Grains in Maine :)

[newenglandgirl]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

When our eldest son was born he had stomach problems [long story], we were advised to feed him barley tea. He never had milk only barley tea, and today he is four inches taller than either me or his mother.

Barley tea was the common milk replacement from before they invented powdered milk for infants.


Also barley works great for fermenting. It goes into making beer as well as for making whiskey. Whiskey is a good medicinal for snake bite [and in case you have no snakes near you it is always a good idea to keep a pet snake just in case].


Barley was the preferred grain during the Roman Empire era, the Roman Armies marched on a barley diet. It gave them the strength and the orneriness to defeat every nation they marched against.

Not to go off topic, but when my youngest was born I could not nurse him and so we made a formula of rice and barley milk (plus some other natural ingredients) that a nutritionist helped put together. He too is a strapping young man today. We also use barley miso.

How do you make your barley tea? Roast the barley first? Whole or hulled?

On topic, DP is growing rice in the back yard. He is like a little kid, so excited. He's also growing a bit of buckwheat and we're just now getting the deliciious and very nutritious greens from that plant to put in salads.

Curious to know the difference in grain growing season between Mass. and Maine. Would it be about the same?

[Coaster]

Originally Posted by newenglandgirl

Curious to know the difference in grain growing season between Mass. and Maine. Would it be about the same?

The USDA recently revised its planting zone map, and in Maine the planting dates moved a half to a full zone northwards to reflect the milder seasons we've been having lately. Western Mass. is in the same zone as coastal Maine. Eastern Mass. is warmer, with earlier last frosts and later first frosts.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

ETA: I just found this site, which gives first/last frost dates by ZIP code!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/freeze...4530&submit=Go

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by newenglandgirl

... How do you make your barley tea? Roast the barley first? Whole or hulled?

We used hulled barley that we rolled [crushed through rollers like you do with rolled oats].

Relatives told us that during the Depression when nobody could afford coffee roasted barley was used as a coffee substitute. So when we were focusing on living frugal and investing for retirement we got into roasting barley and mixing that with our coffee to cut the expense. For around 15 years that was our household coffee. In the past year we have gotten away from that, since I have began focusing on growing my own green tea.

... On topic, DP is growing rice in the back yard. He is like a little kid, so excited. He's also growing a bit of buckwheat and we're just now getting the deliciious and very nutritious greens from that plant to put in salads.

Yumm

... Curious to know the difference in grain growing season between Mass. and Maine. Would it be about the same?

There is a gentleman named 'Will Bonsall' [who runs 'Scatterseed Project'], he focuses a lot on collecting ancient grain varieties and breeding them true to their heritage. He maintains a large assortment of species of grains in his genetic seedbank. He grows small plots of grains each year, to keep the viability high with each species.

He does speaking engagements through-out New England to crowds of people interested in preserving the genetic diversity of our crop heritage. I have attended a few workshops where he was one of the speakers.

If you are interested in which grains grow well, he would be the guy to ask.

I see that he will be a speaker at this years 'Kneading Conference' 26 - 28 July, as he was last year. 2012 Event Schedule | The Kneading Conference

He usually does a few workshops at the Common Ground Fair in September.

[newenglandgirl]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I see that he will be a speaker at this years 'Kneading Conference' 26 - 28 July, as he was last year. 2012 Event Schedule | The Kneading Conference

He usually does a few workshops at the Common Ground Fair in September.

Thanks, good info, may try to make this.