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Re: [Collab] Thinking ahead: World Millets Week?
by Taguchi, Makiko (NSP) 08 May '23

08 May '23

This is an interesting discussion surrounding the post-2023 millets celebration. To be extremely honest, I see this with mixed feelings. The UN Observances (Years, Months, Weeks, Days - even "Decades" exist), are adopted through a lengthy process, and it has to be proposed by a member state. https://www.un.org/en/observances/ While they can be powerful advocacy tools, they of course require resources to manage them. The resources have to come from extra-budgetary source, meaning regular UN contributions are not allowed to be used for the activities. We will need a strong country (or two or more) commitments to make this happen. I definitely do not want to put a damper on this thread, but I just wanted to inform you that all the UN observances come with a price, and having a week of celebration translates to perhaps half a year of work for us, believe it or not. For us to organize an International year, it is at least 2 years of work. The cost of having these observances should be carefully vetted vis a vis its impact. >From FAO perspective, we hope to generate interest this year to set up a global network on millets in the coming years. best Makiko Taguchi Agricultural Officer Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP)<http://www.fao.org/agriculture/plant-production-and-protection/en/#_blank> Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy Email: makiko.taguchi(a)fao.org Web: www.fao.org<http://www.fao.org/> [cid:image003.png@01D9818D.5E0A5E90]

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Fwd: Global and US Millet Conference 2023
by Don Osborn 23 Apr '23

23 Apr '23

Forwarding this communication from Dr. Dipak Santra (bcc'd) concerning an International Millets Conference in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, US on 1-3 August 2023. (Original mailing list and personal info deleted.) Dr. Santra has previously convened the International Symposium on Broomcorn Millet, and as you will note below, is planning on a 4th edition of ISBM next year. DO, EL, MI, US NAMA ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Dipak Santra Date: Thu, Apr 20, 2023 at 8:00 PM Subject: Global and US Millet Conference 2023 To: [ . . . ] Cc: [ . . . ] TO THE GLOBAL MILLET SCIENTISTS/ADVOCATES *Ref.* Regarding the International Millet Conference in the US, Dear All, Hope that all are well and in good health and spirit. [ . . . ] I want to give you heads up about the* US Version of the UN's International Year of Millet 2023 (IYM2023). **YES, the US will have a International/National Millet meeting but NOT like the 3rd ISBM in 2018 here in the US. **It will be organizing a Global & US Millet Conference on Aug.1-3 at Scottsbluff, NE, USA to recognize UN's International Year of Millet 2023 (IYM2023). **The intend of this Millet meeting is to bring the US and International Millet folks (farmers, processors, scientists, business/traders, policy makers, public) to promote millet, learn about millet as a climate resilient cereal, millet for human and environmental health.* *Please, put the dates on your calendar.* I will be sending another e-mail with the Conference URL and other relevant information to the entire millet mailing list early next week. More and more info Conference URL with Registration and others will be coming in near future. *The 4th International Symposium of Broomcorn Millet (ISBM), pending since 2021, in Europe in summer of 2024. * *I had preliminary discussion with Silvano, my Italian millet contact in the past who said that his company will be willing to host the 4th ISBM. Therefore, my hope that the 4th ISBM will happen in Italy by the leadership of Silvano.* Thanks for considering attending 2023 Millet Meeting in US. Please, let me know if you have any questions. Dipak Dipak Santra, Ph.D. *Associate Professor (Alternative Crops Breeding Specialist)* President, International Broomcorn Millet Association Department of Agronomy and Horticulture University of Nebraska–Lincoln Panhandle Research & Extension Center 4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361

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Reorganized & expanded image galleries of millets
by Don Osborn 23 Apr '23

