Happy New Year 2025! With the new year, there is one change in the "Millet of the Month" calendar: Fonio and the Digitaria species are now in July, with the barnyard millets now in August (switching places). Since "Fonio Day" on July 27 seems to be getting more attention, it seemed to make sense to join that initiative in the same month. The Millet-of-the-Month calendar for 2025 follows, in text (and attached as an image file): Jan. proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) Feb. little millet (Panicum sumatrense) Mar. foxtail millet (Setaria italica) Apr. pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) May finger millet (Eleusine coracana) Jun. sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Jul. fonio & raishan (Digitaria spp.) Aug. barnyard millet (Echinochloa spp.) Sep. browntop & Guinea (Brachiaria spp.) Oct. kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum) Nov. teff (Eragrostis tef) Dec. adlay/Job's tears (Coix lacryma-jobi) The idea behind the Millet-of-the-month calendar is the same as before - spotlighting one unique millet (or 2 or more closely related ones) each month, over the course of the year. This rotating spotlight does not limit attention to any millet at any time, of course. It just assures that there is a predictable time to give attention to each millet. We seek to coordinate this calendar to the extent possible with other calendars and observances. For example, sorghum is also the Whole Grain Council's Grain-of-the-month in June. Our focus on teff in November harmonizes partially with WGC's observance that month. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance
