You might soak it overnight before planting if you don’t have damp, moist soil to mimic the flooded soil effect. Soak, cook and serve like rice or toss with raw veggies for a salad. It is usually planted as winter wheat in areas with mild winters and as spring wheat everywhere else. White Sonora Wheat Berries White Sonora Wheat Berries – 5, 50 lb bags, or 35 lbs in a 5 gal bucket. The plants are certainly frost tolerant so do not worry about light frosts and even light snow accumulation. For planting, the seedling concentration should result in about 25 wheat plants per square foot, so seed about 30 seeds per square foot to allow for some loss to birds, slow germination, etc. When we recently visited our grower, we were shown a large bag of the wheat that had just been harvested, with no other cleaning or sorting. Most wheat grown here is durum wheat, which is used to make pasta. The hull or husk is very easily removed. Mid-quality soil nutrient content is best for winter wheat with an appropriate supply of nitrogen being critical for the wheat to be able to establish itself in time before winter dormancy. I include White Sonora on my list of heirloom wheat varieties because I’ve heard so many other people swoon over its heirloom-ness. Another advantage the White Sonora Wheat has is a thinner, more paper-like husk, unlike other ancient cereal grains that require a mill to remove the husk and then can be ground. Wheat matures and is harvested when many cultivated and wild food resources are in short supply, the late spring and early summer. This is in part due to its exquisite flavor and delicate texture as well as the rise in local food movements.  =  Pima Club is so-called because of its flattened club-shape seed head. Thresh the seed heads by stomping and dragging your feet to release the hulls. The husks are removed by the mechanical action of the harvester, with the remaining ones rubbed off easily with a couple of fingers. As it turns out, Arizona is a great place to grow wheat! .hide-if-no-js { They sent the wheat eastward, into the Midwest and the east coast. One additional appeal of growing Sonoran heritage wheat is the ease of processing the mature grain, particularly for the home gardener. S-MOIK PILKAN (Wheat Berries, White Sonora) This soft white low gluten wheat was brought to my people more than 300 years ago by Padre Eusabio Kino, a Jesuit missionary from Spain. We wanted to try our hand at growing something new this winter. Wheat’s large-scale introduction into the Southwest is attributed to Father Eusebio Francisco Kino as he established Catholic missions throughout the Pimera Alta—what is now Sonora and southern Arizona—in the late 1600s. The earliest records of Sonora wheat come from the mountain plains of Sonora, Mexico in the 1700s, but likely predates that. These are whole unmilled White Sonora Wheat berries received directly from Ramona American Indian Farms in Arizona.. White Sonora Wheat is considered to be the oldest wheat in the Americas. However, if you were looking out onto the farming landscapes of our region 100 years ago that is exactly what you would have seen. Compared to more modern varieties, many heritage wheats are taller, tend to tiller more (grow lateral shoots from the base of the stem), have more seeds per pound, and are more competitive and therefore more effective in covering the ground, so less seed is required. Broadcast the seeds and cover with compost of a few handfuls of soil or gently rake into the soil. var notice = document.getElementById("cptch_time_limit_notice_28"); In the Sonoran Desert, wheat is grown in the winter and spring when many fields are empty. These longer taproots bring water and nutrients from deeper in the soils, making the plant less susceptible to moisture fluctuations. We decided to grow an heirloom variety called Sonora Wheat. The gluten content of this wheat allows the tortilla makers to build extremely large tortillas, which are the defining characteristic to the large burros found in Sonoran cuisine. Starting in the early 1800s, California planted Sonoran wheat almost exclusively. By about 1975, there were no more commercial sources of White Sonora Wheat available. © 2021 Native-Seeds-Search | Ecommerce Software by Shopify | Designed by WeTheme. Time limit is exhausted. But what matters most to Emma and Jeff Zimmerman, is that both a heritage grain and a network of cooperation and innovation have grown. Sonoran soft white wheat was brought to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico in the 1600s by Spanish missionaries to make their communion wafers, but it found popularity among indigenous farmers who could grow it in rotation with corn as an additional crop to make masa for tortillas. This is one of several areas where White Sonora Wheat really shines, as it is lower in gluten and higher in protein than today’s super-hybridized dwarf varieties. White Sonora (T. aestivum) I will admit that I don’t have personal experience with this particular type of wheat, so I can’t personally vouch for it, although it’s something I definitely want to try. Grown in northwest Mexico since around 