23 Apr '23

Some of you may have seen the galleries of images of millets I set up on Pinterest. This is an ongoing side effort, and I've just completed a round of organizing and expanding this presentation of a few hundred images. Of particular note are: * A recently created board on "Andropogon millets" (sorghum, adlay/Job's tears, & Taiwan oil millet), being millets in the Andropogoneae tribe of the Panicoideae subfamily of the grass family (Poaceae). This isthe same tribe in which corn/maize is found. * A new board on "Millets in charts & diagrams," including taxonomies, flow charts,and diagrams about the nature of millets and the ways we use them The taxonomies section used to be under the main "Millets, plural" board. One of the other sections is on the "millets triangle," about which I will have more to say later. * A new section of the main "Millets, plural" board for images and lists of cereal grains that consider "millet" as one grain (not appropriate, despite the overall good intent, but worth taking note of in our efforts to raise awareness that there are a number of distinct millets). So, that makes 4 Pinterest boards related to millets, which are listed below with links and names of their respective sections (boards have a main area, and one may also set up whatever sections one wants):: * Millets, plural (the grains that have "millet" as part of their common names in English) https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-plural/ ** Pearl millet / Bajri ** Foxtail millet / Xiaomi ** Proso millet / Proso ** Finger millet / Ragi ** Kodo millet ** Barnyard millet [no distinction yet between Indian & Japanese] ** Little millet ** Browntop millet ** Uncertain [i.e., items where the identity of the millet is not clear] ** "Millet," singular, in lists of grains * Fonio & teff: Africa's tiniest millets https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/fonio-teff-africas-tiniest-millets/ ** Fonio / Acha [no distinction yet between white & iburua or black] ** Teff * Andropogon millets: Sorghum, adlay & TOM (this board needs a lot more work, esp. for sorghum) https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/andropogon-millets-sorghum-adlay-tom/ ** Sorghum ** Adlay / Job's tears ** Taiwan oil millet * Millets in charts & diagrams (this board could change a lot with time) https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-in-charts-diagrams/ ** Characteristics ** Food processing ** Taxonomies ** Taxonomies, with "pseudo-millets" (the latter being a non-standard term one sees cropping up occasionally) ** The"millets triangle"* The choice of Pinterest as platform for this work was kind of accidental. I played around with it as a place to park images related to a couple of things I was writing about a few years ago. It also had the advantage of being an easy place to point interested people to for more examples or information. With time and intermittent amendments, it has grown to what you see now. Future development will include, aside from work on the above, possible addition of a board for very local millets, such as raishan, Polish millet, and Sonoran panic grass. Such additions might also require consideration of another reorganization of the set of boards. Eventual copy or transfer of all or parts of this to a dedicated site might be considered if the collection is found useful by some constituency(ies). It should be noted that this effort is not entirely unique. ICRISAT's smartfood.org site has - or had until recently (the site does not load for me now) - a "Millet Finder" database with over 500 products in 10 categories, from over 130 companies in 34 countries. See this page for more info: https://www.icrisat.org/newly-launched-millet-food-finder-shows-a-revolutio… . The archived home page of the Millet Finder can be viewed at https://web.archive.org/web/20210117195838/https://www.smartfood.org/smart-… . Finally, if anyone has experience in working with image files, referencing, and web-based presentation of images & info about them - esp. if they are familiar with how Pinterest works - I'm seeking one or more volunteers to help with one or more of the above boards. Please contact me offline (email address in sig). Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance don(a)milletsalliance.org

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Millets Webinar #4, 19 April 2023, video
by Don Osborn 23 Apr '23

23 Apr '23

The video of the fourth in our Millets Webinar series is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqdO__eUmtg Thanks again to our presenters (in order of appearance): * Juan Di Salvo (Iowa State University) who presented on "Millet Characterization for Iowa Growing Conditions" * Dr. Daniel Packer (Washington State University) who presented on "The Sorghum Advantage: Adapting to Heat and Drought" Thanks also to Dr. Kiruba Krishnaswamy, Dr. Rob Myers, Ms. Sophia Sapp, and their colleagues at the University of Missouri, for helping make this edition of the Webinar a success. A list of video recordings for all four of the webinars held so far this year is available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7IvZCKUBap-6AaoCjPSFTMMq772t_Yb DO, EL, MI. US NAMA

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4th Millets Webinar, Wed. 4/19/2023: Millets & climate change
by Don Osborn 19 Apr '23

19 Apr '23

The 4th in the Millets Webinar Series offered by NAMA, and the FEAST Lab and Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Missouri, is scheduled for Wednesday 19 April at 5 pm EDT. Two presenters will offer perspectives on the theme, "Are millets the ideal crops for an era of climate change?": * Dr. Daniel Packer, a research associate at Washington State University, will talk about "The Sorghum Advantage: Adapting to Heat and Drought" * Juan Di Salvo, a plant breeding graduate student at Iowa State University, will talk about "Millet Characterization for Iowa Growing Conditions" Both researchers also have significant experience with a range of other crops, so we look forward to their insights into the place of millets in the future of agriculture. To register for the Millets Webinar Series (if you haven't already), please go to: umsystem.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctduutrTgoGNLZnrkxtUw614DEjAT3SgNN DO, EL, MI, US NAMA

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UCCS Grain School webinar on millets, TODAY (Thu. 13 Apr 2023)
by Don Osborn 13 Apr '23

13 Apr '23

The University of Colorado - Colorado Springs Grain School Online 2023 is holding its third and final webinar this spring for the International Year of Millets, on THURSDAY, APRIL 13 at 4:30-6 MDT. https://uccs-edu.zoom.us/j/99337028216 The theme is “Role of Millets in Community Food Systems & Nutrition Security” Presenters: * Dr. Kiruba Krishnaswamy, FEAST Lab, University of Missouri * Nicholas Musisi, Nutri-Worth International * Arun Nagpal, Mryda - Earthspired * Abena Offeh-Gyimah, Living the Ancient Way

