- Collab - lists.millets2023.space

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 20 Oct '23

20 Oct '23

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International Year of Millets Master Chef Challenge - 18 October 2023, 12:00-13:00 (CEST) - FAO Webcast and Sheikh Zayed Centre (FAO HQs Rome)
by Dimitrova, Zdravka (NSP) 17 Oct '23

17 Oct '23

[A white background with black text Description automatically generated] WEDNESDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2023 | 12:00-13:00 (CEST) Join us virtually on FAO Webcast<https://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/6289/icode/>, UN TV<https://media.un.org/en/asset/k11/k118bj2awt>, Zoom<https://events.zoom.us/ev/AhkGy0rt5SRF32ZDL9BpbV6ZK_Dwc4_5gGaFEOkH9lRgAQr83…>, and in person at the Sheikh Zayed Centre (FAO, HQ Rome)<https://events.zoom.us/ev/AhkGy0rt5SRF32ZDL9BpbV6ZK_Dwc4_5gGaFEOkH9lRgAQr83…> Interpretation in English, French and Spanish will be available In celebration of the International Year of Millets 2023<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/en> (IYM2023), there will be a Master Chef Challenge during the 2023 World Food Forum Flagship event<https://flagship.world-food-forum.org/en> (WFF). Four famous chefs, representing different regions will engage the audience in a culinary journey that celebrates the versatility and nutritional benefits of millets. Get inspired by chefs Anahita Dhondy (India), Fatmata Binta (Ghana), Mokgadi Itsweng (South Africa), Rodrigo Pacheco (Ecuador). A jury, including Lynnette Neufeld, Director of the Food and Nutrition Division (FAO), chef Sanjay Thakur (India), chef Arlette Eulert (Peru), and Zengfa Ji, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Division, Hebei Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences (China) will comment on the culinary creations made from millets, sorghum and fonio. Do not miss the opportunity to expand your culinary repertoire and taste the delicious dishes made from millets. Millets are a diverse group of small-seeded grasses, cultivated for thousands of years across different cultures and continents. Millets' diversity and ability to thrive on arid lands with minimal inputs make them a valuable contribution to healthy diets and nutrition in many countries. Let us embrace millets and their role in promoting sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems for better nutrition, environment, livelihoods and production, leaving no one behind! CHECK THE AGENDA HERE<https://www.fao.org/millets-2023/events/detail/international-year-of-millet…> OFFICIAL HASHTAGS: #IYM2023 #YearofMillets<https://twitter.com/FAO/status/1711773213628273038> [A plate of food on a table Description automatically generated]

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10th Millets Webinar, Wed. 2023/10/18: Millets in community & economic development
by Don Osborn 15 Oct '23

15 Oct '23

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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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 21, Issue 5
by Gary Wietgrefe 14 Oct '23

14 Oct '23

Wonderful discussion on sweet sorghum and red proso. I have some experience with both. *First sweet sorghum*: "Sweet" can be confusing, because all plants produce sugars and vary by plant stage. 1. *Molasses* is the "ingredient" on our label of Grandma's Original Molasses which I use in merinations before smoking meats. Checking their website indicates it is made from sugarcane, not sweet sorghum. 2. *Sugar content*, and type of sugar of sorghum, sudangrass, pearl millet, corn, and even forage soybean varies significantly in plants depending on date of harvest. See Table 9 of my patent to determine optimum harvest for various crops to maximize ethanol potential (7) (PDF) Systems and processes for producing biofuels from biomass (researchgate.net) <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302705921_Systems_and_processes_fo…>. I tested eleven different forages with mainly three different harvest dates (58, 102, and 132 days after planting) and evaluated changes in sucrose, fructose, and glucose. *Millex 32 hybrid pearl millet*, for example, had no plant sugars detected at 58 days, 7% at 102 days, and 10.96% at 132 days with each plant sugar significantly different depending on harvest date. Highest sugar content of this pearl millet was fructose followed by glucose. *Trudan Headless Sudangrass* had 9.72% total sugars at 58 days, 13.92% at 102 days, and 16.08% at 132 days with double the sucrose compared to other sugars. *HiKane II Forage Sorghum* (2 test dates) total sugars peaked at 102 days at 25.5% and dropped to 16.78% by 132 day test.* Derry Forage Soybeans* (2 test dates) had 5.6% total sugars at 102 days with 5.04% being fructose and 0.591% being sucrose. However, at 132 days Derry had NO sucrose and about equal amounts of fructose and glucose. 3. *Corn sugars*: About thirty years ago as an agronomist, I realized corn sugars in plants varied significantly and could be manipulated genetically, chemically, and mechanically. (Review the same Table 9 from my patent.) I tested a common hybrid #2 dent corn (NK N40T) and removed ears mechanically. Results were shocking! At 102 days the whole plant (with ear) tested 12.23% total sugars, but only 2.338% total sugars at 132 days. I removed ear(s) before pollination with results showing 25.87% total sugars at 102 days--rising to 27.15% total sugars at 118 days, then sugars dropped to 15.57% at 132 days. Sucrose was by far the top sugar at 102 and 118 days (17.8% and 21.0% respectively), but sucrose dropped to 0.00% at 132 days. There is no doubt in my mind that dent corns could produce, and extract, over 30% sugars. That is why my patent can harvest standing crops approaching physiological maturity and produce ethanol with 100% pumpable liquid in 24-72 hours WITHOUT any additional water. *Red Proso Millet* is still produced in the U.S. in limited quantities and is occasionally mixed in birdfeed to give it color. Consumers would rather buy high content white proso millet birdfeed mixes with a bit of red proso blended in although birds prefer white as Dipak indicated. He also noted that Certified *Cerise* red proso is still available. Full season, *Akron*, a dark red proso, has a compact seedhead and was released by Colorado in 1969. On the early side, *Early Fortune*, is a short red proso and one of the earliest maturing prosos (heads 30-40 days after planting). There may be a few farmers in Northern areas still storing or reproducing *Early Fortune*, but since 1992, I am not aware who they may be, but this variety can hopefully be sourced from seed banks. *Turghai*, introduced in the U.S. by USDA from Russia/Siberia in 1903, was the only variety of red proso that was available as Certified seed from Colorado before 1968. In the 1980s I was in fields of *Turghai* which were easily distinguishable from other reds by their spreading panicals. Unless you shell out heads approaching maturity, *Turghai* appeared similar to *Minsum* white proso (released by Minnesota in 1980) because both have a very open seedhead which speeds drydown. (For more details on proso varieties, see Appendix 1, pages 181-189, in my book *How to Produce Proso Millet: A Farmer's Guide* (7) (PDF) How to Produce Proso Millet: A Farmer's Guide (researchgate.net) <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284179184_How_to_Produce_Proso_Mil…'s_Guide>.) For photos of *Minsum* see pages 86 and 89. Page 86 shows a red proso I pulled from a North Dakota farm which at the time I thought was *Cerise*, but it could have been *Early Fortune*. I hope this background helps....Gary Wietgrefe

