- Collab - lists.millets2023.space

Small scale growing of sorghum & millets for grain
by Don Osborn 11 May '22

11 May '22

I've worked with smallholder farmers in communities in West Africa where some combination of pearl millet, sorghum, and fonio were grown. I've also worked with gardeners in some of those communities. And I've done home vegetable gardening on a modest but sustained level in northern Virginia for seven years. However, I haven't thought about grain gardening - grains always seemed like field crops, even if the fields might be small in size. So it is of interest to catch up with the facts that (1) grain gardening is a thing in the US & Canada, and (2) some people are growing millets and sorghum on a home-scale. Although this is relatively minor in the overall scheme of things, there may be stories from this practice that might play well for a public audience. For the general case (#1), I understand that one of the authorities is (or was) Gene Logsdon, author of Small Scale Grain Raising,/1 among other books. I saw his 1978 article in Mother Earth (actually an excerpt from his book) introducing the topic/2 Logsdon is actually written up in Wikipedia./3 Another book on home-scale grain growing is Brie Arthur's Gardening With Grains./4 Her approach is more "edible landscaping" or "foodscaping,"/5 which I had heard of but honestly hadn't connected with plants we usually think of as grain crops. For discussions specifically of growing millets and sorghum on a home-scale (#2), I'd turn again to an article by Gene Logsdon (another book excerpt), in which he writes briefly about proso millet, foxtail millet, and pearl millet./6 An article in Epic Gardening gives a long and sometimes detailed discussion of millets, specifically proso, foxtail, pearl, finger, and fonio./7 Note the reference in the article to the International Year of Millets. (Although nicely written, the article has the same "split-personality" issue common to a lot of writing on millets, in that part of the time it refers to "millet" as one thing, and part of the time it discusses the diverse species of millets.) Another article lists "millet" with mention of the "Proso White" variety, among 5 grain-bearing plants suitable for home-scale growing./8 A distinction should be made here between purely decorative varieties of millets, which are also a thing, and those grown for edible grains, which are my focus here. Due to nomenclature, and the long discussion of whether or not it is a millet, the subject of sorghum tends to crop up in a different set of articles. In the first of Logsdon's articles cited above,/1 he mentions a neighbor who baked cookies from home-grown, home-milled grain sorghum. Brie Arthur, the foodscaper, discusses sorghum, but only mentions millet in mpassing, among warm-season grain crops./9 And there's a pretty detailed article on sorghum in Epic Gardening./10 Finally, the webpage that got me started on this post was one I came across by accident looking for something else. It's a very brief discussion of two varieties of sorghum by an artisanal seed producer in Canada - Mennonite and Ba-Ye-Qi./11 These are adapted to northern latitudes. (Canada, the location of this seed producer, is of course at the northern limits for various millets and sorghum, and there are interesting stories there for another post.). There are a number of videos on the above topics, which I won't try to summarize here. (If anyone has any suggestions, please let us know.) DO, EL, MI, US Notes; 1. Small Scale Grain Raising (1971; 2nd. ed. 2009, Chelsea Green Publishers) https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/small-scale-grain-raising/ 2. "You Can Raise Grains in Your Garden," Mother Earth News, 1 Jan 1978 https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/raise-grains-in-your-gard… 3. "Gene Logsdon," Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Logsdon 4. Gardening With Grains (2019, St. Lynn's Press) https://www.briegrows.com/products/gardening-with-grains 5. "Foodscaping," Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodscaping 6. "What You Need to Know About Growing Millet," Mother Earth News, 19 May 2015 https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/growing-millet-ze0z1505zd… 7. "Millet Plant Tips: Growing Millets As Grain," Epic Gardening, 7 Mar 2022 https://www.epicgardening.com/millet-plant/ (a similar version of this article appeared on another site on 8 Mar 2022: https://my-plant.org/millet-plant-tips-expanding-millets-as-grain/ ) 8. "5 Grains to Grow in the Home Garden," Grit, 30 Nov 2015 https://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/crops/5-grains-to-grow-in-the-home-gar… 9. "Gardening with Warm Season Grains," Triangle Gardener, n.d. https://www.trianglegardener.com/gardening-with-warm-season-grains/ 10. "Sorghum Plant: Food, Silage, And More," Epic Gardening, 11 Jan 2022 https://www.epicgardening.com/sorghum-plant/ 11. "Mennonite Sorghum," AnnapolisSeed.com https://annapolisseeds.com/products/mennonite-sorghum

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Slogans for publicity on millets?
by Don Osborn 07 May '22

07 May '22

Public education and marketing campaigns generally make use of some kind of slogan or catch phrase.Zoë Karl-Waithaka made reference in the context of food in her TED@BCG talk, discussed this in relationto foods in her TED talk "Got millet? How marketing could improve the lives of African farmers." The "Got millet?"/1 line played off of an actual successful campaign to boost milk consumption that used the phrase "Got milk?" An actual slogan in use now is "Let's millet," which I've seen online (#letsmillet) and which is a campaign "dedicated to creating awareness about alternative staples such as millets and sorghum and related products through a AI powered computer/mobile application for consumers."/2 So I was wondering about other possible slogans or catch phrases, with particular interest in what might work for NAMA in North America. Here are a few, without any pretense to their value or viability, but offered just to get some ideas flowing:: * Millets everywhere (these two words appear together more often than I expected, altho not commonly) * Making millets part of American life * Millets and the future of food * Championing millets producers, processors, and consumers * Tasty millets for health and sustainable agriculture * Millets, a growing part of our agriculture and food cultures * Those little millets are kind of a big deal * Eat different. Think millets. Any feedback or other ideas welcome, of course. DO Notes: 1. https://www.ted.com/talks/zoe_karl_waithaka_got_millet_how_marketing_could_… (I referenced this in an earlier post to this list) 2. https://letsmillet.org

