- Collab - lists.millets2023.space

New Executive Director of NGSB
by Don Osborn 20 Nov '23

20 Nov '23

Just came across an item in Morning Ag Clips on the appointment this past August of a new executive director of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Board (NGSB), Kristine Dvoracek-Jameson: https://www.morningagclips.com/nebraska-grain-sorghum-board-announces-new-e… Ms. Dvoracek-Jameson succeeds Nate Blum, who of course is now running the international NGO he founded, Sorghum United. The NGSB is an agency of the state of Nebraska, and evidently works alongside the Nebraska Sorghum Producers Association. They share a website at https://nebraskasorghum.org/ It would be a good use of this list to share similar announcements concerning senior position changes in agencies, organizations and companies working with any or all of the millets (among which we are counting sorghum). SImilarly, major new publications or professional achievements relating to millets can also be shared. Our main focus here is North America, but relevant announcements concerning influential positions relating to millets globally are also of interest. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance bcc: NGSB

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Millets Webinar updates: Video of 11th, info on 12th, & more
by Don Osborn 18 Nov '23

18 Nov '23

Dear all, 1) The recording of our 11th Millets Webinar (15 Nov. 2023), which included presentations on uses of millets in animal farming, cover cropping, and other non-food uses, from Dr. Rob Myer and Gary WIetgrefe, is available at https://youtu.be/yCQ5shFxAB8 . This webinar covered various non-food uses of several millets, with focus on North America, and offered some perspectives on the degree to which these collectively appear to be grown on a much larger area, at least in the US, than the usual statistics indicate. 2) Our 12th Millets Webinar, on Wed. 20 December at 5 pm EST, will consider millets in systems. After a series of topic-specific Webinars from Feb. thru Nov., this one will zoom out a bit to look at millets in broader contexts. We are again fortunate to have two distinguished presenters, who will be: Joanna Kane-Potaka, an executive level strategic marketing expert focused on driving demand for smarter foods, who is currently serving as Deputy Director-General of IRRI; and Dr. Kiruba Krishnaswamy, Asst. Professor at the Univ. of Missouri, with joint appt. in the Colleges of Engineering, and of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, and head of the FEAST Lab. 3) While December's Millets Webinar will conclude the series during this International Year of Millets (IYM), we are planning for a January 2024 Webinar with a retrospective on the IYM, and a look forward for NAMA (and partners) and the future of millets in North America. Details forthcoming. 4) Also in January, we are working to have the first of the "second season" of Millets Webinars, with a new thematic approach and format for 2024. A more complete discussion of that and the strategic vision of which it is a part, is also forthcoming. 5) Possible French and Spanish webinars on millets are still very much on the agenda (for 2024), but no more updates on these are planned unless and until there is something definite to announce. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance - co-founder don at milletsalliance.com

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REMINDER ::: IYM 2023 Global Webinar Series ::: Empowering farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women and youths: unlocking the potentials of millets ::: 7 November 2023, 16:00-17:15 (CET)
by Dimitrova, Zdravka (NSP) 17 Nov '23

17 Nov '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 * Ms Ferosta Basumatary, World President, International Movement of Catholic Agriculture and Rural Youth, member of the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism to Committee on World Food Security * 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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CFP: Genetic Improvement of Dryland Millets for Climate Change Adaptation
by Don Osborn 17 Nov '23

17 Nov '23

The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture. Vienna, Austria, has issued a call for proposals for grants to conduct research on proso millet, pearl millet, and finger millet: "Accelerated Genetic Improvement of Key Dryland Millets for Climate Change Adaptation (D24016)," The deadline for submissions is 15 December 2023. "The IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, is launching a new Coordinated Research Project (CRP) focused on Accelerated Genetic Improvement of Key Dryland Millets for Climate Change Adaptation, spanning a five-year timeframe from 2024 to 2028." For more information, see: https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/new-crp-accelerated-genetic-improvemen… The application form can be downloaded at: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/18/04/crp-agreement-proposal-2018.… Thanks to Fatma Sarsu (bcc'd) of IAEA for forwarding this information to our colleague and NAMA co-founder, Jonathon Landeck. DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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Five items on millets & IYM in Canada, with comments
by Don Osborn 11 Nov '23