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"Red Proso"
by Joni Kindwall-Moore 13 Oct '23

13 Oct '23

Hello group, One of my farmers grows what he calls a "red proso". He has been growing it for many years and he has no record of where the seed came from. He also grows white proso which is what we normally use in food manufacturing. I am interested in getting to the bottom of what this red proso is and if it has any culinary applications. Unfortunately with the limited access to hulling equipment, we have no way of doing any small-scale experiments on it to evaluate. Does anybody have any information about red proso, I have not yet done a literature review/ Thanks, Joni *Joni Kindwall-Moore BSN-RN, BA* Founder, CEO, 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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Sorghum "molasses" or syrup - a regional specialty in SE US?
by Don Osborn 13 Oct '23

13 Oct '23

Most sorghum production in the US today is in the Great Plains, and the principal purposes of this production are grain for various uses (food, feed, and fuel), and silage. Earlier in the history of sorghum in this country, sweet stemmed varieties achieved importance as an alternative source of sweeteners, especially in the mid 19th century. The stalks of "sweet sorghum," as it is known, can be crushed like one would sugar cane, to produce a sugary liquid that can then be processed. Sweet sorghum is still grown, altho on a much smaller scale, and production of it is apparently concentrated in the Southeastern states. (Wikipedia provides a good introduction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_sorghum ) A product made from sweet sorghum is sorghum "molasses" or syrup (not to be confused with cane molasses, altho there are evidently similarities). This is known primarily in the Southeast (the main producing states are said to be Kentucky and Tennessee), and is used on biscuits and pancakes, as well as other culinary uses where sweeteners are needed. A couple of commercial webpages offer good discussions of this * https://www.tnhomeandfarm.com/agriculture/tennessee-sorghum/ (nice overview, from Tennessee) * https://www.thedutchtreat.biz/post/molasses-or-sorghum-molasses (from a store in westernmost Virginia; 2 products from Kentucky in photo) * https://smileypete.com/community/2014-02-28-sorghum-what-is-it-and-how-did-… (from Kentucky) * https://www.ourstate.com/the-molasses-makers-of-davidson-county/ (an artisanal operation in North Carolina) There is also an active National Sweet Sorghum Producers and Processors Association (NSSPPA) in the US: https://nssppa.org/ A personal perspective: Sorghum molasses does seem to be a regional specialty of the Southeastern US. With my family roots mainly in the Northeast and upper Midwest, maple syrup (esp. from Vermont) might be on our table, while molasses and for that matter corn syrup were known by name only, and I don't recall ever seeing or hearing of sorghum molasses or syrup. I was actually first introduced to sweet sorghum in Mali, when a neighbor shared with me a piece of a green sweet sorghum stalk, which one can chew on and get a sugary flavor (this is a bit like sugar cane, altho obviously much smaller in diameter). So sweet sorghum is clearly grown in various parts of the world. A former common name for it was "Chinese sugar cane," presumably indicating origin (an 1857 book indicated as much/1 ; see also a short 1858 article using this name, which also noted the plant's use in southern France and northern Algeria at that time/2). The Wikipedia article linked above also indicates sweet sorghum's use in India. However I don't have any information on how much sweet sorghum is used to produce syrup worldwide. Again, another shallow dive to illustrate the breadth of use of millets. Anyone with more substantial knowledge of sweet sorghum, or indeed sweet stemmed varieties of other millets,/3 is invited to comment. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Notes: 1. James F.C. Hyde, The Chinese sugar-cane;its history, mode of culture, manufacture of the sugar, etc. with reports of its success in different portions of the United States, and letters from distinguished men (Saxton & Co., New York, 1857) https://archive.org/details/chinesesugarcane00hyde/mode/2up 2. "Sorgho, or Chinese Sugar Cane," Scientific American, July 24, 1858 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sorgho-or-chinese-sugar-cane/ 3. Came across mention of "Canadian Sweet Stem Pearl Millet hybrid CSSPMH 7," for example, but this is grown only for forage: http://www.milo-seeds.com/Page.php?ID=6&Lang=2

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