New Grains Northwest
Building regional markets from the grain up.
Farmers, tastemakers, and researchers developing resilient regional grain markets that support a diverse and healthy food system.
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PROJECT OBJECTIVES
1 - Regional BaselineCollect samples of buckwheat and proso millet already being grown in the region and determine flavor, food functionality, and nutritional quality to establish a regional baseline.
2 - Field Trials
Farmers and researchers work together to identify new varieties for the region through on-farm trials.
3 - Characterize New Varieties
Determine flavor, food functionality, and nutritional and malt quality of new varieties to determine end-use suitability and develop recipes for focaccia mix, pancake mix, and children’s breakfast bar.
4 - Market Assessment
Use consumer surveys, school district questionnaires, and stakeholder interviews to determine regional marketability of buckwheat and proso millet.
5 - Outreach, Education, and Networking Support supply chain development and product awareness to build consumer demand.
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PROJECT PHOTOS
Millet Field TrialsFood Science |
Buckwheat Field TrialsOutreach |
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WHY BUCKWHEAT AND PROSO MILLET?
Diversified, sustainable, grain-based producers rely on rotational crops to optimize production. Buckwheat and proso millet are often used as cover crops, providing agronomic gains but no direct financial gains. With variety testing and regional market development, these crops have the potential to become cash crops, rather than just cover crops, in the Pacific Northwest.
Buckwheat and millet:
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WHO ARE WE?
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GROWERS
Growers across Washington, northern Idaho, and northern Oregon will grow out several varieties of either crop on their farms. They will manage these trials and report back on how they perform.
Farmers will also provide insight into what traits are most important to prioritize when selecting varieties and potential roadblocks that can occur when marketing a new crop. |
STAKEHOLDERS
Processors, maltsters, brewers, millers, bakers, chefs, and school lunch coordinators will guide variety selection by providing insight into which characteristics are most important for different types of processing. Selecting for these characteristics makes crops more marketable.
An expert sensory panel will evaluate test formulations for focaccia mix, pancake mix, and a children's breakfast bar, and provide informative feedback. |
RESEARCHERS
Our research team is the common thread connecting all of the different pieces of this project. First and foremost, we are working to make sure that voices across the supply chain are being heard and adequately incorporated into our work.
The crop science team will facilitate field trials, conduct farmer interviews, create consumer surveys, provide grower support, and work in the lab to determine nutritional characteristics and malt quality of different varieties.
The food science team will work with stakeholders to figure out which varieties have the best characteristics for product formulations. They will conduct analyses in Dr. Girish Ganjyal's lab to determine proximate composition, pasting properties, functional properties, and more, in order to determine potential end-use applications of the varieties
The crop science team will facilitate field trials, conduct farmer interviews, create consumer surveys, provide grower support, and work in the lab to determine nutritional characteristics and malt quality of different varieties.
The food science team will work with stakeholders to figure out which varieties have the best characteristics for product formulations. They will conduct analyses in Dr. Girish Ganjyal's lab to determine proximate composition, pasting properties, functional properties, and more, in order to determine potential end-use applications of the varieties
COLLABORATORS
Just some of our amazing collaborators can be found below:
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BASELINE DATA
Some growers in our region are already growing buckwheat and proso millet for food, feed, cover crop, or seed. At the end of 2021, we tracked down as many sources of regionally grown seed as we could. Not only did this help us understand where and how these crops are currently being grown, but it also gave us a head start on understanding some of the varieties that we will be growing in our own trials. Some very generous growers shipped seed out to our lab so that we could dive right into analysis (thank you to all that contributed!).
Below you will find some information about where and how these crops are being grown throughout the region, as well as some data from our food science team on the proximate composition, thermal properties, and functional properties of the flours that came from these regional baseline samples. These data will be used to create a full chemical profile of the grains, allowing the team differentiate between each sample from a technical standpoint when working through the product development stage.
Some samples were limited in quantity, which is why we weren't able to perform all tests on every sample. This is also why we don't have "dehulled" samples for every variety, as removing the hull of the seed reduces volume and often leads to sample loss.
Below you will find some information about where and how these crops are being grown throughout the region, as well as some data from our food science team on the proximate composition, thermal properties, and functional properties of the flours that came from these regional baseline samples. These data will be used to create a full chemical profile of the grains, allowing the team differentiate between each sample from a technical standpoint when working through the product development stage.
Some samples were limited in quantity, which is why we weren't able to perform all tests on every sample. This is also why we don't have "dehulled" samples for every variety, as removing the hull of the seed reduces volume and often leads to sample loss.
Baseline sample source data
Proximate composition of buckwheat and proso millet flours
Pasting properties of buckwheat and proso millet flours
Functional properties of buckwheat and proso millet flours
FIELD TRIALS
FIELD TRIAL LOCATIONS
FIELD TRIAL DESIGN
Varieties will be assessed with a mother and baby trial (MBT) design that uses an incomplete block design to capture regional adaptability. Most commonly used in participatory plant breeding, the MBT approach links researcher-led “mother” trials, where all crop factors are evaluated in a replicated design, to farmer-led “baby” trials (non-replicated) to capture diverse management practices and environmental conditions.
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TWO MOTHER TRIALS
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TWENTY BABY TRIALS
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This project is funded by a Western Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education grant (Project SW21-926)
Contact Us!Any questions about the project? Looking for a way to get involved? We would love to hear from you! Email: tayler.reinman@wsu.edu
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