brachiaria spp. Oct., kodo millet, Paspalum scrobiculatum Nov., teff, Eragrostis tef Dec., adlay/Job’s Tears, Coix lacryma-jobi

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Kodo millet - October Millet-of-the-Month
by Don Osborn 31 Oct '23

31 Oct '23

The October millet-of-the-month is kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum; sometimes called ricegrass paspalum or ditch millet; FR, herbe à épée; ES, mijo koda) apparently comes from West Africa, but is a cultivated crop mainly in India as well as in some other south Asian countries. No clear info on cultivation in Africa, but it is a known wild food. Kodo is present in North America, but not a crop anywhere to our knowledge. In parts of the US it is actually classified as a noxious weed. It is an invasive species. Kodo has a somewhat longer season than other millets, and is said to have a higher yield potential than other small millets. Although like other millets, it is tolerant of drought, it seems to prefer somewhat more humid conditions. However, dampness at time of harvest may lead to contamination of grains. Food grade kodo millet is imported to North America as packaged grain and flour, as well as some processed products. These come primarily or perhaps exclusively from India. These can be purchased online and at many grocery stores specializing in South Asian foods. Nutrition is comparable to most other millets. Taste is not "nutty," in my estimation, but a bit "flatter" (more like rice). Better descriptions are welcome. References: * Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paspalum_scrobiculatum * Neglected & Underutilized Species Community http://www.nuscommunity.org/nus/neglected-underutilized-species/kodo-millet/ * Kew Botanic Gardens https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:414702-1 * Encyclopedia of Life (photos of the plant, many of them from Hawaii; other locations incl. NSW, Australia & Zimbabwe) https://eol.org/pages/1114553/media * CABI Plantwise Plus https://plantwiseplusknowledgebank.org/doi/10.1079/pwkb.species.38955 * Lost Crops of Africa, Vol. 1 (Grains), p. 249 (download link for chapter) https://nap.nationalacademies.org/cart/download.cgi?record_id=2305&file=237… * APEDA, Govt. of India (nutritive value of kodo millet, with bried intro) https://apeda.gov.in/milletportal/Kodo_Millet.html * Science Direct (several articles) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/p… * Global Invasive Species Database http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1423 * Journal of Food Science Technology (potential mycotoxin contamination of kodo harvested in damp conditions) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9206982/ Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance don(a)milletsalliance.org

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 21, Issue 8
by Gary Wietgrefe 29 Oct '23

