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@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
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On Thursday, March 24th, 2022 at 9:14 AM, Steve DeWitt via Collab < collab@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
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