Bread is called the staff of life and bread means wheat. With our huge wheatfields in the midwest we take wheat for granted. We don’t think about the possibility of the supply diminishing or about the changing nutritional value of the wheat.
Eli Rogosa and the Heritage Wheat Conservancy,which she founded is collaborating with the Northeast Organic Wheat and UMass Extension to hold a Grain Conference on July 14 and 15. The first day will be held at the University of Massachusetts farm in South Deerfield. There will be talks about grain biodiversity and culinary art; building a local grain system; and wheat sysstems for community vitality. There will be a tour of the heritage wheat trials and several afternoon sessions for growers, and for those like me who want to know more the value of these old grains.
The July 15th session will be held at Eli Rogosa’s farm in Colrain to allow more informal exchanges.
For full information about the program and registration log onto www.growseed.org. Pre-registration is suggested.
Hi Pat
I’ve been on a gluten free diet for a while because my Chiropractic Physician suspected I may have a wheat allergy. It’s amazing how many food items contain gluten that have nothing to do with wheat (ice cream for instance). Anyways, as the result of this gluten free diet I have rediscovered Quinoa. So far I’ve had it like rice, I’ve had Quinoa pasta, and I bought some Quinoa flour to make baked goods. Having something I can replace wheat with is somehow modratly comforting.
Hey Pat, my taste buds miss it, but the rest of me is better off without it. I’m gluten-intolerant too. Since cutting wheat from my diet, (and not substituting gluten-free processed foods,) I feel so much better, eat more veggies, and a few excess pounds dropped off effortlessly.
Bill and Linda – One of the interesting wheat facts I learned from Eli Rogosa is that the ancient emer wheat is gluten free! Of course, right now I think you might have to grow your own. I’ll know more after the conference.