Database connects grain growers, millers, bakers ByBob Johnson
The new software could help the fledg- lingnichemarket for grainsused inartisan baked goods that can trace their ingredi- ents back to the farm. “The ideaof a farm-to-table loaf ofbread or baked good is possible with this web tool,” said Heather Zikas, owner of Tahoe BreadCo. inKings Beach. Artisan bakers such as Zikas can use the software to locate grain farmers, in- cluding those growing hard-to-find, heir- loom varieties. Farmers canuse the software to find in- formation about grain crops, other farm- ers, seed suppliers, millers, maltsters or recipes using the software tool. Barley growers, for example, can researchmalt- sters, who traditionally pay a premiumfor grain thatmeets their specifications. Wheat growers can search thedatabase ofmillerswhomight beserving themarket for heirloomor organic grains, or for bak- ers such as Zikas who want to work with California-farmed grains. “This is a marketing tool for farmers to distribute some of their grains to local businesses,” said Fritz Durst, a sixth-gen- eration SacramentoValley grain farmer. In California, grains have often been grownas feedor forage tocover theground in rotation with crops such as processing tomatoes, but the state’s climate is amena- ble to growing high-quality grains.
“Today, while fewer acres are devot- ed to grain cultivation in California, our Mediterranean climate and farm- ing practices still allow our farmers to produce some of the highest-quality grain in the world,” California Wheat Commission executive director Claudia Carter said. “Anew focus on transparency and innovation is propelling us forward with stronger efforts for seed diversity and regenerative practices.” In recent years, farmers have worked t o deve l op premi um marke t s f or California grain, and she said the tool is intended to help find and access those developing markets. The Wheat Commission said it fore- sees a future “where our high-quality grain meets and builds higher in-state demand for handling, milling and baking California-grown grain.” Golden State Grains had its origins in the many conversations Carter said she has hadwithpeople fromall sectors of the grainmarket, from farms to bakeries. “As the execut ive director of the CaliforniaWheat Commission, I have be- comeapoint of reference for farmers, seed suppliers, millers, maltsters, bakers and otherswhoseek local grainresources,” she said. “Twoyears ago, I startedadding their namesandcontact informationtoanExcel spreadsheet. Every time a farmer contact-
ly, he said, if the conservancy can link its efforts to save the carbon-rich peat soils with the state’s broader greenhouse-gas program. “We’re working to get the California Air ResourcesBoard toadopt theprotocol un- der the compliancemarket,” Ingramsaid. “Right now, we canget around$7 a ton for reducing carbon emissions, but with the compliancemarket, it would go up to $19 or $20. It’s just under a threefold increase.” He said he expects rice farming in the delta to expand further, noting the delta has about 50,000 acres in “quasi-pub- lic ownership” between the Nature Conservancy and theMetropolitanWater District of SouthernCalifornia. Oneof thepioneers inusing rice tokeep carbon in thedelta soilswas the Stockton- based Cortopassi farming family, which deeded 750 acres of land west of Lodi to the Wetlands Preservation Foundation. Farmed in a wildlife- and soil-friend- ly combination of rice and wetland, this tract—known as the Black Hole—has be- come familiar habitat for sandhill cranes and other wildlife. ZelekesaidtheNatureConservancy’spre- liminaryresultswithdeltaricehavebeenen- couragingenoughtoinspirehopestogreatly expand its riceacreageonStaten Island. “In thenext six to 10 years, weplan to in- crease it to4,000acres,”hesaid. “We’resee- ingif itworksouteconomically,andwant to sharewhatwe findoutwithother growers.” ( Bo b J o hn s o n i s a r e p o r t e r i n Sacramento. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.) edme, I would send themtheGrainUsers list includingmillers,malting facilities and bakers. I would do the same for the grain userswhentheywere looking for a farmer.” Ca r t e r p ropo s ed t o t he Whea t Commission the idea of turning that growing spreadsheet into a database that people from all areas of California grains could use to find each other, and the move to create the software tool was begun with the aid of farmers, millers, bakers, university researchers and heir- loom-grain enthusiasts. “I started to research for web tools or apps already in the market with similar functionality,” Carter said. “I wasted no time and started to talk tomy grain com- munity, including students, researchers, farmers, millers and bakers. After months of defining our goals, we moved ahead with a company that helped us to develop Golden StateGrains.” In introducing the software tool, the commissiongavespecial recognitiontothe ongoing contributions of Monica Spiller, a cereal chemist, wheat seed researcher andwhole-grain advocate who publishes a website, The Whole Grain Connection, with information on landrace wheat seed and recipes featuringwhole grains. ( Bo b J o hn s o n i s a r e p o r t e r i n Sacramento. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
Californiawheat growershave taken the next step indevelopingpremiummarkets, with the introduction of a newonline tool intended to make it easier for all the ma- jor players ingrains to findeachother and cooperate inmaking the grainmore prof- itable, environmentally sustainable and better for humanhealth. The tool , Golden State Grains, is free software that lets users log on and quickly find, learn about and connect with farmers, seed suppliers, millers, maltsters and bakers; it’s available at goldenstategrains.com. “We are a growing community of active participants in the California grain econ- omy: researchers, farmers, millers, malt- sters and bakers,” the California Wheat Commission said in announcing the new tool. “We are launching this web tool as a support systemfor farmers andcollabora- torsof all sizesandshapes, tobuildabroad andmore inclusive community.” In recent years, grain growers have bui l t premium markets for Deser t Durum, which is prized by Italian pasta makers; malting barley, which is sought by a growing number of craft breweries; and established a California Preferred Wheat Varieties resource to encourage farmers toplantwheat thatwill helpbuild the state’s reputation for high-quality bread-making grain.
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The Nature Conservancy has made sandhill crane habitat the highest priori- ty in their management of Staten Island, which is home to around 15% of all the sandhill cranes in the state. The organization’s early efforts at grow- ing rice on Staten Island have produced yields typical for the delta, but Zeleke said it has not been easy. “It’s a different crop, so we needed new equipment and new training for our peo- ple,” said Zeleke, who has farmed in co- operation with the Nature Conservancy for almost 28years. “It’s acropwe’venever grown before; it takes muchmore precise management of weeds, and the depth of your flooding.” TheDeltaConservancyencouragesother farmers to grow rice bymaking it easier for them to document the carbon emissions they save, and linking themwith carbon markets thatwill pay themfor their efforts. “There is a CaliforniaWetland Protocol that allows you to calculate the avoided carbon emissions,” Ingramsaid. The protocol, developedwith technical assistance fromDavis-basedHydrofocus, allows farmers toenter howmuchground theykeepwet forhowlongandtocalculate the carbon emissions they are saving. “We are just trying to help farm- ers connect with the carbon markets,” Ingram said. “We just completed our first third-party audit of awetlandproject, and it netted about $62 an acre.” The payoff could increase significant-
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8 Ag Alert October 21, 2020
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