We raise soft red winter wheat offering a lower gluten alternative to supermarket flours normally made from hard red wheat. It is not a good yeast bread flour, but makes excellent flat bread, cakes pastries, muffins, biscuits and crackers. The largest U.S. export markets for soft red wheat are China, Egypt and Morocco. Lower gluten does not mean gluten free or by any means "healthier" with respect to gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Wheat flours are an excellent source of protein hence, their wide use in food stuffs throughout history. We have not aimed our market toward bread making. Biscuits, pies, cakes, muffins, dumplings breading and the like are more popular in southern culture.
Soft red wheat is widely grown throughout the central US down as far south as Mississippi and is traded on the Chicago Board of Trade. Our acreage is divided between soft red wheat, cereal rye, cover crop mustard for seed and mixed cover crop that will be flail mowed in March when our signature White Eagle Corn will be no tilled into the mulch.
Drilling the crop takes place between September to mid November. October is the optimum time for most farmers. Below are videos from the planting of this years crop across the central U.S. and a little insight to wheat planting dates from our Canadian friends.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvbMDD1vGpQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9jOs4XVfvU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o8q4E0Fj2s
Auto pilot / GPS navigation is a nice option...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SACMazS0soQ
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
November
We barely made our planting window. Finally got the grain drill working. Because of that delay, and not wishing to risk capital I did not have on hand, I did not plant more acreage. For now we stick to the small farm business model until / unless FDA puts us out of business. That would be a sad day indeed. I have never in my 52 years on this earth, heard of any foodborne illness being caused by small farmers selling their crops in local markets or roadside stands. I have heard of plenty from large industrial farms and on the other side of our southern border. Much of it has occurred during transport from those distant locations. My advice, buy local while you can, Once we small farmers are out, then you will have no choice but to raise it yourself or buy the stuff from the supermarket.
Many people think, and say that there is no difference in quality between supermarket produce and locally grown. I disagree. Locally grown, you know the farmer. You know his agricultural practices. He / she knows you. You become like family. You know how the produce is handled. You know that it is fresh. You never have those assurances buying off a supermarket shelf.
I worry new FDA rules could destroy the CSA model. I do not prefer this model myself, as I have adequate capital of my own and do not need help from others to tend my crops. It is used extensively throughout the country, however, and supplies many people with safe, healthy locally grown food.
I see no choice but to make our farm larger. Milling grain into flour and meal for sale locally is a novelty thing. It is a survivalist thing as well. A family of four can survive ten years on the bread produced off one acre of wheat. Grain can be preserved and used over long periods and wheat can easily be produced from saved seeds, especially heirloom varieties. If the local sales avenue is closed, we will have no choice but to produce and sell into the world wide food distribution system.
On the flip side, there are volumes that have been written about why we should avoid grains, all grains, period. There is archeological evidence that the introduction of the agrarian diet about 10,000 years ago caused a huge increase in tooth decay, diabetes, and a plethora of other health problems. Celiac disease is just the tip of the iceberg.
The cultivation and milling of grains, however, enabled the expansion of our population, indeed enabled the rise of the specialist society, once the pursuit of food was no longer and issue. Agriculture gave rise to civilization.
This much I know. Our physical bodies will eventually die of something. That is a fact. We love and consume most all the land can produce. Whatever we were before the rise of agriculture, is long past. Whatever we will become because of it, is yet to be.
We do live in a wonderful but challenging time. Whatever diet you wish to follow, you can. Our food production system will provide it aplenty. Long or short, what you do with the life span agriculture has given you, is more important than the duration.
November sees our winter grains in the ground and growing. We will hunt hogs and deer off of it, there are plenty of them, and we will make sausage from their flesh. In the summer we will harvest those crops and plant new ones. We will pause this month and offer thanks for what the land has provided.
Fall colors are everywhere. Geese are flying south. The days grow short. There is no better place to be, in my opinion, than on the farm.
Many people think, and say that there is no difference in quality between supermarket produce and locally grown. I disagree. Locally grown, you know the farmer. You know his agricultural practices. He / she knows you. You become like family. You know how the produce is handled. You know that it is fresh. You never have those assurances buying off a supermarket shelf.