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New millets survey (was Re: Three more podcasts on millets)
by Don Osborn 25 Apr '22

25 Apr '22

Thank you, Joanna! And I'm glad you found my input helpful. This questionnaire was easy to complete, and I encourage you to take it as well: https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a DO ------- Original Message ------- On Monday, April 25th, 2022 at 3:47 AM, Joanna Kane-Potaka <joanna.kanepotaka(a)outlook.com> wrote: > Dear All > A specialthanks to Don for very detailed feedback on the survey (giving me lots of homework but well worthwhile). > > The millet survey is now launched and it would be greatly appreciated if you could both undertake the survey as well as share it with your networks and friends around the world. Hopefully you also find the visuals and chat style more interesting than the usual survey. > > Please see: Please see: https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a > > Much appreciated Joanna > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > From: Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Joanna Kane-Potaka via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2022 2:06 PM > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space>; Don Osborn <donosborn(a)protonmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Collab] Three more podcasts on millets > > Lots of great content to go through Don - Thanks. > > In case anyone would like to input/feedback on a millet survey we are about to release, your thoughts would be welcomed. > This has the same questions from a large consumer survey we did in India a few years ago (so we can compare data) and also a lot of new questions. > > Please see: https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a > > https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a [Global Millet Survey CHAT](https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a) > Built with love by SurveySparrow, a FREE online survey software which lets you collect feedback naturally, gain insights and make better decisions. > sprw.io > > Cheers > Joanna > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > From: Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Don Osborn via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2022 6:50 AM > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Subject: [Collab] Three more podcasts on millets > > Here are three more podcasts - or actually one podcast, a short radio program, and a TED talk - that deal directly or indirectly with millets. (I previously sent out a batch of 3 last Feb. 3.*). > > The Chef's Manifesto Podcast, Episode 5 S3 «Millets – climate smart seeds of the future», c.2021 (39:08) > https://soundcloud.com/user-264172669/episode-5-s3-millets-climate-smart-se… > Host Lorna Maseko did a very nice set of 3 short interviews on millets in Africa and India. > "Chef Vanshika Bhatia and Chef Mokgadi Itsweng share their experiences cooking and experimenting with millets in their kitchens and make listeners fall in love with this fantastic ingredient. A discussion with Shivali Sharma from ICRISAT follows on how many sustainable benefits millets can bring to the table." Focus was on pearl millet (bajra) and finger millet (ragi). > > WNYC, "Last Chance Foods: It's Millet Time," 21 Feb. 2014 (4:37) > https://www.wnyc.org/story/last-chance-foods-its-millet-time/ > Brief interview by Amy Eddings of author Mark Scarborough, highlights use of "millet" (evidently proso millet) in a veggie burger recipe from the latter's 2012 book, Grain Mains: 101 Surprising and Satisfying Whole Grain Recipes for Every Meal of the Day. They also touch on related topics, including the only real potential downside to consuming a lot of millets, namely goitrogenic effects, > > TED@BCG, "Got millet? How marketing could improve the lives of African farmers," Sept. 2021 (10:57) > [https://www.ted.com/talks/zoe_karl_waithaka_got_millet_how_marketing_could_… > Talk by Zoë Karl-Waithaka, in which she discusses how marketing influences what we eat, and then makes the suggestion that a similar approach could be used to popularize "millet" and develop markets for African smallholder farmers of millet crops. > > DO, EL, MI, US > > Note: > * The previous batch is at https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2022-February/000004.html

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Three more podcasts on millets
by Don Osborn 25 Apr '22

25 Apr '22

Here are three more podcasts - or actually one podcast, a short radio program, and a TED talk - that deal directly or indirectly with millets. (I previously sent out a batch of 3 last Feb. 3.*). The Chef's Manifesto Podcast, Episode 5 S3 «Millets – climate smart seeds of the future», c.2021 (39:08) https://soundcloud.com/user-264172669/episode-5-s3-millets-climate-smart-se… Host Lorna Maseko did a very nice set of 3 short interviews on millets in Africa and India. "Chef Vanshika Bhatia and Chef Mokgadi Itsweng share their experiences cooking and experimenting with millets in their kitchens and make listeners fall in love with this fantastic ingredient. A discussion with Shivali Sharma from ICRISAT follows on how many sustainable benefits millets can bring to the table." Focus was on pearl millet (bajra) and finger millet (ragi). WNYC, "Last Chance Foods: It's Millet Time," 21 Feb. 2014 (4:37) https://www.wnyc.org/story/last-chance-foods-its-millet-time/ Brief interview by Amy Eddings of author Mark Scarborough, highlights use of "millet" (evidently proso millet) in a veggie burger recipe from the latter's 2012 book, Grain Mains: 101 Surprising and Satisfying Whole Grain Recipes for Every Meal of the Day. They also touch on related topics, including the only real potential downside to consuming a lot of millets, namely goitrogenic effects, TED@BCG, "Got millet? How marketing could improve the lives of African farmers," Sept. 2021 (10:57) [https://www.ted.com/talks/zoe_karl_waithaka_got_millet_how_marketing_could_… Talk by Zoë Karl-Waithaka, in which she discusses how marketing influences what we eat, and then makes the suggestion that a similar approach could be used to popularize "millet" and develop markets for African smallholder farmers of millet crops. DO, EL, MI, US Note: * The previous batch is at https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2022-February/000004.html