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 14, Issue 7
by Gary Wietgrefe 01 Apr '23

01 Apr '23

Unless I missed something, I do not find NAMA's FAQ attached....Gary On Wed, Mar 29, 2023 at 11:40 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. NAMA FAQ 5.1 (latest version) (Don Osborn) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:40:00 -0400 > From: Don Osborn <don(a)milletsalliance.org> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: [Collab] NAMA FAQ 5.1 (latest version) > Message-ID: > < > CA+RHibX1BXKE3X3kofGYDPH4rJ6W8iH8jW02AvdzuWo0G0XwUA(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Attached is a PDF of NAMA's FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions"), version > 5.1. Please feel free to share as you see fit. > > And of course, if there are any questions about it, or issues you spot with > regard to the content, please advise. > > Best to all, > Don > > Don Osborn, PhD > (East Lansing, MI, US) > North American Millets Alliance > don(a)milletsalliance.org >

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A two-minute history of millets (& the next phase of the Webinars)
by Don Osborn 31 Mar '23

31 Mar '23

A few thoughts about where we've been and where we're going with the Millets Webinar Series... The last two webinars in the series (February and March) dealt in broad terms and in some specifics with the multi-millennial history of millets. This is a vast subject that hasn't to my knowledge been treated as a historical whole There are many articles and some books that treat some subset of millets - usually one, sometimes a couple, and usually in a particular region and/or time period, This makes sense if you consider that we're talking about different crop species domesticated in various regions that fit in diverse cultures of agriculture and food. But since we're talking about this group of crops in the International Year of Millets, it is natural to ask about their collective story. So the last two webinars were intended as a stab in that direction. Here are some quick thoughts about the major trends I see in that long story - a "two-minute history of millets," if you will: * Millets (small grained cereals of the grass family) figured prominently in the earliest agriculture in various regions around the world, most notably in the vast continents of Asia and Africa * Many of these millets continued as local crops until today, but a few disseminated widely, and a few effectively disappeared from cultivation (for example in North America) * Of those that disseminated widely, foxtail and proso millets spread from East Asia south and west across Eurasia, and pearl millet, sorghum, and finger millet spread out of West and East Africa eastward to South Asia and beyond. This vast counterclockwise movement appears to have happened relatively quickly - that is, still in prehistory or ancient history. Incidentally it also established South Asia as a kind of "crossroads" of millets - a legacy you can see in India today * Over time, the prominent roles of millets in food and agriculture gradually ceded place to larger-grained cereals - this happening at different periods in different regions. That process picked up pace in some regions in the last century, in part due to the "Green Revolution" and its focus on selected large-grained crops. This marginalization of millets as crops and food has had economic, agronomic, and cultural aspects * In recent years, millets have received some renewed attention due to their adaptations as crops and qualities as foods, and in some places (such as India and China) an appeal to their cultural roles. The International Year of Millets is emblematic of this very recent trend. Does this portend another major shift in the long history of millets? (We are kind of betting it will.) If we look at the last three webinars, including also the January intro to millets, they set the stage for upcoming webinars about specific aspects of millets - agronomy, processing, nutrition, culinary, etc. More on those is upcoming. We look forward to your participation and feedback. Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance don(a)milletsalliance.org

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NAMA FAQ 5.1 (latest version)
by Don Osborn 29 Mar '23

29 Mar '23

Attached is a PDF of NAMA's FAQ ("Frequently Asked Questions"), version 5.1. Please feel free to share as you see fit. And of course, if there are any questions about it, or issues you spot with regard to the content, please advise. Best to all, Don Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance don(a)milletsalliance.org

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Millets Webinar #3, 15 Mar. 2023, video
by Don Osborn 25 Mar '23

25 Mar '23

The video of the third in our Millets Webinar series is available at https://youtu.be/IUeLldImLzE (this was slightly edited from the full original) Thanks again to our presenters (in order of appearance): * Prof. David Baltensperger (Texas A&M University), who discussed proso millet, with focus on its current status in the US * Dr. Laurajean Lewis (Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research), who discussed pearl millet, with focus on its variability and cultivation in Sahelian Africa * Prof. Francesca Bray (University of Edinburgh (emerita)), who discussed foxtail and proso (aka broomcorn) millets in Chinese history, with attention to their decline in importance relative to rice and wheat, and the recent resurgence of interest in them. Thanks also to Dr. Kiruba Krishnaswamy, Ms. Sophia Sapp, and their colleagues at the University of Missouri, for helping make this edition of the Webinar a success. A list of video recordings for all three of the webinars held so far this year is available at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7IvZCKUBap-6AaoCjPSFTMMq772t_Yb DO, EL, MI. US NAMA

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