Frequently Asked Questions
All the Answers to Your Questions
Why are you doing this?
Democracy, Diversity and Saving the Planet
We believe saving your own seeds and growing your own food is the most radically democratic activity possible, that diversity is critical to all living organisms and that good soil is the foundation of a healthy planet.
Is your wheat gluten free?
Nope. All wheat contains gluten.
However, this wheat is free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and chemical fertilizers. It wasn't grown for mass industrial production. It was grown for food.
Sometimes people who have trouble digesting modern wheat find this wheat much better. It also tastes good!
Do you like farming?
It's hard work.
It's expensive.
It takes a lot of time.
And yes, we absolutely love it.
Why Not Plant Modern Wheat?
Modern hybrid seeds have been developed to yield plants that grow well in dirt fields supported with synthetic chemicals, produce wheat berries that withstand high-volume, high-heat milling to make flour that has a long shelf-life and is great for making fluffy white bread-like products that are cheap and plentiful.
What modern hybrids have not been developed for is human consumption. Modern wheat is so devoid of flavor and nutrients that these qualities often have to be added back in (usually with sugars, oils and "enriched" vitamins) to even qualify as food.
No wonder so many people find it difficult to eat wheat-based products.
There is another problem with hybrid seeds. For as long as humans have been planting crops for food, they've been able to save some of the seeds that grew the best plants from their harvest to plant the next year. Each year, the plants best adapted to a particular soil, climate and cultural preference were saved to create a heritage variety that could be counted on for great regional flavor and adaptability year after year. Modern hybrid seeds saved from the harvest will not produce a dependably similar plant in the following year and are often patented, making re-use of seeds illegal, even if you grew them yourself. Not only are modern hybrid plants failing to leverage natural adaptation to changing regional climates, farmers rely on corporate seed producers to supply seeds which must be purchased at whatever price the suppliers set.