29 Oct '23

Another fantastic NAMA webinar today. Both Dr. Hazra and Nate Blum discussed the need for local users/processors of millet and sorghums. How to develop them appears too complex. I shouldn't be. Nate mentioned South Dakota sorghum production is higher than Nebraska because South Dakota has local users for sorghum in birdseed. While on the call, I looked up today's local cash prices at the largest grain elevator in SD. Local cash corn is 7.53 cents/lb., sorghum is 8.25 cents/lb., and proso millet is 7.75 cents/lb. Nationwide, sorghum normally sells at about 95% the value of corn. How are our local prices possible? Nate nailed it--local production, local buyers, local processors/packagers. How was that market created? In response to disastrously low commodity prices, SD legislature in 1978 created a Marketing Division in the SD Dept. of Agriculture to increase ag prices by promoting what South Dakota produced. I was one of six people hired in that new Division. My responsibilities were mainly grains, seeds, and transportation. We received many calls and letters from growers seeking help. For example, in the fall of 1978 several calls came in from proso millet producers who said they could not get a price. Yes, $0.00 for their proso! Action: First, I figured out who were the local proso buyers. I connected them with a Canadian exporter who shipped proso through the Great Lakes to Europe (replacing Argentine yellow plata) in the spring of 1979. Secondly, I realized the biggest potential U.S. users of proso were bridseed packagers. With the help of a local sketch artist, Jim Pollock, and my administrative assistant, Deenie Frederick (who by the way introduced me to my wife of 39 years), helped me make a mailer of "*Birdfoods of South Dakota*" (attached photo you may have noticed on my bookshelf in today's Zoom). Mr. Pollock drew sketches of birds, I collected birdseeds we grew, and Deenie and I cut 2x2" slide holders, filled them with birdseeds, glued them to yellow cardstock with bird sketches, then laminated it. We made 100 and mailed them to all the birdseed packagers, distributors, and SD buyers...and had a few left over including the attached. Not only did we establish a 40+-year birdseed market for proso, foxtail (I labeled "Red Finch), and sorghum (which at the time had only about three seed sellers in our state), our project converted the U.S. sunflower birdseed from 100% confection (which SD grew hardly any) to 100% black oil sunflowers now sold nationwide. My farming grandson produces sunflowers, sometimes sorghum, and proso which I help combine each fall. Local farmers, like my grandson, sell to those "local birseed buyers", (Nate Blum mentioned) are all small businesses, none of which have over 10 employees. In 1978-1982, without Internet, we established a nationwide network using local farmers and businesses. As an ag-businessman and economist, it seems logical to me that Sorghum United, NAMA, or similar organization could put together an on-line directory of millet producers, local buyers, millet users, millet processors, millet shippers, millet exporters, millet product developers/packagers, and etc. to replicate what three of did over four decades ago.....Gary Wietgrefe On Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 6:04 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. 10th Millets Webinar, Wed. 2023/10/18: Millets in community & > economic development (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2023 11:26:12 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: [Collab] 10th Millets Webinar, Wed. 2023/10/18: Millets in > community & economic development > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibUfscKwDL8wr8eHcjE6W-28rKocsSJnoZTO_1H26vx3Pw(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > The 10th in our monthly Millets Webinar Series is coming up this Wednesday, > 18 Oct. at 5 pm EDT! It has as its theme, "More than small change: Millets > in community and economic development," and will feature presentations by > two experts, followed by Q&A: > > * Dr. Amrita Hazra, Assoc. prof. of chemistry and biology at Indian > Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, India. She was a > co-founder of the UC-Berkeley based Millet Project, a ground-breaking > initiative to promote millets with local producers and processors in > northern California. Amrita will present on "Millets: A small grain to > confront big challenges." > > * Nate Blum, CEO of Sorghum United and former director of the Nebraska > Grain Sorghum Board, has worked with communities of growers and researchers > in several contexts. He has also launched a comic book series promoting > sorghum called "Sorgho Squad." Nate will present on the role of sorghum and > millets in reshaping global food & agriculture paradigms. > > Most of the focus in discussing millets is naturally on their performance > in fields, their qualities as nutritious foods (and drinks), and how we > get them from harvest to table. In this edition of the Millets Webinars, we > shift the focus to some socio-economic dimensions. What does promotion (or > preservation) of millets as crops and food bring to community and > livelihood? This is another vast topic, but we think you'll find these two > perspectives enlightening and thought-provoking. (Special thanks to Claire > Smith of Teffola for having suggested this topic earlier this year.) > > If you are not already registered for the Millets Webinar Series, you may > sign up here: > > https://umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctduutrTgoGNLZnrkxtUw614DEjAT3S… > > For past editions of our Millets Webinar, please see: > https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7IvZCKUBap-6AaoCjPSFTMMq772t_Yb > > The Millets Webinar Series is being organized during the International Year > of Millets (2023) by the North American Millets Alliance (NAMA) and the > Food Engineering and Sustainable Technologies (FEAST) Lab at the University > of Missouri, with additional support from the Center for Regenerative > Agriculture, also at the University of Missouri. > > Don Osborn, PhD > (East Lansing, MI, US) > North American Millets Alliance >

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SAVE THE DATE:::IYM 2023 Global Webinar Series:::Empowering farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women and youths: unlocking the potentials of millets, 7 November 2023 - 16:00 CET
by Dimitrova, Zdravka (NSP) 25 Oct '23

