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grain seeds

 
Brenda Groth
pollinator
Posts: 4437
Location: North Central Michigan
23
posted 9 years ago
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i have not been able to find a source for small amounts of grain seeds for planting small plots on our property to try grains for bread making..etc.

i am aware there are foods that do grow here that i can use as grain substitutes..like the cattail tops and amaranth..etc..but i want to try to grow some spring red hard wheat, oats, and rye..but can't find seed for them..want to plant fairly small amounts first to see what i come up with..and how well it grows, and then do more later if it does well here..

any suggestions..thanks

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

 
                                
Posts: 148
posted 9 years ago
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Here's one place. I've never bought from them, just came up in a search.
http://www.bobsredmill.com/organic-hard-red-spring-wheat.html
 
Brenda Groth
pollinator
Posts: 4437
Location: North Central Michigan
23
posted 9 years ago
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oh wow that is the flour company, didn't know they sold seeds too..thanks.

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

 
Joel Hollingsworth
pollinator
Posts: 2103
Location: Oakland, CA
5
posted 9 years ago
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It isn't uncommon for a grocery store to carry popcorn, wheat berries, rye berries, whole (un-rolled, un-chopped) oats, brown rice, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa...as well as a few sundries like raw sunflower seeds in the shell, popcorn, breadseed poppy.

Pet stores sell a mix of (usually) millet, sorghum, and sunflower.

This mail-order site came up on another thread, and looks very interesting:

Quittrack wrote:you need to read "Small-Scale Grain Raising." It is most complete source when it comes to grain in the garden that I have come across.

I got my seeds from Bountiful Gardens http://www.bountifulgardens.org/



Their hard red winter wheat doesn't necessarily seem to be suitable for sowing in the summer, though.

Some are also available from the less-mainstream seed catalogs, usually under the category of cover crops. I know Baker Creek sells some, including mountain rice. A biodynamic catalog I looked through also had some grains on offer.

"the qualities of these bacteria, like the heat of the sun, electricity, or the qualities of metals, are part of the storehouse of knowledge of all men.  They are manifestations of the laws of nature, free to all men and reserved exclusively to none." SCOTUS, Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kale Inoculant Co.

 
Brenda Groth
pollinator
Posts: 4437
Location: North Central Michigan
23
posted 9 years ago
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again thanks, i'll check those out..i thought the local feed store would stock grains and cover crop seeds..but they have the typical packets that the grocery and walmart type stores carry..very little real difference..and none of my dozens and dozens of mail order catalogs had any..

i'm aware of the birdseed ..as we buy corn and sunflower seeds for our critters..but a lot of the food type seeds have been treated so they don't sprout..

i was looking for spring rather than winter hard red wheat..so i'll check with the sites you mentioned..thanks again

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

 
Brenda Groth
pollinator
Posts: 4437
Location: North Central Michigan
23
posted 9 years ago
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oh my gosh, I LOVE that bountiful garden site..bookmarked it and will place an order on Thursday when money is available..will probably spend some time looking it over this evening when i have time..but it sure looks like my kinda of website..thank you so much !

Brenda

Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/

 
Joel Hollingsworth
pollinator
Posts: 2103
Location: Oakland, CA
5
posted 9 years ago
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I knew I had been forgetting one:

Seeds of Change

"the qualities of these bacteria, like the heat of the sun, electricity, or the qualities of metals, are part of the storehouse of knowledge of all men.  They are manifestations of the laws of nature, free to all men and reserved exclusively to none." SCOTUS, Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kale Inoculant Co.

 
Robert Ray
gardener
Posts: 1398
Location: Cascades of Oregon
23
posted 9 years ago
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www.stockseed.com

"There is enough in the world for everyones needs, but not enough for everyones greed"
(Buckman)

 
Joel Hollingsworth
pollinator
Posts: 2103
Location: Oakland, CA
5
posted 9 years ago
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Researching hulless oats, I also came up with this company, which seems to focus on my climate:

Sustainable Seeds

"the qualities of these bacteria, like the heat of the sun, electricity, or the qualities of metals, are part of the storehouse of knowledge of all men.  They are manifestations of the laws of nature, free to all men and reserved exclusively to none." SCOTUS, Funk Bros. Seed Co. v. Kale Inoculant Co.

 
                                    
Posts: 32
Location: Ishpeming, Michigan
posted 9 years ago
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I get grain from

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/buy_wheat_whole_grain_red_white_wheat_berries_making_bread_flour.aspx

They say it's sproutable so I don't see why you couldn't grow your own. If I had the room to grow it I would. The hard white wheat I use for yeast products and the soft white wheat I use for baking soda or baking powder products.It's an investment to get started grinding your own grain but considering the nutritional benefits I felt it was well worth the money.I did get the electric family grain mill with the option of the manual attatchment as I have some nerve damage in my arm. The manual attatchment works very well but you have to grind your grain twice to get a fine enough flour. HTH
 
                                    
Posts: 32
Location: Ishpeming, Michigan
posted 9 years ago
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I forgot to say that the taste and quality of bread, cakes ect. is far better than anything you'll buy from the supermarket.
 
Larisa Walk
Posts: 211
Location: South of Winona, Minnesota
21
posted 9 years ago
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There are different varieties of each of the grains, so depending on your climate, and what you're hoping to harvest, you should select a variety that has the qualities you're after.  When you get stuff from a bin at the food co-op or from a bag of stuff that's being sold for sprouting, you're probably getting a blend of grains from several growers that may be different varieties and you won't know until you grow it out.  You can find many possibilities in the Seed Savers Exchange if you're a member and get the annual yearbook listing.  Johnny's Seeds has some grains also.
 
                        
Posts: 148
Location: South Central Idaho
posted 9 years ago
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I would suggest soft white spring .. call your County Extension agent or a feed store .. my one grocery store gets triple cleaned double bagged grain of any sort you may wish to order for milling .. if you don't clean it the dirt on the hull can cause it to go bad quicker and that pertains to all grains, beans and peas .. even spuds.

Drive around the country side and if you see a grain storage bin at a farm and wheat stubble .. STOP.

While trying to use up .. hard red spring .. I found the best place for it is in the last roll in making bread .. it is great as crust. I turn my hand mill to rough grind and put at least a half cup per loaf of that in each loaf and make four loaves at a time and use "the Alfred Bread Pan" which is clay.

If you get too far from the stone age .. things go haywire.

 
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