Ancient grains

ancient grains, ancient grains, are grains from times long past. Times when agriculture in Italy was still largely done manually and in which hands abounded. With modern agriculture, these grains have been almost completely replaced by new types of grain. They yield more per hectare and are easier to grow.

In my village, Montespertoli, a few years ago people started re-introducing ancient grains. The miller and the baker that is. They know a thing or two about grain. They received help from the University of Florence and joined forces to set up an organization that now has more than twenty farmers who dedicate part of their land to these ancient grains.

Bread from ancient grains

The miller still has a part of the mill with real millstones and here the grain is ground. The baker had to practice and try for a long time to make a good sourdough bread with these ancient grains (which have very different gluten than modern grains), but they succeeded. So now there is excellent bread to be had in Montespertoli, made from ancient grains and nothing else. Oh yes, it also has water in it.

The project is based on the efforts of a number of volunteers who wholeheartedly believe in it and they want to keep the price of the grain and bread low, so that it remains accessible to everyone and does not become another elite organic product. That makes the project extra special.

Popular with the swine

The farmers are happy to participate, even though the grain yields less and there is also a greater risk that the yield will fail. The grains are particularly popular with wild boars (apparently they also know exactly what is tasty and healthier) and they have long stems that break more easily in strong winds or a severe thunderstorm. In the past, grain was harvested by hand and this type of damage was less of a problem. When harvesting with machines, however, the grain must be upright for the machine to be able to 'take' it. Incidentally, in the past there were also far fewer wild boars than now, so that problem also hardly existed.

Bureaucracy

Another minor problem is that the grain does not have an official name and number as it is not commercially 'made'. The government has no system for old grain and according to the law you cannot buy it from someone to sow. The university is busy identifying a number of variants, but Italy has a lot bureaucracy and so it's slow.

Despite all the problems, the project continues and other villages in the area are starting to copy the idea. The grain is much healthier than 'new' grain and people with mild gluten intolerances can often eat this fine, while new grains give them stomachaches.

This project contains all kinds of principles of 'the new economy', without the initiators being aware of this. Making a profit is not important, the quality of life is, cooperation is also important and the environment above all.

All this just in a small village in Italy. If that's not hopeful!