Register for Free
Post comments, receive updates via email, gain access to exclusive content, and more.
Spam Safe!
Growing Wheat in an Urban Area?
Growing Wheat in an Urban Area?
I hesitated to even post this question because it might be too ridiculous. I was thinking about planting some grains in my backyard and then milling them. Is that worth the trouble or do you need really large tracts to make it worth while? My yard is rather small 50' x 50' roughly. Should I try it? If so what type of wheat should I plant? Any other grain suggestions?
"Even if we are occupied with important things and even if we attain honor or fall into misfortune, still let us remember how good it once was here, when we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling which made us perhaps better than we are." - Fyodor Dostovevsky
Print
JO -
You might want to try and contact LogansRun via PM. I think he planted soybeans a year ago. He might be able to tell you how he did and give you an idea of what yield to expect based on the size of your planting area.
I'm with M.E. on the storage alternative. If your goal is to have wheat on hand to mill into flour later (if needed), then long term storage might a better approach. I think it was SafeWrite who said something along the lines of "If you can buy it now for less than you can grow it, you should buy it."
Your 50' x 50' yard very likely has enough sunny space to get a Square Foot Garden up and running too. Good luck, keep us posted.
Peace - DIAP "Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away."
I have always wondered about this myself. I would suspect that in a survival situation, one might get more calories per square foot with potatoes than grains, but I really have no experience on this subject. I did find a Suburban Farming Blog with a few entries on growing a test plot of wheat:
http://suburbanfarmonline.com/2009/07/13/growing-wheat-in-my-own-backyard/
http://suburbanfarmonline.com/2010/09/24/growing-your-own-wheat-part-1/
I'll keep looking for more info....Jeff
Captain Sheeple
Well my interest in it is really about how-to-do-it in case that need should arise. I'm just looking to aquire the skill and knowledge. And of course chicks only dig guys with skills.
"Even if we are occupied with important things and even if we attain honor or fall into misfortune, still let us remember how good it once was here, when we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling which made us perhaps better than we are." - Fyodor Dostovevsky
More links with info on the subject:
http://www.breadinfo.com/flour.shtml
http://waldeneffect.org/blog/Grain_varie...
http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Harvest...
http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Growing...
The podcast Deconstructing Dinner out of Canada has a 10 part series called the Local Grain Revolution. This podcast was discontinued a few days ago, so it might be a good idea to subscribe to it in iTunes soon and/or download the archives before they disappear, if you find the content interesting.
Captain Sheeple
about 70 bushel per acre here . ... depends on your soil , the rain fall etc. Varies from Year to year . The wheat is coming up good now . We like a few good snows on it .
Winter wheat and spring wheat will be different . You want winter wheat for bread baking .
FM
WoW!
Great responses so far.
Thanks to everyone.
"Even if we are occupied with important things and even if we attain honor or fall into misfortune, still let us remember how good it once was here, when we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling which made us perhaps better than we are." - Fyodor Dostovevsky
JO,
In general, grains do not provide balanced amino acids. Depending on where you live, beans (especially soy) are good protein sources. When the Inca food bins were opened, 4 staples were found. Corn, beans, Amaranthus, and Chenopodium. The latter 2 are botanically closely related. Rodale et al have done a fair amount of work on Amaranthus because it is a weed (easy to grow) and has an exceptional blend of amino acids (almost as good as eggs).
When I think of growing alternate crops in an area, I check out the weeds and see if they are or can be domesticated. The downside is that they have tiny seeds.
Nate
Being first and formost a poor and reluctant typist, i'll second the Gene Logsdon book on small grain. We grow 60-180acres of small grain/year
and the back yard is a great place for veggies(grAIN is a wasate of space,however its what made yopu a community). Hook up with a "farmer" for grain in any amount worth(combining/threshing) consideration. I'ld talk all night on the phone to anyone interested, but can neither typenor desire too.
robie i read all yawl and love what i've learned,but an't communicate by this typing cra9, a brave soul should come and live with us a few weeks, its a hoot and very validating
Found this on YouTube:
That wheat flour on the supermarket shelf is looking cheaper and cheaper, lol.
Captain Sheeple
hmm You might want to read the book, "Small Scale Grain Raising" by Gene Logsdon. It has tables and charts of space required and yields of different crops. I'm not sure it would be worth it when you can buy grains now and store them. That plot might be better used for fresh veggies and a small, moveable hoop for winter greens. You could always grow grains on 1/2 of it just to check it out. Corn has the highest yields I think but maybe Robie the farmer will chime in here.
I grew corn for corn meal a couple years ago and the crows pulled up all of the beautiful little 2" shoots. I would go out every morning and replant them before they died and they would be uprooted and lying on the ground the next morning. The next year I tried wheat and just before it was ready (of course), deer came and ate it all one night. A history book I read recently of Dover, VT described farmers shooting at crows and searching and destroying their nests and eggs because of this. Add electric fencing and a .22 to your farm equipment list.