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Job's tears or adlay (millet): What is it?
by Don Osborn 24 Apr '22

24 Apr '22

At or near the bottom of lists of different types of millets you may see something called "Job's tears," "adlay," "adlay millet," or sometimes "Chinese barley" (species name Coix lacryma-jobi). Here's a quick primer from someone who has only recently paid attention to it (but has not yet encountered it as food or crop). Botanically it is closer to sorghum and corn (maize) than it is to the other millets (and not close to barley, which is in the same sub-family as wheat). It grows to similar heights as corn or sorghum, and its seeds are larger than sorghum (itself larger than all the other millets). A native of southeast Asia, it is a minor crop in several countries of Asia. I have no information about it being grown at all in North America, and it certainly is not a significant field crop anywhere in this region. For basic info, the Wikipedia article is a good start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job%27s_tears A more detailed discussion of its uses as food and for beverages can be read in a 2016 article by Marguerite Preston in Bon appétit, entitled "The Next Cult Gluten-Free Grain: Job's Tears" https://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/jobs-tear… DO, EL, MI, US

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Sorghum and Millets (2nd ed., 2018)
by Don Osborn 24 Apr '22

24 Apr '22

Although I don't yet have access to this publication, it would seem to be a fundamental reference for sorghum and millets (there are certainly others). Below is citation & links, table of contents, and abstract of chapter 1, which itself has some useful info.: Taylor, John, and Kwaku Duodo, eds., Sorghum and Millets: Chemistry, Technology, and Nutritional Attributes, 2nd edition, AACC International Press, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2016-0-00981-6 Also at https://www.elsevier.com/books/sorghum-and-millets/taylor/978-0-12-811527-5 Table of Contents: 1. Taxonomy, History, Distribution and Production 2. Breeding and Agronomy 3. Application of Plant Breeding and Genomics for Improved Sorghum and Pearl Millet Grain Nutritional Quality 4. Post-Harvest Technologies 5. Grain Structure and Grain Chemical Composition 6. Starch and Protein Chemistry and Functional Properties 7. Food and Beverage Nutritional Attributes 8. Phyto-Chemical Related Health-Promoting Attributes 9. Traditional Food and Beverage Products and Technologies 10. Modern Food, Beverage, and Animal Feed Products and Technologies 11. Gluten-Free Dough-Based Foods and Technologies 12. Sorghum as Feed Grain for Animal Production 13. Industrial and Non-Food Applications14. Quality Management Systems John R.N. Taylor, Chapter 1 - Sorghum and Millets: Taxonomy, History, Distribution, and Production, Editor(s): John R.N. Taylor, Kwaku G. Duodu, Sorghum and Millets (Second Edition), AACC International Press, 2019, Pages 1-21, ISBN 9780128115275, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-811527-5.00001-0. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128115275000010) Abstract: Sorghum and the millets are respectively quantitatively the fifth and sixth most important cereals. They are tropical-type (C4) plants. The millets comprise at least 11 cultivated species, all with small to tiny seeds. Sorghum and millets are notably hardy crop plants, having a low water requirement. They are predominantly cultivated in tropical and subtropical zones in Africa and Eurasia, where they were domesticated several thousand years ago. Sorghum is now also extensively cultivated in the Americas and Australia, primarily for animal feed. The traditional food and beverage uses of sorghum and millets are extremely wide. Also, they have many novel applications such as for lager beer, gluten-free products and phytochemicals, and sweet-stalked and biomass sorghums for biofuels. However, production trends reveal a disturbing picture that overall sorghum and millet production and yields have remained static over the past 25years. Furthermore, in low-income countries, yields remain chronically low.Keywords: Domestication history; End uses; Fonio; Genetics; Millets; Production statistics; Sorghum; Taxonomy; Teff DO, EL, MI, US

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Millet survey (was Re: Three more podcasts on millets)
by Don Osborn 19 Apr '22

