Grain by Grain A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Heal
"A compelling agricultural story skillfully told; environmentalists will eat it up." Kirkus Reviews "In the age of start-ups and tech crazes, it might seem counterintuitive to call something as ancient as grain 'revelatory.' Nevertheless, Bob Quinn's
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Grain by Grain
Grain by Grain A QUEST TO REVIVE ANCIENT WHEAT, RURAL JOBS, AND HEALTHY FOOD
Bob Quinn and Liz Carlisle
Washington | Covelo | London
Copyright © 2019 Bob Quinn and Liz Carlisle All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 2000 M St., NW, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20036. ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of the Center for Resource Economics. Library of Congress Control Number: 2018961749 All Island Press books are printed on environmentally responsible materials. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Keywords: Kamut; organic; gluten sensitivity; heirloom grains; ancient wheat; regenerative farming; sustainable agriculture; pesticides; Big Sandy, Montana; local food; rural economy
Contents Prologue by Liz Carlisle ix Introduction: Food on the Cheap 1 Chapter 1: Roots and Growth 15 Chapter 2: Better Farming through Chemistry? 29 Chapter 3: Beyond Commodities 39 Chapter 4: Going Organic 57 Chapter 5: King Tut’s Wheat 73 Chapter 6: Growing Partners 83 Chapter 7: A Cowboy in Europe 99 Chapter 8: Creating a New Standard 111 Chapter 9: The Value of Limits 123 Chapter 10: Taste of Place 133 Chapter 11: Recycling Energy 143 Chapter 12: Bringing Rural Jobs Back 161 vii
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Chapter 13: The Gluten Mystery 171 Chapter 14: Food as Medicine 183 Chapter 15: One Great Subject 197 Chapter 16: Rejecting the Status Quo 209 Chapter 17: Conclusion: A New Generation of Growers and Eaters 219 Acknowledgments 231 Notes 237 Index 259
Prologue Liz Carlisle
I arrived on Capitol Hill in June 2008, a fresh-faced young staffer determined to change the world. I had spent the past four years touring the American heartland as a country singer, witnessing the economic pain of rural communities in decline. Wishing I could do more to help, I’d been inspired by an organic farmer from my home state of Montana who had recently unseated a three-term incumbent to win election to the United States Senate. His name was Jon Tester, and I was now his legislative correspondent for agriculture and natural resources. As a Montana native, I understood that many of our constituents were wary of the federal government’s involvement in these matters. More than a quarter of the population earned their living in agriculture, mining, or construction. Many of these people felt left behind by shifts in the global economy and were vehemently opposed to any regulation that might make their livelihoods even more tenuous. My first week on the job, I was told that my task would be to record and respond to emails about my issue areas, to ensure the senator was informed about constituents’ views. “In this office,” our legislative director told me, “we still believe that the best ideas come from citizens.” ix
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Excited, but a bit overwhelmed by the breadth of topics about which I needed to become knowledgeable, I was re
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