Do you have a sunny square metre or more of garden that you could use to grow a patch of heritage wheat this season?

Philip Revell at Sustaining Dunbar is seeking twenty or so ‘patchwork wheat farmers’ to join in this participatory research project.

The eventual aim is to develop a locally adapted ‘landrace’ of wheat that is genetically diverse, resilient, nutritious and adapted to organic growing in this part of Scotland. And eventually to use this to re-establish a local supply chain linking local growers, local millers, local bakers and local people in a sustainable and equitable flour and bread supply. 

Using seed provided by Scotland the Bread as part of their Soil to Slice project, a small group have been growing small patches of wheat using a mix of three old Swedish wheat varieties over the past two years. This year they’ve been able to further diversify the mix they are sowing by adding in some wheat grown at Balcaskie Farm in Fife which is derived from three old Scottish varieties: Rouge d’Ecosse, Hunter’s and Golden Drop.

After harvest, a small amount of the seed will be selected to save for next year. The remainder will be threshed, cleaned and milled into flour so that the local ‘patchwork wheat farmers’ can come together to bake and share bread together.

If you are interested to take part in this project, please get in touch as soon as possible as seed needs to be sown as soon as possible, and before the end of April.

Philip Revell philip@sustainingdunbar.org