- Can you identify this crop?
Alerted to this unusual crop in a farm field in Sylvan Township by a local farmer, can you guess what it is?
According to Purdue University, “it’s has been grown in America since colonial days, and the crop once was common on farms in the northeastern and northcentral United States.”
Production reached a peak in 1866, and it was a common livestock-feed. It was also frequently used for making flour, according to the university’s Website.
By the mid 1960’s, the crop declined, but the leading production states were New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota.
Canada has more of this crop acreage than the United States.
In the 1970’s, it was in demand for commercially prepared breakfast cereal, the website states.
Reuben Lesser said he “turns it under,” for green manure and thinks he’s one of the few area farmers to grow it.
Lisa
Is it barley?
Sounds like buckwheat.
I gleaned a lot of that one year, a farmer had grown it for bees. I wanted to grind it into flour. Grinding it with the hulls and then sifting it through a strainer worked well. It makes great pancakes, as well as combined with fresh ground corn for cornbread. I do do eat it for breakfast often, combined with other grains.
And you’d be correct, Linda.
Looks like some beautiful Buckwheat. We grew it a couple of times, and even tried grinding it for pancake flour.
And the winner is … buckwheat.
The answer is rye
Could this be spelts.