Our "millet-of-the-month" for May is .... fonio (*Digitaria exilis*). This tiny grain is grown in the West African Sahel, and also further south (I first got to know it in the plateau region of southern Togo, and later saw & ate a lot of it in Futa Jalon, Guinea). It is quick growing, adapted to adverse conditions, and a nutritious grain. In recent years it has been packaged and exported to markets in North America and Europe. And even more recently, a range of products have been developed (from snacks, to flavored mixes, to beverages). The name "fonio" comes from Wolof via French (altho several languages in western West Africa have similar names). It is also called "acha" - a borrowing from Hausa - especially in Nigeria and eastern West Africa. The moniker "hungry rice" is also used to describe this plant, as it can be sown and harvested in the "hungry season" before larger cereal crops are ready to harvest. Fonio is actually one of four (4) *Digitiaria* species among the millets. There is also a less widely grown "black fonio" (*D. iburua*) mainly in eastern W. Africa. In the Khasi Hills of northeast India there is "raishan" (*D. compacta*). And a variety of crabgrass sometimes called "Polish millet" (*D. sanguinalis*) was grown for food in central Europe, and by early settlers in North America - although this is usually treated as a weed today. The idea of the millet-of-the-month calendar is to spotlight one millet each month out of the crowd of millets, which are otherwise not well known individually in this part of the world. This month, the spotlight is shared with 3 botanically related millets Links: * Reference: ** Fonio (aka white fonio): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitaria_exilis ** Black or iburua fonio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitaria_iburua ** Raishan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitaria_compacta ** Polish millet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digitaria_sanguinalis ** Some images of fonio & fonio products: https://www.pinterest.com/drdonosborn/fonio-teff-africas-tiniest-millets/fon... * Sampling of recent articles & a podcast mentioning fonio or raishan ** "Make Me Care About...Ancient Grains" podcast of the Bill & Linda Gates Foundation, 10 May 2023. Features an interview by Jen Hatmaker of Pierre Thiam, chef, entrepreneur, author, and social activist. Fonio is a prominent topic. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/podcast/make-me-care-about/episode-7-ancient... ** "The Path To Ending Hunger Starts With Putting Farmers, Fishers, and Ranchers First," by Danielle Nierenberg, Forbes, 15 May 2023. Article mentions fonio in Mali, and an effort to develop processing capacity for the grain (USAID, Yolélé, and Sustainable African Foods). https://www.forbes.com/sites/daniellenierenberg/2023/05/15/the-path-to-endin... ** "The Ancient Super Grain That Could Help Feed the World," by Dan Saladino, Foreign Policy, 8 Oct. 2022. Particular attention is given to the example of raishan. https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/10/08/food-crisis-biodiversity-agriculture-in... DO, EL, MI, US NAMA