25 Oct '23

[A group of hands holding grains Description automatically generated] S A V E T H E D A T E 7 November 2023 | 16:00-17:15 CET International Year of Millets Global Webinar Series 5th Webinar: “Empowering farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women and youths: unlocking the potentials of millets’’ REGISTER HERE<https://fao.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NaoskxcwQPuFgZHnBF1zbQ#/registration> The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th Session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023)<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en>. As part of the IYM2023 celebration, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organizing a “IYM Global Webinar Series” to shed light on the various environmental, social and economic benefits of millets, their rich heritage and their vast potential. The global food system faces many complex challenges, including hunger, malnutrition, limited natural resources and a changing climate. A possible solution to tackle those interconnected challenges is to enhance sustainable crop production, resilient value chains and consumer access to affordable and varied diets. Millets, in their diversity, can contribute to this solution as affordable sources of nutrients for healthy diets that can be cultivated in various adverse climates and arid regions with minimal external inputs. Join this webinar<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/events/detail/fifth-webinar-of-the-iym-glo…> to learn more about how the cultivation and consumption of millets can help empower smallholder farmers, women, Indigenous Peoples and youths by improving their livelihoods, entrepreneurial opportunities and nutritional status while enhancing the resilience of local production systems, especially through increased on-farm diversity. AGENDA<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/events/detail/fifth-webinar-of-the-iym-glo…> Time Agenda item and presenter  16:00–16:05 Opening remarks and introduction by Ms Makiko Taguchi, Agricultural Officer, Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), FAO 16:05-16:15 Keynote speech Mr Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food 16:15-16:50 Panel discussion * Ms Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics * Mr Sayed Azam-Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Crops For the Future * Ms Elizabeth Mpofu, Small-Scale Organic Farmer, African women’s collaborative for healthy food systems * Youth representative, Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism to CFS * Mr Ramesh Sharma, National Convenor, Ekta Parishad 16:50 –17:10 Q&A session 17:10 –17:15 Closing remarks by Ms Tacko Ndiaye, Senior Officer, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP), FAO The event will be moderated by Ms Tacko Ndiaye, Senior Officer, Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP), FAO. Stay tuned for the upcoming IYM 2023 webinar: 29 November 2023 – “Enhancing the collaboration on fonio for sustainable agriculture and improved local livelihoods” For more information, please contact: International-Year-Millets(a)fao.org<mailto:International-Year-Millets@fao.org>

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Millets Webinar updates: Video of 10th, info on 11th, & more
by Don Osborn 21 Oct '23

21 Oct '23

Dear all, 1) The recording of our 10th Millets Webinar (18 Oct. 2023), which included presentations on community and economic development, from Dr. Amrita Hazra and Nate Blum, is available at https://youtu.be/Wo9iojIfUts . Two complementary perspectives, one on community based efforts working with 4 millets in northern California, and the other getting into some more economic and policy issues. One interesting overlap was recognition of the centrality of processing facilities for millets (already pointed out as a weak link in other discussions). 2) Our 11th Millets Webinar, on Wed. 15 Nov. at 5 pm EST, will be on millets in animal agriculture (plus other on-farm uses). While millets for human consumption are our main focus, there is a lesser known but very big story on how several types of millets provide water-efficient forage and feed for animals, as well as serving important roles in crop rotations in North America. Are millets becoming more important in this space? More details forthcoming! 3) The 12th & final Millets Webinar during 2023, the International Year of Millets (IYM), has as its theme "Innovations in millets: A food systems approach." It is scheduled for Wed. 20 Dec. at 5 pm EST. 4) Looking ahead to 2004 (we're in this for the long game): * We are formulating plans for a January, 2024 retrospective on the IYM and look forward for NAMA (and partners) and the future of millets in North America. If we stay with the third Wednesday formula, that might be Jan 17. * We're still discussing the "second season" and my thought now is that maybe we will need a poll to solicit evaluations and ideas from past participants in the Webinars. Among the options brought up as possibilities for a season 2 would be more webinars, or panels, or possibly an expert interview / podcast approach. Stay tuned! 5) Earlier this year we had brought up the possibility of a special Millets Webinar in French (with the idea that one in Spanish could follow), but looking at the calendar, this may have to be a goal for next year. (Any serious proposals to reactivate this plan are naturally of interest.) Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance - co-founder don(a)milletsalliance.com

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[The Washington Post] Millet is a tasty ancient grain that’s good for you and the planet
by Jonathon Landeck 21 Oct '23

21 Oct '23

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