We need some... I think it's oats we need, but would like to hear other thoughts on it... We have no open field areas here, we even have to clear some growth out for our garden this year. So any idea of planting and harvesting a grain conventionally is just right out the window, and we wouldn't want to do it even if we could. First off, the need.... Food for both us and the animals we are going to have, cow, goats, chickens, pigs. Something that is easier (compared to other grains) to harvest and process (ie, can be done by hand). Something that will make a good mulch and green manure plant. The location... What we do have, is a path that is about 500 feet long and about 50 feet wide where the electrical lines to the grid run. Currently there are stumps from tag-alders through it (2 - 4 inch) and assorted wild weeds. The ground there is sorta clay-ish (we actually are harvesting our clay from certain spots in it), but it isn't 'bad' soil. The plan.... Just take and scatter the seed over the whole area (that we aren't using for clay pits of course) and let it grow. Seems we will just be harvesting by hand, walking amongst the stumps that are there isn't a big deal. We'll miss a lot of course which will cause it to re-seed for us. We could also keep reseeding it to keep it as a green cover right til winter hits. Over the years, it will build it up into better soil, while giving us at least some of what we need. What we need are ideas in terms of what grains would be best to do it (oats is our current plan). Ideas on wether we should perhaps divide the area into three and plant different grains. How much seed to use. How often to seed it. Thoughts on harvesting, processing, storing and using suggested grains. etc...
We used to raise oats back when I was a kid but about the time I got big enough to help we didn't do it no more, went into other crops. What I remember was that it ran really heavy (lots o bushels) on normal years. and this was back before conventional farming got so intense on fertilizer usage too. One of the problems and a bad problem at that was wild oats infestion. This was different from like a second crop as the kernals had a blackish coloring to them. They would over grow the next crop planted, cuting into your yeild and it took many years and spraying of course after we quit raising it to stop that. My opinion is thats where chemical companys really got their start was with the wildoat and thisitle infestions on the fields back then. And of course with their feet in the door we see where that has led us too. Maybe nowdays they have organic varities you can raise that wont do that. Im not familiar with organic farming but there are some poeple around doing it. My opinion is that organic farming would be much further along if chemical companys didn't have their fingers..and money in the agricultural collages like they do. Of course it takes money to finance organic research as well..that has to come from somewhere.
amaranth ... there is a variety adapted to the north . very high protein and easy to harvest (by shaking the seed head). there is no processing . the seeds have no encasement . if seeds are broadcast a thinning is required , which provides a fine salad green . some trained rabbits will do this for you . i've three years experience with northern amaranth . as far as eating it , i grind it mixed with flour corn or add it to rabbit stew . a similar crop plant is grain sorghum .
I quote you>What we do have, is a path that is about 500 feet long and about 50 feet wide . forget about it lets say you has 43,560 square feet this would give you at best 2000kg of oats
Was that meant to be helpful? First off it's going by yeild rates for a good yeild in a proper field that is worked and fertilized using equipment. Not something seeded, maintained and harvested by hand. Secondly, as I said, it isn't farmland field, it is a path through the bush that is strewn with stumps that have to be planted around. So the yeild isnt going to be anywhere near 'optimum'... snowtiggernd crops getting out of control and spreading is a common problem. We however don't have to worry too much about it as the area is literally crowded in on all sides by forest. It literally has nowhere to go. Organic farming would be along a lot further no matter what the chemical companies if the people farming would stop buying their products. The companies are slimy, overbearing and pushy yes... but it is still always up to the farmer wether or not he buys their product. We're you doing any of this work by hand or was it all equipment based? Tikoo I'll look into amaranth, I'm open to any suggestion... Right off the top though, that line about mixing it with flour corn before grinding. Did you ever try to make a flour out of it by itself? Will it work for bread and such? Will it harm the animals eating it? Should it be mixed with something else?
Have you considered Buckwheat which gives a Grain of sorts and really really tasty greens and sprouts,,, or is useful as a green manure. Keep in mind the greens (Not sure about the sprouts) are high in Oxalic acid so don't overdo it unless you want kidney stones for some crazy reason. I grew some back in Missouri and it came in fast in soil which was mostly busted up sandstone with forest mulch mixed in, likes full sun but partly shaded will work too, just a tad slower growing.
We've actually decided against doing grains. We have some organic farmers in the area that grow various grains. The amount of effort that would go into growing enough to meet our needs here just isn't worthwhile. Perhaps in the future when we have more people around, we could spare some time for it, but without clearing a lot more land (which we wont do), we will never grow enough to make sense.
Tikoo I'll look into amaranth, I'm open to any suggestion... Right off the top though, that line about mixing it with flour corn before grinding. Did you ever try to make a flour out of it by itself? Will it work for bread and such? Will it harm the animals eating it? Should it be mixed with something else . by itself , cooked amaranth cereal is rather like cream of wheat . ground and prepared for bread mixed or not mixed with cornmeal you get you a flat wafer - a tortilla . the flour is not glutinous and will not hold air . for leavened bread add wheat flour . it is very digestable and has been a traditional central/south american staple . i'd think animals would be happy to chomp the whole seedhead if not too dry . chickens would be quite entertained by the very small seeds to hunt and peck for . it's worthwhile to grow some to get real knowledge of this plant .
Not to mention Amaranth is pretty pretty and stalks provide a good source of biomass or biochar materials.
Well, although we lost interest in trying to grow and harvest it (beyond the novelty of it), I think that we may consider just scattering a mix of grain seeds out there and having it as the 'pasture', so to speak. Just fence it into a couple of sections and let them go to seed before letting any animals into it. If nothing else, it would give the animals something to dig for through the snow
in autumn before the ground is frozen , pigs love to dig root crops . you could help them be so happy ? turnips grown in loose soil are ideal . ain't that why they are named turn ups ?
Grains are a hard thing for "home gardeners" to produce. The hard part is separating the grain from the rest of the plant. I've tried quinoa, (variety I grew was called "Faro" from Peace Seeds) and it grew well enough, but even though the plants grew well and produced big heads of seed, it is a HASSLE to separate the grain from the plant. Plus, quinoa is naturally bitter and you have to rinse the grain several times to TRY to get rid of the bitterness. Though when I say it's a hassle to separate the grain, with quinoa, it's a lot LESS of a hassle than it would be with oats because of the hulls of the oats, BUT there is a kind of "hulless oat" that you can try, like this: http://www.seedsofchange.com/garden_center/product_details.aspx?item_no=PS11663 If you have deer around where you live, they may eat it; I don't know, never grew it. I'm trying millet this year. The millet I'm trying is called "Juosves," a "proso" millet (there are different kinds of millet related to how the seed stalks grow on the plant) from Adaptive Seeds: http://www.adaptiveseeds.com/catalog/6 One problem you may have with millet is, the birds like it and can be expected to decimate your crop unless you can protect it somehow. I am trying one 10-foot row of millet, just to see what it does, plus, that's about as far as one pack of seed went. My advice, if you are new to growing food, is NOT to expect you will be able to grow enough to live on for probably at least five years. (sigh) Actually most people who garden at home have realized they just can't grow enough to actually live on. There is a LOT of work involved. Not only in preparing and maintaining the soil, planting, maintaining, and harvesting the crop, but then in preparing the food and preserving it.
You should find somebody in your area who gardens (if there is anybody) and pick their brains! They would know what grows best in your area.