19 Apr '22

Thank you Joanna, for your comments and for sharing the link for your millet survey. I just took the survey and will be glad to give feedback (offline). Is there a document version of the survey on which one can make comments & suggestions? It would also help me to view the whole survey together, so as to review my impressions. That doesn't indicate any problems, just an attempt at thoroughness... All the best, Don ------- Original Message ------- On Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 at 12:06 AM, Joanna Kane-Potaka <joanna.kanepotaka(a)outlook.com> wrote: > Lots of great content to go through Don - Thanks. > > In case anyone would like to input/feedback on a millet survey we are about to release, your thoughts would be welcomed. > This has the same questions from a large consumer survey we did in India a few years ago (so we can compare data) and also a lot of new questions. > > Please see: https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a > > https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a [Global Millet Survey CHAT](https://sprw.io/stt-222d4a) > Built with love by SurveySparrow, a FREE online survey software which lets you collect feedback naturally, gain insights and make better decisions. > sprw.io > > Cheers > Joanna > > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > From: Collab <collab-bounces(a)lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of Don Osborn via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2022 6:50 AM > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> > Subject: [Collab] Three more podcasts on millets > > Here are three more podcasts - or actually one podcast, a short radio program, and a TED talk - that deal directly or indirectly with millets. (I previously sent out a batch of 3 last Feb. 3.*). > > The Chef's Manifesto Podcast, Episode 5 S3 «Millets – climate smart seeds of the future», c.2021 (39:08) > https://soundcloud.com/user-264172669/episode-5-s3-millets-climate-smart-se… > Host Lorna Maseko did a very nice set of 3 short interviews on millets in Africa and India. > "Chef Vanshika Bhatia and Chef Mokgadi Itsweng share their experiences cooking and experimenting with millets in their kitchens and make listeners fall in love with this fantastic ingredient. A discussion with Shivali Sharma from ICRISAT follows on how many sustainable benefits millets can bring to the table." Focus was on pearl millet (bajra) and finger millet (ragi). > > WNYC, "Last Chance Foods: It's Millet Time," 21 Feb. 2014 (4:37) > https://www.wnyc.org/story/last-chance-foods-its-millet-time/ > Brief interview by Amy Eddings of author Mark Scarborough, highlights use of "millet" (evidently proso millet) in a veggie burger recipe from the latter's 2012 book, Grain Mains: 101 Surprising and Satisfying Whole Grain Recipes for Every Meal of the Day. They also touch on related topics, including the only real potential downside to consuming a lot of millets, namely goitrogenic effects, > > TED@BCG, "Got millet? How marketing could improve the lives of African farmers," Sept. 2021 (10:57) > [https://www.ted.com/talks/zoe_karl_waithaka_got_millet_how_marketing_could_… > Talk by Zoë Karl-Waithaka, in which she discusses how marketing influences what we eat, and then makes the suggestion that a similar approach could be used to popularize "millet" and develop markets for African smallholder farmers of millet crops. > > DO, EL, MI, US > > Note: > * The previous batch is at https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/2022-February/000004.html

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Finger millet's toehold in the Southern High Plains?
by Don Osborn 16 Apr '22

16 Apr '22

Finger millet (Eleusine corcorana)/1/2 was domesticated in the highlands of East Africa, and has also been a major crop in India since ancient times. Worldwide, it is the fourth most cultivated millet, but it is all but absent from fields in the US, Canada, and Mexico. One of the common names for it in India - "ragi" ("rah-ghee") - is sometimes used more widely as a name for its comestible grains. In its nutritional content, ragi is notably high in calcium. The finger millet plant is also used for animal forage. And it is the latter use that has attracted researchers in New Mexico and west Texas (Southern High Plains or Southern Great Plains). A 2015 research article/3 discussed its use as feed for dairy cattle (a description of that research is also available/4). A 2018 research article discussed a field study of 11 accessions of finger millet, with attention to both their potential as forage and for grain production./5 This is still relatively early in the process of developing systems for production of this crop. From the article: "While finger millet shows a degree of capacity to grow in the SGP [Southern Great Plains], there are issues to be addressed before its use in the region especially the development of management strategies. There is little information regarding the optimal combination of row spacing, the amounts of fertilizers, and water availability for the use of finger millet as both forage and grain crop in the SGP. The current limited availability of seed for the accessions tested here also means there is a need for a seed increase to test the effects of different agronomic factors related to using finger millet as a forage crop at the plot scale. Furthermore, there is a need for information on the growth responses of finger millet in different soils of the region. The small seed size (1.3 to 1.6 mm) of finger millet also presents challenges for identifying the best technology for planting. Such issues must be addressed for the application of finger millet in larger, production-scale settings for hay production and grazing in the SGP." The latter article was evidently related to the primary author's (G.S. Baath) doctoral research./6 Any further information on this crop anywhere in North America is of interest. DO Notes: - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleusine_coracana - Gupta, Sanjay Mohan et al. “Finger Millet: A 'Certain' Crop for an 'Uncertain' Future and a Solution to Food Insecurity and Hidden Hunger under Stressful Environments.” Frontiers in plant science 8, 643. 25 Apr. 2017, https://doi:10.3389/fpls.2017.00643 - Gowda, Prasanna H., et al, "Finger Millet: An Alternative Crop for the Southern High Plains," American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2015, 6, 2686-2691 https://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2015.616270 - "Finger Millet Shows Promise as Cattle Feed," AgResearch Magazine, USDA, June 2016 https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2016/jun/fingermillet/ - Baath, Gurjinder S., et al, "Adaptability and Forage Characterization of Finger Millet Accessions in U.S. Southern Great Plains," Agronomy 2018, 8(9), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8090177 - Baath, Gurjinder Singh, "Evaluating capabilities of novel warm-season crops to fill forage deficit periods in the Southern Great Plains," PhD. dissertation, Oklahoma State University, 2019 https://shareok.org/handle/11244/333668

