Buckwheat

Hi Readers,

I have  interesting notes regarding Buckwheat  { Fagopyrum esculentum} that again I gathered from the ABC’s landline

Brett Ryan a  Farmer central west  NSW  added buckwheat to add a summer crop into his rotation.

Buckwheat dosesn’t like heat or frost but with a short growing season of 100 days most farmer can avoid both.

Not related to wheat nor is it a grain, it’s an asian plant which is in the same family as sorrel and rhubarb and produces gluten free seeds.

It’s Pretty green and tends to block up the header but it averages 2 and a half Tonne to the hectare some paddocks up to 3 tonne/hctr.

Returns are good at around $2000 per hectare. Out performs wheat or canola.

One harvested it goes to Parkes, to Geoff Browns Storage and processing plant,where it is cleaned sized dehulled and colour graded.

Geoff is the major handler of buckwheat in Australia. Previously he supllied all his grain to the Japanese  soba  noodle  Market. Tsunarmi stopped that.. the Japanese started subsidising its buckweat producers. He was forced to find new customers with the local gluten free market gaining momentum.

Geoff says we are only scratching the surface with buckwheat,  there are many buckwheat products we havent looked at yet, yet are overseas

The Birket Mills established in 1789 has a range of  products and pricing on web

Some of the products made with Buckwheat.

Buckwheat noodles ( Japan, China, Northern Italy) Previously Korea until replaced by wheat.

Porridge made from roasted Groats

Pancakes Russia France Belgium and USA Farina made from groats are

Used for breakfast food , porridge, and in soups and gravies Jelly in

In Korea It is used with wheat maize(polenta) in Italy or rice in bread and pasta products.

BEER used to substitute for other grains in Gluten Free Beer. Although it is not a cereal, buckwheat can be used in the same way as barley to

produce a malt that can form the basis of a mash that will brew beer  without gliadin or hordein (Toegther form GLUTEN)

Whiskey  ..Eddu Silver

Upholstery Filling – pillows and zafu

Biological Control

Used as a pollen and nectar source to increase natural enemy numbers to control crop pests in NZ.

Medicinal Uses,  Tisane ….rutin helps strengthen capillary walls

One of Geoff’s buyers is FREEDOM FOODS my wife buys freedom foods breakfast cereal. they also source local rice sorghum and maize. They source everything for their product domestically, for quality, and ensure it GM free it mean Freedom (Rory Macleod) can control the demand and supply of his products moving foward(Leeton)  he has his own alergen free zone.

Gluten Free was  suposssed to slow,  Yet Freedom foods have had 50% growth in creal products and 100% growth in snack based  products.Share price has quadrupled in just one year. Now set up in the USA even stronger growth there because there is a broader FAD. Gluten free products are growing across the board at 15%

At Byron Gourmet Pies we enjoy trying types of Gluten Free Flour’s to bring you the best in tasty Gluten Free Pies and Rolls , handcrafted here in Byron Bay.