11 Nov '23

Here are references, links, and short descriptions for five popular press and blog articles on millets and the International Year of Millets (IYM) in Canada. I've numbered the items for convenience only. The order is not chronological - the most recent are nos. 2 & 3, while the other three are from the beginning of 2023. My summary comments follow, fwiw. 1) "Shining a Spotlight on Millet," Government of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2023-01-27 https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/story-agricultural-science/scienti… (Features a discussions on: little millet [Panicum sumatrense], which is being researched by a scientist in Saskatoon, Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally, with partners in India; pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum] as a cover crop in potato growing systems in Prince Edward Island, being researched by Dr. Judith Nyiraneza; and sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor] and sweet pearl millet for bioethanol and silage in Eastern Canada, being researched by Dr. Annick Bertrand and Dr. Gaëtan F. Tremblay of the Centre de recherche et de développement du Québec.) 2) "Canada 'Millet King' plans to use the grain to make his own cereal, beer," by Indira Kannan, BNN Bloomberg, 8 Aug 2023 https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canada-millet-king-plans-to-use-the-grain-to-ma… (Features Reynald Gauthier, a Manitoba farmer, who grows millet - it seems this is proso [Panicum mileaceum] - and is developing a line of food products made with it the brand name Millet King. Story and video. Some of the images in the video, such as of finger millet, do not seem to be from Canada.) 3) "2023 is the year of the millet. Here’s how and why to eat this climate-friendly grain," by Julie Van Rosendaal, The Globe and Mail, 31 August 2023. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/article-2023-is-the-year… (This is actually a good article, even tho there is some of the confusing-because-unexplained shifting between singular and plural that one sees in quite a few articles and blog posts on millets. The author covers basic facts about millets, inclufing that there are various types, mentions the IYM [with an outlink], and concludes with a recipe. There's also an outlink to an article with more info on Dr. Nyiraneza's research mentioned above.) 4) "Millet a sustainable, nutritious alternative grain," by Miranda Leybourne, Brandon Sun, 23 Feb. 2023 https://www.brandonsun.com/westman-this-week/2023/02/23/millet-a-sustainabl… (This article presents various facts about millets, mentions the IYM, and features the work of Dr. Soolanayakanahally mentioned above. However, it seems to treat the subject as if it were one grain, and there is no mention of types of millets.) 5) "3 things you should know about the untapped potential of millet, ... - Celebrating the unsung hero of the cereals: millets," by Michelle Campbell Mekarski, PhD, Renée-Claude Goulet, and Cassandra Marion, PhD, Ingenium Channel, 17 Feb. 2023 https://ingeniumcanada.org/channel/articles/3-things-you-should-know-about-… (First part of an omnibus blog post, this piece is a solid short intro to millets, with mention of the Canadian context.) Summary thoughts: As the last piece points out, millets, and specifically proso, are not "popular" as crops in Canada. However, there are some interesting things going on. * Noting Reynals Gauthier's "Millet King" cereal, and recalling Sujala Balaji and Rainfed Foods' millet milk, I wonder if one could pour an all-millets, all-Canadian (Manitoba, & Toronto, Ontario) breakfast bowl - might be a fun marketing idea. * I'm very interested to learn more about Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally's work with little millet in Saskatchewan. Could this close "cousin" of proso millet find a place in North American agriculture? * Dr. Judith Nyiraneza's work with pearl millet in potato farming systems on Prince Edward Island reminds of an item I posted about on this list in March 2022, when looking at the northern limits of pearl millet. That item mentioned a Quebec farmer planting the latter around his potato field to reduce insect problems, successfully. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/366591/millet-pele-plante . Is the use of pearl millet with potatoes unique to Canada? * That short "Northern limits..." post from March 2022, BTW, is at https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2022-March/000026.html . Is Canada testing the northern limits of cultivation of millets more than anyone else? * Interesting to note the interest in sweet pearl millet as well as sweet sorghum for bioethanol. As always, feedback or other related items are invited. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance

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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 03 Nov '23

03 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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