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Teff in Oklahoma, Michigan & Nevada (was Re: Collab Digest, Vol 3, Issue 13)
by Don Osborn 15 Apr '22

15 Apr '22

Quick follow-up on one of the the topics raised in this exchange that began with Steve DeWitt's intro - teff. I hope to come back to the other topics later. And thanks to Joni for her input. I was curious to know more about teff in Oklahoma, and in the process found out something unexpected about teff in ... Michigan. In both locations, according to the following article, teff is grown as forage and fodder. The same article also discusses teff as a grain crop in Nevada - specifically Churchill County (a location that I've seen several times in articles about grain teff). Apparently it is irrigated there, but not as much as other crops.: Chris Bennett, "Grain or Grass, Teff Fits on Right Farm," AgWeb, 17 Dec 2019 https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/grain-or-grass-teff-fits-right-farm From here down, I'll briefly discuss teff in each of the three states. OKLAHOMA The segment of the article cited above on Oklahoma mentions Brian Pugh, an agronomy specialist with Oklahoma State University. He indicates that Oklahoma has seen a consistent rise in teff acreage in recent years, and that in trials, "teff worked well in the east, and fairly well in the west" of the state.(The west is drier.) I came across a video of a talk by Mr. Pugh in 2018 about teff for forage. Pretty technical stuff here, and one imagines that the research has progressed since, but it's an example of how much attention this crop is getting. See: https://youtu.be/XsiH_L77Ows Also saw an item entitled "Growing Teff as Dual Purpose Alternative Crop in Oklahoma," which suggests teff can be grown in Oklahoma for both the grains and feed for horses and ruminants. "Teff can yield 1.6-2.3 tons/ha grain and 3-4 tons/ha forage in Oklahoma." No info on whether any irrigation, but it does suggest N fertilizer for grain production. (This was apparently from a poster session from a conference in 2009.) Uploaded by one of the authors to: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323561403_Growing_Teff_as_Dual_Pur… MICHIGAN The Bennett article (at head of this post) quotes a Michigan State University extension agent Jerry Lindquist (now retired) as indicating that teff often serves as a rotation hay crop in the upper Midwest. He gives a balanced assessment of teff's benefits as a rotation crop, and of its being a competitive hay crop (esp; for the horse market). Mr. Lindquist was based in Reed City, MI, which is almost 44°N, for anyone keeping track of northern limits for cultivation of various millets. NEVADA Of the three cases in Bennett's article, Churchill County, NV was the only one where teff was grown for grain. Teff was apparently introduced there in 2004 by Jay Davison, a University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension alternative crops specialist. Teff is irrigated in this area. Mr. Davison is quoted as indicating that harvests average 1600-1800 lbs/acre (≈1800-2000 kg/ha) and as high as 2600 lb/acre (≈2900 kg/ha). Grain farmers can then also sell the fodder. The University of Nevada, Reno Extension site says that "Last year Extension assisted 11 producers to grow teff grain and forage in Churchill, Lyon and Pershing counties. Extension faculty members led Nevada teff producers to Idaho to study agronomic and harvesting techniques with longtime teff farmers and teff buyers." https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/grain-or-grass-teff-fits-right-farm (accessed 15 April 2022). Bennett's article indicates that most growers in Churchill County are under contract with Desert Oasis Teff & Grain. (Does that make 3 US companies dealing in teff grain, along with the Selam Teff & Barley mentioned by Steve in his post, and the Teff Company?) Jay Davison is quoted as saying regarding teff that he has "seen grain acreage in Texas, Idaho, Oregon, New Mexico and into the Midwest." DO, EL, MI, US ------- Original Message ------- On Monday, March 28th, 2022 at 2:07 AM, D. Joni Kindwall-Moore <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> wrote: > Ok, I’m out of town this week. > Let me do some thinking and I’ll make some introductions that can be helpful. > If you don’t hear back from me by next Tuesday, please give me a reminder! > > On Fri, Mar 25, 2022 at 8:53 AM Steve DeWitt via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > >> Yes, I have been talking with Jennifer Kocher about sorghum. The only teff grain producer I know of in the southern plains is Dean Smith at Hydro, OK. He does irrigate. I was previously working with Tesfa Drar of Selam Foods In Minnesota. His growers are in Oregon and Nevada and he and the Boise group are staunch competitors. The extension service here only knows of millet as a forage and are no help on grain production. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On Mar 25, 2022, at 7:00 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. Introduction (Steve DeWitt) >>> 2. Re: Introduction (Don Osborn) >>> 3. Re: Introduction (D. Joni Kindwall-Moore) >>> >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> Message: 1 >>> Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2022 08:14:44 -0500 >>> From: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010(a)icloud.com> >>> To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> Subject: [Collab] Introduction >>> Message-ID: <3A71E2C1-EEDA-46E5-89FE-BF185EBE8DE9(a)icloud.com> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 >>> >>> I?m Steve DeWitt, a Regenerative farmer from northern Oklahoma, growing heritage wheat, sorghum and diverse cover crop mixes for grazing. I tried growing Teff for grain production a few years ago but without irrigation and with hot weather during flowering it was not successful. I do still grow it as a forage crop for the premium horse hay market. I?m interested in growing other millets that are more adapted to my climate, such as Pearl. I?ve been looking into setting up a gluten free mill for sorghum and look forward to learning more about millets. >>> Regards, >>> Steve DeWitt >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> Message: 2 >>> Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2022 06:16:00 +0000 >>> From: Don Osborn <donosborn(a)protonmail.com> >>> To: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010(a)icloud.com> >>> Cc: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> Subject: Re: [Collab] Introduction >>> Message-ID: >>> <eElZAYg1ydhNdCBZT2CZbAQhbi3mSB_wMVENqyHTZ5v_3-tTsQrrNyP4aOFt9Tw8ZBh_KjfxENnus2tJ1Il-OraOvhfjBUVedHtK-vJ4xiY=(a)protonmail.com> >>> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 >>> >>> Thanks Steve. Interesting information, thanks for sharing. >>> >>> With regard to teff, do you know of any other farmers in your area who successfully grow it as a grain crop? Although it is said teff is grown in at least 25 US states (mostly as a forage crop), I am not finding information on how widely it is grown for grain production. I was a