Excellent discussion on U.S. food millets. Over 400,000 acres of proso millet grain is harvested annually in the U.S. and potentially available for use in glutin-free foods and beverages. However, until now there were no uniform grain fungibility standards in North America to segregate human millet from that used for bird and poultry feed, ethanol, mushroom, cover crops, or millet use for wild bird plots. That will change.

A sixteen-page document has just been released by the North American Millets Alliance and submitted to USDA's Agricultural Marketing Services which will designate higher quality food grade proso millet from farm-to-buyer-to-processor. "Ancient Proso Millet Quality Grading Standards a Versatile Survival Grain" brochure is now available and submitted to regulators, inspectors, farmers, buyers, and seed breeders for immediate implementation. See (PDF) Ancient Proso Millet Quality Grading Standards final 021825.

Keep up this great discussion....Gary Wietgrefe

On Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 9:19 AM <collab-request@lists.millets2023.space> wrote:
Send Collab mailing list submissions to
        collab@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@lists.millets2023.space

You can reach the person managing the list at
        collab-owner@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. Sourcing proso for food (Re: Little Millet Seed Curator
      Perspective) (Don Osborn)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2025 11:18:48 -0500
From: Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org>
To: Dipak Santra <dsantra2@unl.edu>
Cc: "Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS" <david.brenner@usda.gov>,
        "collab@lists.millets2023.space" <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
Subject: [Collab] Sourcing proso for food (Re: Little Millet Seed
        Curator Perspective)
Message-ID:
        <CA+RHibVVapk_S-bpBLma5QrZ-KNdGAQSLUx3oZX5_dsLnZKHhg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Thank you both for your added information on little millet and barnyard
millet.

Regarding "food grade" grains, this could be a useful discussion. Are there
not some varieties with size or flavor characteristics that might be more
suited to food uses? "Food grade" may also be a reference to the quality of
the grain (remember Gary's proposed proso millet grain standards).

Regarding sourcing proso for food, I used to get it from bulk bins at
stores like Whole Foods, until they stopped stocking it, or a local
independent grocer that sadly closed last year. Now I'll buy a packaged
brand, of which there are several containing US production (Eden Foods,
Anthony's, Grand Teton Ancient Grains, Bob's Red Mill, Shiloh Farms, Living
Now, and Relative Foods, to name a few), plus many more from India and
China. (Some other companies such as Arrowhead Mills markets proso millet
flour, but apparently not whole grains.) For examples of proso products,
see https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/millets-plural/proso-millet-proso/

Kudos to three of the American companies that give more complete
information than others on the identity of the "millet" in their respective
products. In each case, they give the species name; Eden and Grand Teton
also have alternative common names for proso - "yellow millet" & "white
millet," respectively):
* Eden Foods
https://store.edenfoods.com/millet-organic-16-oz/?srsltid=AfmBOorL6tOIlzfn1XBbhfd1O98IluxI7uuLgwIjqN-P04SJ3TwrtswJ
* Anthony's Goods
https://anthonysgoods.com/products/anthonys-organic-hulled-millet
* Grand Teton Ancient Grains
https://www.ancientgrains.com/shop/millet/15-lbs-organic-millet-white-hulled

Don

DO, EL, MI, US
NAMA


On Fri, Feb 28, 2025 at 5:36?PM Dipak Santra <dsantra2@unl.edu> wrote:

