{"id":5753,"date":"2018-12-21T15:51:41","date_gmt":"2018-12-21T15:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hvfarmhub.org\/?p=5753"},"modified":"2021-10-01T02:20:50","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T02:20:50","slug":"spotlighting-grains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hvfarmhub.org\/es\/spotlighting-grains\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlighting Grains"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Lessons learned from small grains trial<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Hudson Valley Farm Hub recently marked five years of extensive research on small grain varieties at the farm, with the goal of sharing knowledge with area farmers, and promoting the small grains economy.<\/p>\n

Since 2013, the Farm Hub has partnered with Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ulster County to gather data on a variety of grains and share their findings with area farmers interested in adding grains into their rotations and moving into the local grains market. Most recently the trials were spotlighted in a short documentary \u201cGrowing with the Grain\u201d<\/span><\/a> produced by filmmaker Jon Bowermaster of Oceans 8 Films.\u00a0 <\/span>The film screened to a Senate Garage in Kingston<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

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The small grains project goes back to 2013, when the staff of the Local Economies Project and Hudson Valley Farm Hub and Cornell University started discussing ways they could work together and support the revitalization of local grains. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe region has lost so much of the knowledge and experience of working with grains that we need to provide reliable research to gain an understanding of what grows well here, especially using organic methods,\u201d says Sarah Brannen programming director at the Farm Hub who led the project. \u201cWhen we started this research project there were very few farmers growing small grains in the Hudson Valley at any scale.\u00a0 <\/span>It seemed like a missed opportunity because grains are vital to sustainable, diversified farming and are in great demand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

For the project, over 100 varieties of spring and winter wheat, barley, rye, and oats were planted in small plots over five growing seasons and 12 select varieties were trialed in large plots over three growing seasons. After each harvest, the Farm Hub stores the grain and sends it out to regional processing partners to mill, bake, malt, brew, and distill the test varieties to determine their usability and flavor profiles.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cFive years ago, we set out to determine whether small grains can be grown in the Hudson Valley and whether they can be grown organically.\u00a0 <\/span>We now know, yes, they can.\u00a0 <\/span>There are a number of promising varieties we\u2019ve identified.\u00a0 <\/span>Perhaps the greatest accomplishment over the past five years is the collaborative effort to learn from each other\u2014farmers, researchers, agricultural educators, and local businesses and artisans,\u201d says Brannen.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIt takes that type of local partnership to build trust and communication before the food system can change.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Key lessons uncovered to date are:<\/span><\/p>\n\n