Ancient Grains: Growing Heritage Grains in Gardens and Small Farms

Jason, author of the book, Awesome Ancient Grains & Seeds, has sought out, tested and preserved heirloom grains from around the world for over 30 years at his farm on Salt Spring Island.

In this video, Jason shows how, using simple threshing methods, small farms and gardeners can grow and eat these traditional grains fresh. Heritage grains and seeds are drought tolerant, low maintenance and have a low carbon footprint when grown sustainably on small plots.

Wheat Sensitivity, Grain Sensitivity

People with gluten sensitivities can sometimes tolerate old world grains like einkorn better than modern wheat. The rise of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease in recent decades coincides with the era of modern grain breeding and industrial processing methods. Jason discusses what he believes is the cause of the modern grain sensitivity.

Eating Old World Grains: Nutrition and Flavor

Heritage grains offer high nutrition, and are excellent staple foods. Ancient whole grains are rich in complex carbohydrates, protein, minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber. They produce delicious breads with deep, nutty flavor.

Traditional grains, including emmer wheat (farro), can be cooked up whole like rice. Grain seeds of all kinds can also be sprouted and eaten raw.

Featured grains include:

Black einkorn wheat
Blue tinge Ethiopian wheat
Bronze amaranth
Burgundy amaranth
Emmer wheat
Excelsior barley
Golden flax
Khorasan wheat (kamut)
Multi-hued quinoa
Purple barley
Rodney oats
Rye
Sangatsuga barley
Utrecht blue wheat
White Australian wheat
White Sonora wheat
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Read more about Dan Jason and ancient grains at Salt Spring Seeds:

[marcusaurelius]

Super props to this farmer. What a great service he did for us seeking out and breeding such great varieties for small farmers. You can tell he knows what’s up with sustainable grain for sure.

[jessicalouwman]

Fantastic video. I learned so much! Thank you for preserving these threads of knowledge.

[paulbraga]

well then, thank you so very much to this gentleman - for safeguarding the variety of food...blessings to all

[bobsiddoway]

What a cool dude doing cool things. Respect. 🙏

[mariesan]

Thank you for showing about these wonderful healthy grains. Some grains are available in Niagara Falls but where can you get purple barley. I’m a vegetarian or almost a vegan. I never had any kind of meat or flesh except milk and butter. I love all kinds of healthy grains. Thank you for sharing.🙏🇨🇦😊

[FuerzaNaturalPan]

Great Video! I am trying to figure out the best way to combine wheat with amaranth and quinoa. Both can be cooked and added to the dough, or make flour and mix it with the wheat flour. I will keep trying. Cheers from Uruguay!

[johnsmith-chfg]

Fab stuff! Quinoa isn't as tasty as Amaranth; the red and black quinoa have more flavour of course but I'm not surprised Amaranth hasn't caught on too much yet - the 'grains' are so small it doesn't easily replace rice and the flavour is a bit weird and duck-pondy at first so more of an acquired taste (i love it now). Apart from in malting/beer etc barley is really under used; true the gluten like proteins (hordenin) aren't as useful as wheat and rye but it can be made to work in many contexts. The roundup thing I think unlikely at this stage - Coeliac is more common than though but still only a tiny percentage - "gluten sensitivity" is complex - a fair number go gluten free in a fashionable way or mistakenly think it's healthier. Some have misdiagnosed themselves but it can be a particular prolamin that individuals are sensitive to so can eat spelt or barley or whatever. It's pretty easy to find organic grown modern wheat varieties to see if perceived sensitivity is actually roundup residues

[shriyaskuttyfarm]

This is great. Good to see.Give your valuable comments to improve our channel thank you. Stay connected and stay blessed

[robinlillian]

Flax seed oil is very high in Omega 3, but goes rancid very quickly--so do the seeds once they are ground up.

[buckaroobonzai]

I wonder how many of these would make practically free food for egg-laying chickens by just outgrowing what the chickens are able to eat.

[robinlillian]

High Fructose Corn Syrup is also in most commercial bread & can give many people diarrhea and stomach upsets. It's called fructose malabsorption or dietary fructose intolerance. Most American physicians don't know what that is, but it is more well known in Europe.

[dwaynewladyka]

Very nice video. So informative. Cheers!

[shernor]

Hi Mr Jason, I live in the Caribbean, Jamaica W.I. to be exact.
I as a first-timer had watched your video about the grains.
My husband would buy grains online because of his health issues .
I am back in Jamaica now and is interested in planting my own grains naturally.
How would I go about buying the grains you featured ?
Can you share any information that will help in gaining more knowledge about this venture ?
Thanks looking forward to your assistance.

[expatiate]

I am allergic to the new week which has 47 chromosomes compared to the Ancient Grains which have about 23 and I know it's not round up since I only buy organic grain I'm allergic to the modern wheat many of us are

[ConsiderationFarm]

Can you tell me where to get the purple barley seed? Many thanks!

[russsherwood]

where can i order some of those seeds at? can they be imported to the u.s. ? thank you for the video, just subbed thumbs-up, , be blessed and safe

[feltlikeitbydebs]

Thanks for sharing. I am very interested in growing some of the seeds and grains you shared. Do you know where l can get some outside of Canada. I'm in Australia. Debs

[Rusty]

I only do container gardening and wonder if grains (I have Kamut) could produce enough for bread.

[gertmeijer]

@fred vanOlphen.
You seem to be right about 2020,
Do you have more insights?

[liahfox]

Which would make the best tasting bread, cold hardy, and able to produce on a small amount of land?