bit surprised several years ago, when I first learned of teff - a crop of the Ethiopian highlands - being grown for grains in Idaho. Apparently the conditions there work well for this crop. >>> >>> Regarding pearl millet, it is known to produce with low rainfall (and in very hot places). I'd be interested to know of anyone in North America is growing it for its grains as a food crop, and where they source seeds. If teff grains (flour, etc) can be marketed to the Ethiopian communities in the US, perhaps food grade pearl millet grown in the US (or Mexico?) could find a market in Indian or some African communities. (Currently, pearl millet grains, flour, and products are imported from India; so when I want that grain, I look in South Asian food stores for "bajra" or "bajri."). >>> >>> May I ask if your extension service has been any help regarding millets? Also, what format of information about millets would work best for you as a farmer and potential mill owner/operator? >>> >>> We're hoping to increase interest in millets as both crops and foods, which are of course interrelated goals. >>> >>> Don >>> >>> Don Osborn >>> East Lansing, MI >>> >>> >>> ------- Original Message ------- >>> >>>> On Thursday, March 24th, 2022 at 9:14 AM, Steve DeWitt via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: >>>> >>>> I?m Steve DeWitt, a Regenerative farmer from northern Oklahoma, growing heritage wheat, sorghum and diverse cover crop mixes for grazing. I tried growing Teff for grain production a few years ago but without irrigation and with hot weather during flowering it was not successful. I do still grow it as a forage crop for the premium horse hay market. I?m interested in growing other millets that are more adapted to my climate, such as Pearl. I?ve been looking into setting up a gluten free mill for sorghum and look forward to learning more about millets. >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Steve DeWitt >>>> >>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>> >>>> -- >>>> >>>> Collab mailing list >>>> >>>> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>>> >>>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> Message: 3 >>> Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2022 23:54:49 -0700 >>> From: "D. Joni Kindwall-Moore" <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> >>> To: Don Osborn <donosborn(a)protonmail.com> >>> Cc: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010(a)icloud.com>, >>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> Subject: Re: [Collab] Introduction >>> Message-ID: >>> <CAHVJMLKyUpOE4TMceo0o4_3a7VrNvCGJi6ybbFgA2ovhWxFUzw(a)mail.gmail.com> >>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" >>> >>> Hi Steve, >>> It?s Joni with NAMA and Snacktivist. Don thanks for the information. >>> I wonder if there would be value in speaking with our Teff farmers and >>> processors at Teffco/Meskal Teff in Boise? Good guys. I?m happy to connect >>> you to discuss. They have had really great success even with limited >>> irrigation in arid areas .They also mill it. >>> I would be thrilled if there was milling set up in your area that could >>> dehull and process small millets and milo. >>> Do you know Jennifer Kosher in Ohio? She just set up a GF mill and we are >>> working on projects together too. Happy to get you in touch. >>> We are hoping to develop market for floured and whole millets such as >>> pearl, foxtail and beyond via Snacktivist and allied brands with a focus on >>> biodiversity. >>> Don, I?ll ask Dr Alan Williams at Understanding Ag. We were just talking >>> millets and I recall him saying they are growing them in the south. They >>> are also hoping to see more market pull so we can harvest for sale rather >>> than just cover crop value. >>> Looking forward to more conversations. I still need to connect you with Don >>> Scheuerman at Palouse Heritage Farms who has a malting and artisan bread >>> making model integrated into his farm. Great guy, I?ll make this happen. >>> Cheers >>> Joni >>> >>> On Thu, Mar 24, 2022 at 11:16 PM Don Osborn via Collab < >>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: >>> >>>> Thanks Steve. Interesting information, thanks for sharing. >>>> >>>> With regard to teff, do you know of any other farmers in your area who >>>> successfully grow it as a grain crop? Although it is said teff is grown in >>>> at least 25 US states (mostly as a forage crop), I am not finding >>>> information on how widely it is grown for grain production. I was a bit >>>> surprised several years ago, when I first learned of teff - a crop of the >>>> Ethiopian highlands - being grown for grains in Idaho. Apparently the >>>> conditions there work well for this crop. >>>> >>>> Regarding pearl millet, it is known to produce with low rainfall (and in >>>> very hot places). I'd be interested to know of anyone in North America is >>>> growing it for its grains as a food crop, and where they source seeds. If >>>> teff grains (flour, etc) can be marketed to the Ethiopian communities in >>>> the US, perhaps food grade pearl millet grown in the US (or Mexico?) could >>>> find a market in Indian or some African communities. (Currently, pearl >>>> millet grains, flour, and products are imported from India; so when I want >>>> that grain, I look in South Asian food stores for "bajra" or "bajri."). >>>> >>>> May I ask if your extension service has been any help regarding millets? >>>> Also, what format of information about millets would work best for you as a >>>> farmer and potential mill owner/operator? >>>> >>>> We're hoping to increase interest in millets as both crops and foods, >>>> which are of course interrelated goals. >>>> >>>> Don >>>> >>>> Don Osborn >>>> East Lansing, MI >>>> >>>> >>>> ------- Original Message ------- >>>> >>>> On Thursday, March 24th, 2022 at 9:14 AM, Steve DeWitt via Collab < >>>> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I?m Steve DeWitt, a Regenerative farmer from northern Oklahoma, growing >>>> heritage wheat, sorghum and diverse cover crop mixes for grazing. I tried >>>> growing Teff for grain production a few years ago but without irrigation >>>> and with hot weather during flowering it was not successful. I do still >>>> grow it as a forage crop for the premium horse hay market. I?m interested >>>> in growing other millets that are more adapted to my climate, such as >>>> Pearl. I?ve been looking into setting up a gluten free mill for sorghum and >>>> look forward to learning more about millets. >>>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> >>>>> Steve DeWitt >>>>> >>>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> >>>>> Collab mailing list >>>>> >>>>> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>>>> >>>>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Collab mailing list >>>> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >>>> >>> -- >>> Joni >>> >>> D. Joni Kindwall-Moore BSN-RN, BA >>> Founder, Innovator, Mother, Nurse, CEO, Activist >>> *SNACKTIVIST INC* >>> P: 406-334-1608 >>> *www.snacktivistfoods.com <http://www.snacktivistfoods.com/>* >>>

