Do you know where your grains come from? Come along on the journey of our 2018 wheat and rye crops. Meet the farmer, see the soil, plant the seed, tend the crop, harvest the grain . . . and that’s just the beginning of the regional grain economy we’re growing!
Fall 2017. Farmer Lyle Spiesschaert planted 26 acres of Red Fife Wheat, Dark Northern Rye and Purple Karma Barley on his farm, Spiesschaert Farms in Forest Grove, Oregon.
August 2018. Harvest time on the farm. Charlene gets in on the action as farmer Lyle starts the grain harvest with his combine.
Here’s a close up look at the amazing harvest machinery.
Flashback to our first harvest in Fall 2017. In our first year three acres of grains were grown. Here we share our cleaning, sorting and bagging during that first small harvest! The Clipper Seed Cleaner, approximately 100 years old, is put into use by it owner Malvin Van Domelen. Then the grains were sorted and bagged. Much has changed with the increase to 26 acres! We are in an exciting transition with this part of the process and have new production methods this year to bring the larger amount of grains to market.
Fall and Winter 2018. Packaged grains ready for the bakers, brewers, and home cooks of our region!
Outlook for 2019: We’ve planted the seeds for the grain harvest in 2019. With the increase in production and milling capacity, we’ll be ready for an expanded base of regional grain customers.
For information about the grains and the grain project, or to purchase grains, contact Charlene at charlene@foodwaysatnanacardoon.org or call her at 206-794-1900.