From the bread basket to the beer keg...

Cereals inlude wheat (Triticum aestivum and durum), oats (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) . So much of what we eat contains cereals including breakfast cereal, crackers, pasta, thickeners for soups and stews. In fact unless you really go out of your way to intentionally avoid it, you probably consume it many times a day. Wheat in particular has been in the news lately with claims of modern dwarf wheat causing gluten intolerance and even obesity. There are also many anecdotal stories of landrace wheats reversing some of these, especially the gluten sensitivity issues.

We grow grain varieties that pre-date the so-called green revolution (1940's), and the practice of industrial fertilizeres, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, and high yield dwarf varieties. These old varieties, referred to as heritage or landrace varieties, are best suited to organic, low input agriculture where no chemicals are used, and provide a nutritious and distinct harvest. Each year is a bit different based on soils, what was grown in the field the previous year, and most importantly .... the weather, which as we all experience is becoming more extreme and less predictable each year.

Wheat

We have been growing Red fife for nearly a decade, and breeding new specialized varieties of it, including our "Winter Rose" Red Fife. We offer stone ground whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, and Red Fife wheat berries for savory salads! You can also drink our wheat?!

... and what about thatching a roof, growing a straw bale house Stay tuned for updates about our cuticular waxy wheat project!

Rye

Rye is a grain that is seeded mostly in the fall, although there are spring seeded varieties. We mill stone ground rye flour, cracked rye, and also make rye flakes. Rye is also an adjunct to making rye beer.

 

Oats

Oats are awesome! Not only are they good for the soil (providing the straw is worked back into the ground), but they are one of the time tested 'bonnie' breakfast cereals. We offer rolled oats and oat grouts, and small batch oat flour.

We also have the privelage of having our oats go into "Lost Train" - a stout beer from Dominion City Brewery