1770. The introduction of wheat allowed indigenous farmers to produce two crops per year. The wheat grew well in my little trial patch here in Aromas, CA and hardly took any care. White Sonora wheat was also important in farming as a rotational crop, used for renewing the nitrogen and minerals in the soil. A single packet of wheat seeds (28 g) will be plenty of seed to plant a 3 ft x 3 ft with a dense stand of wheat. An 8 oz packet of seed will be enough to cover a 35 ft x 35 ft (1225 sq ft) plot. These are whole unmilled White Sonora Wheat berries received directly from Ramona American Indian Farms in Arizona. White Sonora is a soft, round-grained winter or spring wheat with pale red grains that grow on beardless heads. Seeds for White Sonora and Pima Club wheat varieties are available in bulk quantities for farmers and in regular packets for those interested in growing smaller plots. Several factors contributed to its demise as the staple variety of wheat, from expanded cattle ranching in Mexico, the droughts and loss of water as a power source in the 1950s, the closing of many flour mills in Sonora in the mid-1960s, the Green Revolution with its hybridized wheat varieties and the switch from wheat production to vegetables as dams closed off the rivers in northern Mexico. White Sonora Wheat . I already sent you some pictures and when we make the bread I will send one of it. With all of its advantages, flavor and nutrition, ease of growth and harvest, along with being adapted to dry climates and improving the soil, it is easy to see why White Sonora Wheat is regaining its rightful popularity! White Sonora Wheatis enjoying a resurgence of popularity today all across the country, thanks to restoration efforts in Arizona and South Carolina. Considered to be a heritage grain, White Sonora Wheat has fared better in terms of a revival than other heritage grains. Time limit is exhausted. White Sonora and Pima Club are considered "spring" wheats, but due to our mild winters they can be planted between November and December in the low desert regions of Tucson and Phoenix. I harvested about 1/2 gallon of this wheat this season. In areas of high humidity that produce wheat, the wheat must be dried quickly after harvest to keep it from spoiling. The berries can also be boiled and used like rice or sprouted for wheat grass. Unfortunately, seed for this variety is limited at this time but securely conserved within our Seed Bank. The warm, dry climate in our region is better suited to soft wheats, and the introduction of Baart came at a time when many mills in Arizona were unable to compete with the hard wheats grown in the Midwest which were superior for bread flour. This Land Race wheat has done … You should get about a 40:1 return on planting if you have good soil and reasonable weather. You will need to stop and check the progress, but will quickly get a feel for how long to use the mixer. By 1640, it was being successfully sown in America’s most arid farmscapes alongside another, more consistently barbed wheat which the same Jesuit padres called … Areas of Michigan and New York grow hard white winter wheat. Yes, just clip the seed heads and save them. Curious as to the yield, as I am experimenting for a family of seven. White Sonora Wheat is enjoying a resurgence of popularity today all across the country, thanks to restoration efforts in Arizona and South Carolina. You can see the video below, and see the weed seeds among the wheat, but also the very few seed heads that have any husks on them. Rough conversion calculation shows a pound of wheat should return about 1/2 bushel on harvest. Proper planting time and virus-resistant varieties can also help eliminate the risk of infestation. Thanks to Paul from California for sharing these with us! In our changing climate, a wheat with those characteristics is most welcome. Organic soft white wheat grain has a very low moisture content, and stores extremely well, making it ideal as a storage grain. They key is to have mature grain harvested in May and early June before the onset of the summer rains. Join the email list for garden updates, new seed listings, pantry & gift shop updates and more! White Sonoran Wheat is relatively easy to grind and ideal for using in pastry due to its low protein content. display: none !important; For the home gardener or small scale grower, this can be done fairly easily with some hand or kitchen tools. It was also prized as a brewing grain, again for its flavor it gave the beer. Its popularity was partly due to its resistance to Fusarium fungus, drought tolerance and its exceptionally sweet flavor for baking. I got interested in planting Sonora wheat as an addition to our ever growing garden. The ability to produce more food and pressures from European missionaries, military, and settlers pushed traditional subsistence-based farmers into cash crop farmers. For example, we offer several heritage wheat products from Ramona Farms in Sacaton, Ariz., on the Gila River Indian Community reservation. Our soft all-purpose flour is perfect for everyday use (a blend of White Sonora and Hard Red Spring wheat