Wait what, wheat?
It may seem like winter only just pulled up, if not a little late to the party, but we are deep in the throes of spring wheat planting planning. Dr Stephen Jones and his amazing team at the Bread Lab over at WSU are going to share some of their regionally adapted seed so that we can give some new wheat varieties a try. I have been so focused on old wheat that I have never even given new wheat much attention. Steve has been working hard for decades to breed new varieties that have high nutrient values, delicious flavor, good baking quality AND high yields. His wheats unlike many of the Green Revolution don't require any chemical inputs to net their high yields. If you have never heard of The Bread Lab you can check their website out HERE.
I will be going out to play bread with Jim Williams of Back Door Bread in Vermont and Kimberly Bell of Small Food Bakery in the UK at The Bread Lab in March. They have a full r&d center where we can mess around with some new whole grain concepts. Steve also keeps a well stocked pantry including some libations worthy of a west coast road journey. Anyone ever tried Bruichladdich Black Art 8th Edition 26 Year Old Unpeated Single Malt Whiskey? I'll let you know how it tastes....
Photo from UCCS Grain School January 2020...before the sh*t hit the fan. Jared Hægōød, Andrew Ross, James Brown, Darcy Landis and the band.
The University of Colorado Springs (UCCS) is offering Grain School Online 2022 this winter and spring! Three online courses and one Grain School Public Forum will bring participants a broad array of learning experiences. The courses cover topics along the entire grain chain, from farming and milling/malting to baking, brewing, cooking, and distilling. Course 1 focuses on farming and grain processing, Course 2 on nutrition and health, and Course 3 community engagement. All courses encourage participants to engage using their hands in home kitchens and bakeries while learning online.Take one course for $150 or all three for $400 (Course content available for 12 months)The course features Thursday live speakers, panels, discussions, and Q&A.Scholarships for Colorado farmers and grain-focused businesses are available.In partnership with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union and the Colorado Grain Chain, UCCS Grain School continues to foster and build a dynamic grain value chain in Colorado. Each year, UCCS Grain School enhances the knowledge and skills of those working in grain chains around the world. The Public Forum, this year will be held March 5th, 2022, is free, and presents UCCS Grain School’s outreach to the community. While we stay online for 2022, we continue to leverage the public forum to celebrate our work together.
Contact Candida Bennet at cbennet5@uccs.edu with any questions or assistance with registration.
Contact Sean Svette at ssvette@uccs.edu with assistance with scholarships.
Who hope to see you at Grain School, starting February 3rd!
The Mighty Quinn pictured left
Here's an appropriate song for spring planting from one of our favorite Colorado bands....These guys got Rainbow in trouble last year with the mayor when they played a pizza night....too many hippies in the park violation...They also played at Nanna and Dan's wedding probably in a wheat field.