> David:
>
>
>
> I agree with you about little millet and barnyard millet. Little millet
> porridge and barnyard millet pudding are yummy.
>
>
>
> There is not separate proso millet variety for human food. I eat the same
> bird feed proso millet variety that I eat once a week as rice (same as
> traditional Indian rice) or litter & lentil soup.
>
>
>
> Dipak
>
>
>
> *From: *Collab <collab-bounces@lists.millets2023.space> on behalf of
> Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS via Collab <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
> *Date: *Friday, February 28, 2025 at 3:24?PM
> *To: *Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org>
> *Cc: *collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
> *Subject: *Re: [Collab] Little Millet Seed Curator Perspective
>
> *Caution:* Non-NU Email
>
>
>
> Don,
>
>
>
> Thanks for the encouragement.
>
>
>
> Little millet is fun to eat and a competitive choice for people with
> enough money to eat whatever they want to.  Barnyard millet is also very
> edible.  I have not tried a proso millet that was selected for human food
> use and I wonder if there  is a food-proso that is better than North
> American varieties selected for high yield.
>
>
>
> I keep food millet at home in a chest freezer in the original plastic
> packages.
>
>
>
> David Brenner
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Don Osborn <don@milletsalliance.org>
> *Sent:* Friday, February 28, 2025 12:54 PM
> *To:* Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS <david.brenner@usda.gov>
> *Cc:* collab@lists.millets2023.space <collab@lists.millets2023.space>
> *Subject:* Re: Little Millet Seed Curator Perspective
>
>
>
> Thank you, David, for these perspectives on little millet resources at
> your USDA station, and uses of its grain as food.
>
>
>
> Interesting to know of varieties that perform well in Iowa. (This Panicum
> species, of course, originated further south than its close cousin, proso.)
> Are you aware of any experiments with little millet elsewhere in North
> America? (I understand that Dr. Raju Soolanayakanahally of Agriculture and
> Agri-Food Canada has done some work with this millet:
> https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/story-agricultural-science/scientific-achievements-agriculture/shining-spotlight-millet
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/agriculture.canada.ca/en/science/story-agricultural-science/scientific-achievements-agriculture/shining-spotlight-millet__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsHgTumbPQ$>
>  )
>
>
>
> I should also mention that Dr. Vetriventhan Mani of ICRISAT, who
> course was one of our webinar presenters on proso last week, also has done
> significant work with little millet (mainly in India). See for example:
>
> * "The Big Potential of Little Millet," by Eric Hamilton, American Society
> of Agronomy (via Phys.org), 12 July 2021
> https://phys.org/news/2021-07-big-potential-millet.html
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/phys.org/news/2021-07-big-potential-millet.html__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsHWd8lNuw$>
>
> * Vetriventhan M, Upadhyaya HD, Azevedo VCR, Allan V, Anitha S.
> "Variability and trait-specific accessions for grain yield and nutritional
> traits in germplasm of little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. Ex. Roem. &
> Schult.)." Crop Science. 2021; 61: 2658?2679.
> https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20527
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20527__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsFyZY4MGA$>
>
>
>
> Regarding little millet purchased in the US, I've had mixed luck. The
> first batch worked well, cooked mainly as rice or as hot cereal mixed with
> oatmeal. THe taste I compared as closer to rice than proso's "nutty"
> flavor. The second purchase seemed a bit old and in storage (I store in
> glass jars) started turning musty. Also got a pancake mix that used little
> millet, which was good except I found it overly sweet (due to jaggery in
> the ingredients).
>
>
>
> All the best,
>
>
>
> Don
>
>
>
> DO, EL, MI, US
>
> NAMA
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 24, 2025 at 1:57?PM Brenner, David (CTR) - REE-ARS <
> david.brenner@usda.gov> wrote:
>
> Little Millet Seed Curator Perspective
>
>
>
> The US National Plant Germplasm Collection has 211 accessions of little
> millet (Panicum sumatrense) housed at the station in Ames, Iowa.  All the
> accessions originated in India. They are widely adapted; most can mature
> seeds here in Iowa.
>
>
>
> The observation data on the GRIN online database is mixed with the related
> proso millet (Panicum miliaceum) data.  *https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/cropdetail?type=species&id=226
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/cropdetail?type=species&id=226__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsG3Oul1lw$>*
>
> Most of the little millet collection was grown and imaged in the field
> here in Iowa. Images and notes are posted.
>
> Here is an example: *https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1358448
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1358448__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsFCxaVhkw$>*
>
> Examples of little millet accessions that are well adapted in Iowa.
>
> PI 463755 short
>
> *https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1358691
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1358691__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsGzAMutFg$>*
>
> PI 463711 early
>
> *https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1358647
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1358647__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!HOxOSyUvT9jAR-3l3q3Lo9tfUdNAdz9WEsj52doWS_2ybzyG8n5no6K7DkRM82keaUumM7CAq-Tj5XzcphWaBsFo_Ie8DA$>*
>
>
>
> I purchase Little Millet grain at a grocery store in Des Moines, Iowa. It
> makes a nice tabouli since the grain size is like a fine grade of bulgar
> wheat.
>
>
>
> David Brenner
>             David.Brenner@USDA.GOV
>
>
>                                         Or: dbrenner@iastate.edu
>
>
>
> Plant Introduction Station                                      phone
> 515-294-6786
>
> Iowa State University
>
>
> 716 Farm House Lane, Ames, IA  50011-1051
>
> USA
>
>
>
> *https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/search.aspx
> <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/search.aspx__;!!PvXuogZ4sRB2p-tU!DqK6hYayk90RYImdFMotOx-sENGT6rrDx411VrQF4iDA_nJq6wGgRF6GIDjvztzMtz8RAu_yzVNtHjn65PlcebnlaXxdnL3p4A$>*
> ?
>
> Curator of: Amaranthus, Celosia, Chenopodium, Coronilla, Dalea, Galega,
> Melilotus, Perilla, Portulaca, Spinacia, miscellaneous Umbelliferae, and
> the millets: Echinochloa, Panicum, and Setaria.
>
> Hatch Act NC7 Regional Project in the US National Plant Germplasm System
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely
> for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message
> or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law
> and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you
> have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete
> the email immediately.
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.millets2023.space/pipermail/collab/attachments/20250302/e15bf0dd/attachment.htm>

------------------------------

Subject: Digest Footer



--
Collab mailing list
Collab@lists.millets2023.space
https://lists.millets2023.space/mailman/listinfo/collab


------------------------------

End of Collab Digest, Vol 38, Issue 1
*************************************


--
Author, Gary W. Wietgrefe,
https://www.RelatingtoAncients.com/
Destination North Pole--5,000 km by bicycle is an exciting, endearing, humorous, dangerous and sometimes quirky travel adventure. Hardcover, paperback and e-books are available on Amazon or other on-line retailers. My other books tie education, school system, parenting, technology, and business with 21st century culture and learning.