for gluten strength)- cookies, breads, pancakes, pies, pastries and anything else you can dream up. The introduction of wheat was not without consequences. Fill the bowl up about 1/2 to 2/3 full and work in batches. White winter wheat is grown in a zone that includes northeastern Oregon and the Palouse Hills of southeastern Washington and adjoining areas of Idaho. White Sonora and Pima Club are considered "spring" wheats, but due to our mild winters they can be planted between November and December in the low desert regions of Tucson and Phoenix. Since this a small project, I don’t have a large budget for equipment, etc. Higher elevations and cooler regions should plant in the month of February. Hi Traditional baskets make of yucca and bear grass began to incorporate dried wheat straw, particularly for the manufacture of large storage baskets. Because it is a white wheat, not a hard red wheat, it makes lighter products that have a sweeter and lighter flavor than those typically associated with whole wheat. The family farmers of Ramona Farms were the first farmers in the Western Hemisphere to grow wheat and they are still growing it! During the Civil War, much Sonoran wheat was exported from Arizona and California to the eastern states making up for lost production due to the war. Some folks with wheat allergies find they can tolerate hard and soft white wheat. Please reload CAPTCHA. Paul said he had to repeat this step a couple of times, but got a really clean batch of wheat. Herb, it really depends on several factors, so you won’t know the exact yield until you plant it! Both are beardless (lacking a long hair or awn) soft white wheats. Wheat seeds can also be planted in rows, ca. Wheat was first introduced to our region via early Spanish expeditions in the 16th century. History. It is because of these traits that they are well-suited to “short” baked goods such as pie crusts, cakes, crackers, and cakes, while they don’t work as well for bread-making unless mixed with a higher protein flour. Differences between varieties are largely related to geographic origin (White Sonora is from Magdalena, Sonora, and Pima Club is from the Gila River Indian Community in Central Arizona) as well as the seed head characteristics. Have never planted wheat in my life. This is fairly typical return with wheat, it should be in the range of about 40:1, meaning if you plant 1 oz. Larger-scale operations should harvest and clean seeds using combines and mechanical action. Soft white wheat with mostly awnless, compact, medium-long heads. Tags: grains, growing wheat, wheat, wheat thresher, Arizona, ... Jon, operates Win-Win Farm in Gilbert, Ariz., and has been growing ‘White Sonora’ wheat for three years. We grew White Sonora Wheat over winter, and now that it’s May in Southern California, it is time to harvest. Good to hear about your success! Please reload CAPTCHA. Prolonged cold will slow down maturity but if planting during this window seed heads will not yet have developed and no damage or productivity reductions will occur. For example, this comment below on an article about the good gluten in einkorn pertained to the heirloom variety known as White Sonora Wheat. White Sonora is an heirloom bread wheat that was introduced into North America by Spanish and Italian missionaries under the broad category of “candeal cereals” suited for making communion bread. Cultivation. White Sonora was the main variety available in the west, including California, up to the Civil War. This isn’t a pounding action, and he tries not to hit through to the bottom of the sack, only gently thumping the top and going down about halfway into the wheat. function() { Therefore, wheat quickly became part of O’odham cuisine. By the 1800’s much of the wheat produced by the O’odham and Pima was being sold at market. Not only did wheat contribute to quintessential Sonoran cuisine – such as the large, oversized flour tortilla – wheat was a major cash crop and Southwestern grown wheat was exported throughout much of the country, particularly during the Civil War. Use a moderate speed and move the mixer around the bucket to create the friction that loosens the husks. Cut the mature seed heads and dry on a tarp or place seed heads in a large plastic bin that is large enough for you to step inside. During the last week, Dotson said, the stalks of the white Sonora wheat have grown another 5 inches, and the heads, where the wheat berries grow, are starting to form. I would harvest enough seed to plant again the next year and let the chickens self harvest the rest of the wheat. Of course, planting the right seed matters. This hard wheat is used to make noodles and white bread that has a crust as well as cereals and crackers. }, We will post some of your photos soon. To harvest do you just cut the seed heads off? I am interested in growing for my small chicken flock. Winnow away the chaff to clean the seeds from the papery debris. The study also stresses the importance of good broadleaf weed control in the previously growing winter wheat crop. Culture • Grains require modest levels of nutrition to produce good quality proteins • Excessive soil fertility will cause lower protein levels and may lead to lodging (heavy heads falling over) • Winter varieties require cold temperatures in order to produce seed heads (vernalize) in spring; they should be planted in the fall Direct Sowing • Plant mid-September through mid-October • … The wheat can thrive on marginal soils and actually produces better flavor on these soils, though production volume is lower than modern ones. Introduced in the early 1700s by Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino to the Sonoran region of Mexico and Southern Arizona, White Sonora Wheat was the staple wheat for the western United States for almost 200 years, from the early 1700s to the 1900s. Thanks! It is used to make a variety of foods, including bread, pie crust, tortillas, pasta, and pastry. Sonora wheat was among the most disease and drought resistant varieties in the new world. Native Seeds/SEARCH is proud to provide foundational seed to local growers such as BKW Farms in Marana, San Xavier Food Coop in Tucson, and Avalon Gardens in Tubac. Another approach is to drag a garden rake deeply through the soil and seed the wheat in the furrows, leaving about 4 – 6 inches between rows, then smoothing the soil over the seeds. The flour makes a stretchy dough perfect for tortilla making, but it is also of value for bakers and brewers where the lasting sweet flavor and nutty texture is favored. It also helps to open up the soil when the wheat is harvested as the root system decays, leaving behind a network of air and water passages. The basics of this process haven’t changed since it was written about in the Bible – use a breeze to blow the lighter chaff off of the heavier wheat berries. Historical documents indicate Captain Fernando Alarcón distributed seeds, including wheat, to Yuman-speaking groups along the Colorado and Gila Rivers as he explored water routes for Coronado’s expeditions in the 1540s. Seed matters. For a more in-depth look at this issue, read my article “What’s Wrong with Our Wheat?”. By Melissa Kruse-Peeples, NS/S Education Coordinator. Large plots can be planted with a seeding rate of 70 to 100 pounds per acre depending upon soil conditions and seeding method. By many accounts this is the best flour for cakes, breads and tortillas ever. While the overall productivity per acre is less than conventional varieties, the benefits are there to make growing heritage grain a viable commercial enterprise. Wheat was a perfect complement to traditional summer monsoon Tohono O’odham and Pima crops of corn, beans, and squash. I have 35+ acres, but have most of it devoted to garlic and other herbs. A lot of attention is being paid to wheat today, mainly due to the rise of gluten intolerance or celiac disease in which a person cannot digest the gluten part of wheat in their diet. White Sonora wheat is one of the oldest North American wheat varieties still grown today, which can reportedly be tolerated by some people with gluten allergies or Celiac’s disease. if ( notice ) 3 Pretty good harvest from a 3 oz. and the end results are pretty impressive! Do you recommend soaking seeds overnight before planting? +  Heritage wheat, such as the White Sonoran variety, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The wheat was also pre-adapted to Southwestern growing conditions and able to withstand alkaline soils and the alluvial contexts along the Santa Cruz and Gila Rivers where it was grown. He starts with dumping the uncleaned wheat into a sack or heavy pillowcase – heads, chaff and remainder of stems – all of it. Allow the cool season rains to water your plot to get it established and keep the soil moist until sprouted. It is one of only two wheats and seven grains boarded onto the Ark of Taste by Slow Food USA. White Sonora Wheat is an extremely flavorful semi-hard white spring wheat that can be used for whole wheat flour in breads, cakes, pancakes, tortillas, and more. Grain that has been partially dried and then moistened is difficult to harvest, by hand or mechanically, and prone to mold. He started with 3 oz. White Sonora wheat is also useful in farming as a rotational or cover crop, used for … Pulse the blade to prevent from breaking too many of the grains and making it harder to separate the wheat from the husks or chaff. ½ inch apart. Cooks incorporated wheat berries into traditional poshol, a stew with tepary beans, as well as pinole, a parched and ground preparation usually of corn; and wheat was easily rolled into well-established agricultural traditions, especially for the Pima. If birds eating the seed may be a problem, cover with a thin layer of straw. Growing and Harvesting Wheat in the Southwest. Your email address will not be published. Then using a large, lightweight wooden mallet, he applies physical friction to the bag and wheat, loosening the hulls. Introduced in the early 1700s by Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino to the Sonoran region of Mexico and Southern Arizona, White Sonora Wheat was the An early spring variety that does equally well as a winter wheat in milder winter climates that doesn't freeze hard.