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Re: [Collab] Collab Digest, Vol 3, Issue 13
by Steve DeWitt 27 Mar '22

27 Mar '22

Yes, I have been talking with Jennifer Kocher about sorghum. The only teff grain producer I know of in the southern plains is Dean Smith at Hydro, OK. He does irrigate. I was previously working with Tesfa Drar of Selam Foods In Minnesota. His growers are in Oregon and Nevada and he and the Boise group are staunch competitors. The extension service here only knows of millet as a forage and are no help on grain production. Sent from my iPhone > On Mar 25, 2022, at 7:00 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. Introduction (Steve DeWitt) > 2. Re: Introduction (Don Osborn) > 3. Re: Introduction (D. Joni Kindwall-Moore) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2022 08:14:44 -0500 > From: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010(a)icloud.com> > To: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: [Collab] Introduction > Message-ID: <3A71E2C1-EEDA-46E5-89FE-BF185EBE8DE9(a)icloud.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > I?m Steve DeWitt, a Regenerative farmer from northern Oklahoma, growing heritage wheat, sorghum and diverse cover crop mixes for grazing. I tried growing Teff for grain production a few years ago but without irrigation and with hot weather during flowering it was not successful. I do still grow it as a forage crop for the premium horse hay market. I?m interested in growing other millets that are more adapted to my climate, such as Pearl. I?ve been looking into setting up a gluten free mill for sorghum and look forward to learning more about millets. > Regards, > Steve DeWitt > > Sent from my iPhone > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2022 06:16:00 +0000 > From: Don Osborn <donosborn(a)protonmail.com> > To: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010(a)icloud.com> > Cc: collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: Re: [Collab] Introduction > Message-ID: > <eElZAYg1ydhNdCBZT2CZbAQhbi3mSB_wMVENqyHTZ5v_3-tTsQrrNyP4aOFt9Tw8ZBh_KjfxENnus2tJ1Il-OraOvhfjBUVedHtK-vJ4xiY=(a)protonmail.com> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Thanks Steve. Interesting information, thanks for sharing. > > With regard to teff, do you know of any other farmers in your area who successfully grow it as a grain crop? Although it is said teff is grown in at least 25 US states (mostly as a forage crop), I am not finding information on how widely it is grown for grain production. I was a bit surprised several years ago, when I first learned of teff - a crop of the Ethiopian highlands - being grown for grains in Idaho. Apparently the conditions there work well for this crop. > > Regarding pearl millet, it is known to produce with low rainfall (and in very hot places). I'd be interested to know of anyone in North America is growing it for its grains as a food crop, and where they source seeds. If teff grains (flour, etc) can be marketed to the Ethiopian communities in the US, perhaps food grade pearl millet grown in the US (or Mexico?) could find a market in Indian or some African communities. (Currently, pearl millet grains, flour, and products are imported from India; so when I want that grain, I look in South Asian food stores for "bajra" or "bajri."). > > May I ask if your extension service has been any help regarding millets? Also, what format of information about millets would work best for you as a farmer and potential mill owner/operator? > > We're hoping to increase interest in millets as both crops and foods, which are of course interrelated goals. > > Don > > Don Osborn > East Lansing, MI > > > ------- Original Message ------- > >> On Thursday, March 24th, 2022 at 9:14 AM, Steve DeWitt via Collab <collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: >> >> I?m Steve DeWitt, a Regenerative farmer from northern Oklahoma, growing heritage wheat, sorghum and diverse cover crop mixes for grazing. I tried growing Teff for grain production a few years ago but without irrigation and with hot weather during flowering it was not successful. I do still grow it as a forage crop for the premium horse hay market. I?m interested in growing other millets that are more adapted to my climate, such as Pearl. I?ve been looking into setting up a gluten free mill for sorghum and look forward to learning more about millets. >> >> Regards, >> >> Steve DeWitt >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> -- >> >> Collab mailing list >> >> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >> >> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2022 23:54:49 -0700 > From: "D. Joni Kindwall-Moore" <joni(a)snacktivistfoods.com> > To: Don Osborn <donosborn(a)protonmail.com> > Cc: Steve DeWitt <wcfarms2010(a)icloud.com>, > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space > Subject: Re: [Collab] Introduction > Message-ID: > <CAHVJMLKyUpOE4TMceo0o4_3a7VrNvCGJi6ybbFgA2ovhWxFUzw(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Hi Steve, > It?s Joni with NAMA and Snacktivist. Don thanks for the information. > I wonder if there would be value in speaking with our Teff farmers and > processors at Teffco/Meskal Teff in Boise? Good guys. I?m happy to connect > you to discuss. They have had really great success even with limited > irrigation in arid areas .They also mill it. > I would be thrilled if there was milling set up in your area that could > dehull and process small millets and milo. > Do you know Jennifer Kosher in Ohio? She just set up a GF mill and we are > working on projects together too. Happy to get you in touch. > We are hoping to develop market for floured and whole millets such as > pearl, foxtail and beyond via Snacktivist and allied brands with a focus on > biodiversity. > Don, I?ll ask Dr Alan Williams at Understanding Ag. We were just talking > millets and I recall him saying they are growing them in the south. They > are also hoping to see more market pull so we can harvest for sale rather > than just cover crop value. > Looking forward to more conversations. I still need to connect you with Don > Scheuerman at Palouse Heritage Farms who has a malting and artisan bread > making model integrated into his farm. Great guy, I?ll make this happen. > Cheers > Joni > > On Thu, Mar 24, 2022 at 11:16 PM Don Osborn via Collab < > collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: > >> Thanks Steve. Interesting information, thanks for sharing. >> >> With regard to teff, do you know of any other farmers in your area who >> successfully grow it as a grain crop? Although it is said teff is grown in >> at least 25 US states (mostly as a forage crop), I am not finding >> information on how widely it is grown for grain production. I was a bit >> surprised several years ago, when I first learned of teff - a crop of the >> Ethiopian highlands - being grown for grains in Idaho. Apparently the >> conditions there work well for this crop. >> >> Regarding pearl millet, it is known to produce with low rainfall (and in >> very hot places). I'd be interested to know of anyone in North America is >> growing it for its grains as a food crop, and where they source seeds. If >> teff grains (flour, etc) can be marketed to the Ethiopian communities in >> the US, perhaps food grade pearl millet grown in the US (or Mexico?) could >> find a market in Indian or some African communities. (Currently, pearl >> millet grains, flour, and products are imported from India; so when I want >> that grain, I look in South Asian food stores for "bajra" or "bajri."). >> >> May I ask if your extension service has been any help regarding millets? >> Also, what format of information about millets would work best for you as a >> farmer and potential mill owner/operator? >> >> We're hoping to increase interest in millets as both crops and foods, >> which are of course interrelated goals. >> >> Don >> >> Don Osborn >> East Lansing, MI >> >> >> ------- Original Message ------- >> >> On Thursday, March 24th, 2022 at 9:14 AM, Steve DeWitt via Collab < >> collab(a)lists.millets2023.space> wrote: >> >>> I?m Steve DeWitt, a Regenerative farmer from northern Oklahoma, growing >> heritage wheat, sorghum and diverse cover crop mixes for grazing. I tried >> growing Teff for grain production a few years ago but without irrigation >> and with hot weather during flowering it was not successful. I do still >> grow it as a forage crop for the premium horse hay market. I?m interested >> in growing other millets that are more adapted to my climate, such as >> Pearl. I?ve been looking into setting up a gluten free mill for sorghum and >> look forward to learning more about millets. >>> >>> Regards, >>> >>> Steve DeWitt >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Collab mailing list >>> >>> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >>> >>> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >> >> >> -- >> Collab mailing list >> Collab(a)lists.millets2023.space >> https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab >> > -- > Joni > > D. Joni Kindwall-Moore BSN-RN, BA > Founder, Innovator, Mother, Nurse, CEO, Activist > *SNACKTIVIST INC* > P: 406-334-1608 > *www.snacktivistfoods.com <http://www.snacktivistfoods.com/>* >

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