I worry new FDA rules could destroy the CSA model. I do not prefer this model myself, as I have adequate capital of my own and do not need help from others to tend my crops. It is used extensively throughout the country, however, and supplies many people with safe, healthy locally grown food.
I see no choice but to make our farm larger. Milling grain into flour and meal for sale locally is a novelty thing. It is a survivalist thing as well. A family of four can survive ten years on the bread produced off one acre of wheat. Grain can be preserved and used over long periods and wheat can easily be produced from saved seeds, especially heirloom varieties. If the local sales avenue is closed, we will have no choice but to produce and sell into the world wide food distribution system.
On the flip side, there are volumes that have been written about why we should avoid grains, all grains, period. There is archeological evidence that the introduction of the agrarian diet about 10,000 years ago caused a huge increase in tooth decay, diabetes, and a plethora of other health problems. Celiac disease is just the tip of the iceberg.
The cultivation and milling of grains, however, enabled the expansion of our population, indeed enabled the rise of the specialist society, once the pursuit of food was no longer and issue. Agriculture gave rise to civilization.
This much I know. Our physical bodies will eventually die of something. That is a fact. We love and consume most all the land can produce. Whatever we were before the rise of agriculture, is long past. Whatever we will become because of it, is yet to be.
We do live in a wonderful but challenging time. Whatever diet you wish to follow, you can. Our food production system will provide it aplenty. Long or short, what you do with the life span agriculture has given you, is more important than the duration.
November sees our winter grains in the ground and growing. We will hunt hogs and deer off of it, there are plenty of them, and we will make sausage from their flesh. In the summer we will harvest those crops and plant new ones. We will pause this month and offer thanks for what the land has provided.
Fall colors are everywhere. Geese are flying south. The days grow short. There is no better place to be, in my opinion, than on the farm.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Late October Post
Didn't have an October post because, frankly, there was nothing to say. It was Peanut Festival time in Grapeland and we had a good one. Still a bit melancholy because the crop that founded the festival is long gone. Since there is enough depressing news in the world, I decided not to blog about it.
October is really the month I prefer to plant winter grains. This October I spent trying to restore my 1967 Allis Chalmers All Crop Drill. I did a less than satisfactory job on it, but I managed to save it from the scrapper and make it serviceable. It became a necessity because my local New Holland / AGCO dealer sold their rental Tye and Great Plains drills. My budget only allowed so much. I paid $500 for my 15x7 Allis, had to haul it back from Missouri, ($500) restore and paint it ($400). I am not dissatisfied with it, but I could have bought a $2000 Brillion in state. I saved some cash but boy, did I have to work for it!
Dropping the seeder gang out and replacing frozen seed cups is no small thing. Getting it back in is even worse. I ended up replacing 2 seeders and building a third from spare parts. The bearings on the coulters need to be replaced next, but since I am only doing a few acres with it this year, I am going to blow that off till next summer. I really need to replace the hopper, make or have made sheet metal parts to replace those which time has really been hard on. Harbor Freight Tools, here I come!
I will finish reassembly next week. In the field planting a couple days after.
October is really the month I prefer to plant winter grains. This October I spent trying to restore my 1967 Allis Chalmers All Crop Drill. I did a less than satisfactory job on it, but I managed to save it from the scrapper and make it serviceable. It became a necessity because my local New Holland / AGCO dealer sold their rental Tye and Great Plains drills. My budget only allowed so much. I paid $500 for my 15x7 Allis, had to haul it back from Missouri, ($500) restore and paint it ($400). I am not dissatisfied with it, but I could have bought a $2000 Brillion in state. I saved some cash but boy, did I have to work for it!
Dropping the seeder gang out and replacing frozen seed cups is no small thing. Getting it back in is even worse. I ended up replacing 2 seeders and building a third from spare parts. The bearings on the coulters need to be replaced next, but since I am only doing a few acres with it this year, I am going to blow that off till next summer. I really need to replace the hopper, make or have made sheet metal parts to replace those which time has really been hard on. Harbor Freight Tools, here I come!
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