Module 5: Organic Small Grain Production

Module 5 details organic production practices for small grains, particularly barley, wheat, oats, fall rye, spelt, and triticale. Understand the role of small grains in organic systems. Understand criteria for varietal selection and acceptable seed sources. Learn organic management practices for crop establishment, maintenance, harvest, and storage. Gain an appreciation of the opportunities and challenges for marketing organic grains, in particular the impact of GMOs.

An excerpt from Module 5:
Small grains have been an integral component of organic farming systems, both worldwide and in Canada. Wheat (hard red spring and durum) barley, and rye are the major organic grains produced in Canada. The ever-increasing demand for milling quality grains for breads and pasta in international markets means that virtually all organic grains produced in Canada are exported to the US, Japan, and the EU. Domestically, we are seeing similar trends in the demand for organic cereal grain products. Increasing numbers of processing facilities cater to the demands of organic grain consumers, including niche markets catering to consumers who have wheat allergies. A similar trend is occurring in the case of cereal grains that don't make the grade for human consumption: organic livestock producers are increasing in number and as expected, so is the need for organic feed.

"Wheat varieties have been selected and hybridized over the past decades to perform in modern farming systems and more importantly to contain high levels of gluten...These genetic changes coupled with the rigorous processing involved in many wheat products may result in the body treating the wheat as a foreign substance…" Part of an on-line discussion on the cause of wheat allergies posted by Sonya Shaw, Port Williams, NS