Ancient Grains

Ancient Grains: How Turtle Tree Seed is Promoting Heirloom Wheat

Scholars have long considered the propagation and storage of wheat to be largely responsible for the successful development of early civilizations in the Fertile Crescent. Mesopotamians likely began to domesticate grains around 9,500 B.C., grinding wheat for bread flour and using it for currency. And while wheat is the most widely consumed cereal grain in the world, the strains we produce and consume now are a far cry from the ancient varieties that supported early cultures and civilizations. And now, Turtle Tree Seed is trying their hand at propagating heirloom wheat strains here in Copake.

Instead of the word “preserving,” Turtle Tree Seed Co-manager Ian Robb considers promoting and multiplying the strains to be a more accurate description of Turtle Tree’s goals with the heirloom varieties they’ve started growing.

“In the context of the world we live in just now with climate change, if you can find a species, in this case wheat that over millennia has adjusted to drought and heat and flood and all these things, and the Earth has allowed the seed to grow and adapt itself, this may be a grain from the past, but probably a grain for the future,” says Ian. “Preserving is holding on to something from the past, but we’re bringing it forward into the future, and I think Camphill Village is a unique place in which to do this.”

Poltavka wheat drying after harvest.

there are no hybrids in their operation. The genetic diversity of the seeds remains intact and those who buy and use the seeds can reproduce the same strains at home year after year. Self-sufficiency and the ability to rely on one’s own small plot of land for food are special values that guide Turtle Tree’s work. And this interest in heirloom grains began at a conference attended by many like-minded growers in 2019. It was at this organic growers conference in Massachusettes that Ian met Eli Rogosa, an heirloom grains expert, traveler, and author of “Restoring Heritage Grains: The Culture, Biodiversity, Resilience, and Cuisine of Ancient Wheats.” she gave me this book which she had written, and she also gave me bread that she had baked from an ancient grain,” Ian says. “I loved the bread and we got talking, and I found out that she was the world leading expert on ancient grains. So I said this is fascinating. I’ve always had an interest in grains, I’ve never actually grown them, but I’m especially interested in saving any seed that possibly could become extinct.”

Ms. Rogosa also gave Ian some wheat seeds – a varietal connected to the (geographically modern-day Russian) Poltavka culture stemming from seeds that were collected in 1915, but with genetics dating back to more than 2,000 BC. Turtle Tree Seed had to wait until the fall of 2020 to plant the seeds in raised beds. The plants

Bill McIlroy harvests Poltavka wheat in a Turtle Tree Seed garden

overwintered and in July, they were finally harvested by Ian and two Turtle Tree Seed crew members who have dreamed up a lofty vision for ancient grains in Camphill Village.

Matthias Poynder-Meares and Bill McIlroy have obtained several heirloom strains from Antoine Guerlain, a local baker who used to run the bakery here in the Village. Matthias and Bill now have seeds from geographical Iraq, Sardinia, and India’s Jammu and Kashmir territory in the north. (It’s important to emphasize that these territories and borders didn’t exist when these wheat strains were originally propagated.)

“We’ve been in contact with a couple of key people who are interested in re-enlivening these heritage grains, so through this process of growing first of all the seed, people then build up a seed bank and a database, and then from that, somewhere in the future, we can then make artisan breads and products using these grains,” says Matthias, who has blended this project with his scholarly work with the Camphill Academy. “The first step is to seed save to kind of get them really stocked up, and just follow the process that goes along with that. The seeds we just grew recently were absolutely gorgeous, so it’s a joy to watch how they will unfold and how each wheat variety can look.”

The Poltavka variety they recently harvested was a deep golden brown and about five tall, whereas most modern wheat grown in the United States is around two to three feet tall and often referred to as “dwarf wheat.”

“It was our first time successfully growing wheat,” says Bill, referring to some trial and error the pair experienced early on with their Sardinian and Jammu varieties. Bill and Matthias are very hopeful that within a few years, they’ll have enough heirloom wheat to bake with.

“I spoke to Matthias about starting our baking skills early last January, and we started basically a routine of savories and sweets,” Bill said, adding that he and Matthias regularly listen to K-pop music and bake together at Columbine House where Matthias lives. He turned to Matthias: “Let’s make eclairs in September.” For now, Matthias and Bill will concentrate on growing just one strain at a time to avoid cross pollination, which is very important when growing for seed. Harvesting the successful Poltavka crop was an exciting step in what is just the beginning of this new project for Turtle Tree Seed.

“Wheat in particular seems to be something that connects most of the countries in the world. Like every country has some kind of bread, and that’s a commonality that I found to be rather extraordinary,” Matthias said. “We all have a connection to wheat in some shape or form, and so protecting those heritage varieties and creating that diversity in our culture, bringing those influences from around the world is a very inspiring process.”

Ian Robb, Bill McIlroy, and Matthias Poynder-Meares present their first heirloom wheat harvest

Poltavka wheat drying at Turtle Tree Seed