Small Scale Grain & Beans: Grow, Process, & Save (Network)

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Sharing methods & tools used for planting, harvesting, threshing, storing, & milling. Organic & Biodynamics. Swapping heirloom or locally-appropriate seeds & resisting introduction of GMO seeds into our Salish Sea bioregion watersheds

Location: Cascadia Bioregion - Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Bellingham & beyond
Members: 46
Latest Activity: Apr 15, 2023

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Welcome New Members! Please listen in & enjoy reading our current discussions & comments. .For viewing all the "Discussion" click the "View All" button below.. .Remember to be placed on our private email list through Heather K or Brian. :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purpose & Vision of Whatcom Wheat & Grain/Bean Growers

* Sharing Methods & Tools for planting, harvesting, threshing, storing, & milling..(... organics, bio-dynamics, natural farming & beyond )
* Choosing Seed Varities for purposes of human food, animal feed & soil restoration;
* Swapping our best heirloom or locally-appropriate seeds, & resisting any introduction of GMO seeds into our watersheds.
* Increasing Skills in using Hand Tools, and tools powered with sustainable energy; transitioning to become independent of oil-powered tools and oil-based fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides.
* Events posted for sharing research, methods, & tools.
* Work-Parties for harvesting, threshing & combines....
* A network group for those growing 1) Traditional Grains like wheat,
2) Gluten-Free grains like quinoa, amaranth, rice, buckwheat, maize, millet,
3) Other Grains & Seeds like oats, sorghum, barley, triticale, spelt, flax, sunflowers, and safflower, and 4) Dry Storage Legumes such as dry beans, garbanzos, soy beans, fava beans, and soup peas.
* Sharing Skills such as Horse-drawn tool Cultivators, alternative power, and hand made/blacksmith tools.
* Also focused on our unique northwest Maritime Climate & soil types

This group is facilated by Krista Rome, Heather K, and our wise farmer friends!

To view all discussion, click on the 'View All' button at end of disucssion list.

Whatcom Farmers- Consider requesting subscription to the Whatcom Farmers Google group that contains useful events from Sustainable Connection, Laura R, & others.
To suscribe call Sustainable Connections or go to website: http://sustainableconnections.org/foodfarming/forlocalproducers/index_html

Events we wish to promote can be done through the main TW "Events" tab.
(And also through Shannon Maris who sends out her focused "Garden E-News". Leave your email on her personal TW page if you wish to be on the mailing list
.(Also David MacLeod writes newsletters for both Sustainable Bellingham & TW).

(When we refer to growing 'organically', we refer to as what Farmer Walter would describe as the "feed the soil" paradigm & the research of Sir Albert Howard, Robert Rodale & many others from over the last 100 years...Not the co-optation of the word by the marketing, regulatory, & globel corporation world.... Many growers style of farming go beyond organic into a deeper form of earthcare)

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Comment by David Pike on March 29, 2010 at 8:26pm: Hey Farmers - thought this is interesting.

specifically Brian K. - we were talking after the grain event about perennial grain crops and I couldn't think of the guy's name who was doing intensive work on the perennial grain project...of course it is Wes Jackson - he's got some serious studies on developing perennial grain agriculture at The Land Institute. I guess what they've got so far is promising - but is not near the yields of the annual crops. Still I think it is worth growing - imagine the saved labor and fertilizer. No erosion by cultivation. The land regains fertility the longer the 'crop' stays established. A diverse mixture of perennial grains and seeds would be excellent for wild life or farm life and people. and pretty!

http://www.landinstitute.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2007/03/15/45facff...

Comment by Tyler Marrs on March 25, 2010 at 11:26am: Woody - I don't know that I qualify as "serious", as I am new to grains. But I am a homebrewer, and that's part of my drive to grow grains. This will be my first year trying grains, and I am jumping in with both feet. I would certainly be willing to try a sample.

I will be buying other seed this year as well. Bountiful Gardens looks promising. Any other recommendations for seed sources?

Thanks all - I am excited to have found this group.

Comment by Woody Deryckx on March 25, 2010 at 10:58am: "The main condition that favors both high yield and high protein in the grain is adequate
soil nitrogen content. The quality of the protein in terms of nutrition and breadmaking is further
optimized when there is plenty of available sulfur in the soil, presumably because the sulfur
containing amino acids can then be properly produced by the wheat."
Monica Spiller

Comment by Woody Deryckx on March 25, 2010 at 7:02am: I bought some foundation seed of Harrington Barley from the University of Idaho - going to grow it out and attempt to make malt for local micro brew. I would be happy to share small samples to serious local grain and bean folks to trial grow this season. I'll be growing it at three or four locations in the Skagit Valley - hopefully we'll be able to brew a batch at Birdsview Brewery and save back plenty of seed to grow more next season. Need to figure out a simple design for a malting facility too - any ideas or sources of info on malting?
Happy Spring to you all!!!!

Comment by Brian Kerkvliet on March 24, 2010 at 10:44pm: I got a old wood chipper late last year that I want to transform into a thresher for beans and other grains. Is there any interest in helping with this project? I would like to have it available for the community to use, and to be a model that can be replicated so as to have more then one available in the county during harvest time. I found these plans and would like to start by following them and go from there. I have a lot of tools and resources, want to help? Let me know.
http://sustainableseedsystems.wsu.edu/nicheMarket/smallScaleThreshi...

Comment by Heather K on March 24, 2010 at 10:30am: Some minor changes now made to the group title and text thanks to input from Brian, Walter, & Krista.

I've also invited my good farmer friends TLyle & Betty from Pennsylvania to join our network.
They are both wise & hardworking. We can all learn from each other.

Good chance Larry Korn, editor of book 'One Straw Revolution' will be coming to visit & share for a couple days – pencil in May 10-13, 2010...more details to follow.

Comment by Heather K on March 23, 2010 at 11:13am: Yes!

Comment by Heather K on March 22, 2010 at 2:43pm: Welcome...Please forward to your network of grain raisers & dry bean growers.
The group text was completed by Heather with the editing assistance & encouragement from Krista & Celt & friends!
Please email me if you have any suggestions for clarity & accuracy..