Join the Grain Growing Test Project!
November, 2009
A project of Sustainable Orcas Island designed by Dan Borman [dan.borman.food.plantsatgmail.com]
Island Sounder article on this project: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/sanjuans/isj/lifestyle/69809102.html
Background:
SOI believes that it will be increasingly important for local residents to grow more of their own food. Developed through human history, grains are known to be one of the most nutrition-intensive foods available to us. We think that individuals can grow grains productively on a small scale.
Goal:
To start learning what types of grains grow well on Orcas Island.
Process:
Motivated growers in the San Juans will volunteer to plant a couple of rows or more of 12 types of grains, including 8 varieties of wheat, 2 varieties of rye, and one variety each of triticale and barley, from a kit containing roughly two ounces (or a bit more) of each sample. The volunteers will pay a minimal cost ($8 total per kit) to help recover costs. The plots will need to be deer proof. We estimate that a 50-to-100 square foot area would be enough to run a reasonable test.
Dan suggests planting about 1” deep, 2-4” apart in rows that are about 6 to 12” apart. Don’t pay special attention to adding soil amendments for this test, which is intended to find out what might at some point work on a larger scale with soil characteristics that we can sustain locally. Some of the grains do better with more or less nitrogen-rich soils, some with higher levels of sand or higher levels of clay, etc.
Volunteers will track/map each planting to make sure we get good information about each sample’s success. Using rows will help to compare the growth of each planting. Also, it will be helpful to record the type of soil and other conditions for each test plot.
Pollinating:
The rye will cross pollinate so either plant the two rye samples in areas separated by 1/4 mile or plant in different years, or plant both but only let the one that grows the best go to flower.
Wheat and barley self pollinate. Thus do not normally cross either between varieties or across species.
Timeline:
Planting before the end of November 2009 and sharing results through next year’s growing season. These are all winter hardy grains, suited best for fall planting. It is a warm fall so despite getting the seed late there should be many successes.
Kept in a cool, dry place, these seeds will be viable for planting in future years as well.
More Information from Dan:
Wheat and a few other grains are classed several different ways. One classification is "habit" which will be winter, facilitative, or spring. Many spring types DIE if asked to overwinter, some springs do not; on the continuum, those "spring types" that are yet hardier are called facultative, and those that need to accumulate a chilling period are called winter. That said, many spring and facultative types are a good choice especially for this area and ESPECIALLY in an El Nino year like I believe this one is, since the winter promises to be a warm one that spring types will do well in.
Tradition says soft wheats are for west of the cascades. That is why the softs are included in the trials kit.
It is highly suggested that all these wheats be trialed in equivalent soil and exposure so you will have a good idea what your location can support and produce. Sometimes a wheat variety that is not good on one farm is the best on another. The only real way to find out is to grow a bunch. There are nearly 200,000 wheat varieties for a reason.
These soft wheats are not as soft as you might suspect. Even some of the soft wheats will make bread or will profitably be blended into dough for same, as long as you are not trying to make wonder bread in one hour. Sourdough or other long fermentation converts many lesser wheats into superior breads.
Contact information to obtain the kits for planting:
Phil Heikkinen, Director
Orcas Island Public Library
500 Rose Street
Eastsound, WA 98245
360-376-4985 voice, -5750 fax
www.orcaslibrary.org
MORE ABOUT THE GRAINS
WHEATS:
Darwin = winter hard white
Finley = winter hard red
Gene = winter soft white
Juniper = probably-winter hard red
Lambert = winter soft white
Marks Red = probably-winter maritime adapted
Neeley = winter hard red wheat.
Tim Peters Red = probably-winter maritime adapted
BARLEY:
Charles Barley
RYES:
Dronial Lithuanian
Licht Kern Raggen
The ryes are the only grains in this sample that might cross-pollinate. Therefore, for the purposes of the test it is best either to keep them at least ¼ mile apart or to cut the seed head from the variety that doesn’t appear to be doing as well.
TRITICALE:
Pearl