question about Claviceps purpurea in grain

Jul 22, 2021 05:31:18

I found this fungus, Claviceps purpurea (ergot fungus) in some of the oars of my Sepp Holzer grain.

I harvested all of the grain (most oars were ripe). I want to keep the seeds of the best ones (thickest oars on longest stalks) to sow for next year.
The other seeds I think I'm going to eat. But I want to ask first: is it possible that seeds in other oars have no visible fungus bodies, but still are contaminated? If I eat them can I be poisoned (St. Anthony's Fire, hallucinations, or even worse ...)? Anybody here who knows?

Aug 12, 2021 11:41:05

Hi Inge. Hope you’re still amongst us!
I would not know if the other stalks have been contaminated. I noticed some black dust like spots on other stalks. Mine are rye or rogge in dutch.
I am keeping mine. A friend told me of pregnant lady who might have to use it when they decide to refuse her to the hospital because she does not want to take the vaccine. It used to be called moederkoren and there is a medicine called Methergine to stop post natal bleeding.
What a time to be alive!

Aug 12, 2021 12:04:10

Hugo Morvan wrote:Hi Inge. Hope you’re still amongst us!
I would not know if the other stalks have been contaminated. I noticed some black dust like spots on other stalks. Mine are rye or rogge in dutch.
I am keeping mine. A friend told me of pregnant lady who might have to use it when they decide to refuse her to the hospital because she does not want to take the vaccine. It used to be called moederkoren and there is a medicine called Methergine to stop post natal bleeding.
What a time to be alive!

Thank you Hugo. Yes I'm still alive. And I ate the grains! I read more on it and on the history of 'moederkoorn' (or 'moederkoren') and concluded people were only poisoned when they ate contaminated rye bread for a long time. So I cooked my handful of grains to eat them like rice. No problem at all. I read too about it being used in medication against natal bleeding.

Aug 12, 2021 12:46:03

I love rye bread. I hope to find a machine to get those seeds out. By hand it will take me a whole day. They’re local seeds of a local variety. They grew so tall, so fast.
My compagnon the farmer told me this story of a Russian traveller who once visited the place where i live. The soil is very poor here. The man took seeds home to his motherland. It grew so well there he came back and ordered a trainfull of it. It’s the base of Russia’s role as the big grain producer he claims. No idea if it’s based in reality.
Some friends over here are trying to grow old varieties of local grain types too. We swap quite some seeds amongst us. If you ever could spare some of those Sepp Holzer grains that would be a nice addition to our collection. We could swap too if you’re interested in that or some seeds from France.
I wanted to ask people on Permies about this fungus when i stumbled upon your post! People don’t seem to find it that interesting it seems.

Do you see an uptick in interest in permaculture in Holland. I had a lady visiting my project who told me it’s quite hot. She has started a food forest and planted three thousand trees last autumn. She got some money to do that. She loved what i do but she was amazed about the amount of annuals i grow. But she left enthused and inspired. I love it when that happens!
I could PM you her blog if you like.

All the best!

Aug 12, 2021 13:44:26

That's right, Hugo. Permaculture is 'in the lift' here in the Netherlands. Especially in the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Drenthe many people are starting (small or larger) food-forests. Because in general most Dutch people do not own land, they first organise a group, start a foundation or a co-operation and do their best to get permission from the local government. That's what we here in Meppel did too. We (as a group of volunteers) have permission to use two small parts of the neighbourhood park, one as a permaculture (demonstration) garden, the other as a small food-forest.

But the Sepp Holzer grain I grew in my front yard, from the seeds I got from Permies (for doing so many SKIP BBs). Yes, it's some kind of rye (rogge). They claim it's perennial, but in that case you have to cut it, so it won't make oars and seeds. I grew it as an annual, so now I have seeds to grow more. And some seeds (grains) to eat, which I cleaned all by hand ...

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