CASPER, Wyo. — Emmer, einkorn and spelt?
No, those aren’t creative ideas for baby names, they are what are known as “ancient grains.”
They “are called ancient grains because evidence shows them being grown more than 10,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia during the first agricultural revolution — and later fueling pharaoh’s Egypt thousands of years later,” the University of Wyoming says. “Modern New World producers bypassed them because an extra step is needed to remove their hulls, increasing costs. Grains not needing that extra step were developed.”
Emmer, einkorn and spelt are earliest known domesticated cereal crops in the world. UW research is now working to revivify the art of growing these ancient grains.
Two UW researchers are at the heart of efforts exploring the new possibilities for the old grains.
“Their idea to bring ancient grains to Wyoming began 4,750 miles apart, then converged on UW research and extension centers and in producer fields to determine if the grains could survive Wyoming’s persnickety climate zones — and, if grown, whether any products would interest consumers,” UW says.
Senior agricultural economics research scientist Tom Foulke was reading a recipe book while leading UW students on a class in France.
“’I’m looking at the book and saying, ‘Why aren’t we growing this?’ We are always looking for crops to grow here,’ Foulke says. ‘The question for me came up that maybe there’s a business here, maybe there’s an opportunity, and it evolved.’”
UW Extension agriculture and horticulture educator Caitlin Youngquist was back in Washakie County at the same time. She was experimentally growing “a small amount of emmer and spelt in the bountiful Big Horn Basin,” UW says.
“’My interest in some of these first grains or early grains started as I was listening to barley growers express concern about MillerCoors cutting some of their contracts,’ she says. ‘I wanted to look for other crops that could be easily grown with the existing equipment and expertise we have in the basin.’”
Foulke’s and Youngquist’s interest in the ancient grains has since grown into further research at UW.
Youngquist and agronomy and cropping systems specialist Carrie Eberle have been researching crops, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences Assistant Professor Jill Keith has been studying nutrition of the ancient grains and Foulke has been exploring what products consumer markets may be interested in.
“The program is end-to-end (vertically integrated), from producers raising the grain to bakers and brewers selling products made with these grains,” UW says. “If it’s successful, private industry would then take over.”
“The goal is to build a niche industry in Wyoming’s agricultural economy.”
The ancient grains have been grown at UW research locations in Powell, Sheridan and Lingle along with five agricultural producers across the state.
“The grains are grown under dryland and irrigated conditions, no till and conventional, and organic and non-organic to find out if they will grow in Wyoming and how best to grow them,” UW says.
The university has addressed one hurdle facing farmers’ efforts to grow ancient grains in the state.
“The dehulling problem has been solved, opening the door to product development,” UW says. “A dehuller has been purchased and installed at UW’s Powell Research and Extension Center.”
Dehulling the seeds of the ancient grains is required no matter what the end-product may be.
“’All of the products, whether for bread or for beer, need dehulled seed,'” Foulke says. “’No dehulling capacity was available in a three-state area. With this new machine, the project can start building the niche industry and take the first steps toward privatization.’”
The grains are unlikely to replace modern commodity crops.
“’What some of the research shows is they are not competitive with our modern wheats in terms of yields under a high-input system,’ Youngquist says. ‘But they can be quite competitive under a low-input system, and so they fit well into a potential niche.'”
“’The ancient grains have a potential if there’s enough market development, both locally and regionally, for this product. There’s a great increase in products that are labeled with ancient grains.'”
UW says that some Wyoming microbreweries and bakers have been experimenting with the ancient grains.
While growers will likely still rely on crops like malting barley in Wyoming, there is the potential for them to also grow the ancient crops to be sold at a premium or to niche markets, according to Youngquist.
Foulke says that ancient grains could play a role in crop rotation, another thing UW is researching.
“’In the past, we’ve looked at it from what crops we have and how well they will grow here,’ he says. ‘As an economist, I’m trying to look at this and say what crops we can sell, how are they grown and how well they work.’”
