Be the first in the know by getting The Grain Exchange in your inbox each month!
Read on to find out about upcoming CGA events through the summer and fall, an exciting conference opportunity for the farmers in our network, learn all about rye grain & more!
A Message from CGA Executive Director Madelyn Smith
Dear Common Grain Alliance community,
May was an incredible month of learning, collaboration, and inspiration! I attended several meetings across the U.S. to highlight CGA’s work and brainstorm opportunities to collaborate with like-minded partners. At the Ohio Valley Grain Exchange's (OHVG) Southeastern Grain Gathering in Lexington, Kentucky, I joined Tristan Noyes of Maine Grain Alliance and Sarah Halcomb of the recently-formed OHVG to discuss the immense value of local grain value chains and brainstorm ways to connect grain alliances nationwide. I also explored the world of quality malt and whiskeys, including a delightful lager made from kernza, a perennial grain gaining popularity for its deep root systems and immense soil health benefits.
In New Jersey, I participated in the inaugural Systems Based Investing Field Lab at Duke Farms, where I reflected on CGA’s work within the broader context of food systems transformation. I met with regenerative agriculture leaders in New Jersey and discussed how private and philanthropic capital can effectively invest in regenerative agriculture. Finally, I attended the DMV Regional Food Aggregation and Distribution Summit, connecting with colleagues working to create a safer, healthier, and more diverse regional food system in the DMV. I'm excited about the future possibilities for collaboration and the continued growth of our local grain economies across the Mid-Atlantic and beyond!
What I’m Reading and Listening To:
Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming CGA Events
We hope everyone is having a wonderful & relaxing summer! Coming this fall, there will be several can’t-miss CGA events. Be sure to mark your calendars now! (More information on each event coming soon to the Events Page on our website).
Profitable Soil Health at Green Sprig Ag Field Day: On Tuesday, August 6th from 9:30am - 4:00pm, join us at Green Sprig Ag in Rocky Mount, Virginia for a field day exploring what maximizing agricultural diversity looks like in the real world - from incorporating small grains into crop rotation to introducing livestock.
This event is a partnership between Green Sprig Ag, Virginia Tech, VA NRCS, Common Grain Alliance, American Farmland Trust, Future Harvest, Virginia Soil Health Coalition, Virginia No-Tillage Alliance.
Philly Grain Gathering: On Monday, September 30 from 4:30-9:00 p.m., join CGA members from in and around Philadelphia for a tour of Castle Valley Mill followed by a local grain celebration at Forest and Main Brewing Company.
Mid-Atlantic Grain Fair: No spoilers, but this year’s grain fair at the historic Peirce Mill in Washington, D.C. will be bigger and better than ever and will be held on Saturday, October 12.
Pittsburg Grain Gathering: Did yinz miss the Philly grain gathering? No sweat, because we’ll be having a similar event on Monday, November 11 in Pittsburgh.
Virtual Event — Unlocking Local Grain Potential, A 3-Part Webinar Series for Small Businesses: This event will be held over Zoom on Sept. 10, Oct. 7 and Nov. 4. Stay tuned for exciting details about featured speakers and topics!
DMV-area baker meetups in September and November: Dates and locations coming soon!
The Mid-Atlantic Grain Conference will take place in March 2025 in the Mid-Atlantic Region. We are excited to announce our search for a partner institution to host the conference & conference session proposals. This grain gathering will bring together the grain value chain, from Pennsylvania down through northern North Carolina, for a day of presentations, discussions and networking as we seek to improve the Mid-Atlantic grain value chain for all stakeholders.
Want to host the largest grain gathering in the Mid-Atlantic? Submit your proposal here.
Got ideas for conference sessions? Whether you’re proposing a hands-on learning experience, collaborative presentation, or conversational panel, we want to hear from you. Submit here!
PROPOSAL DEADLINES:
Host Institutions: June 30, 2024
Conference Sessions: August 31, 2024
Calling CGA Farmers: Free Attendance Available For the 17th Annual Maine Grain Alliance Kneading Conference!
For nearly two decades, the Maine Grain Alliance has been uniting bakers, millers, maltsters, brewers, grain professionals, and farmers through meaningful conversations aimed at strengthening our regional grain economy. This year's 17th annual Kneading Conference (July 25-26th) introduces its first-ever Organic Farmer Track –– a series of educational workshops focused on organic grain cultivation and landrace and heritage seed restoration. Thanks to a grant from the USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP), the MGA is offering farmers free attendance to this conference so long as they attend the workshops outlined below.
Pseudograins with Will Bonsall, The Scatterseed Project
Heritage Grain Seed Restoration with Paul Pollaro, Maine Grain Alliance TOPP Project Manager
Sunrise Grain Walk with Richard Roberts, Director of Maine Grain Alliance Seed Restoration
Strategies and Opportunities for Growing Organic Grain with Meg Mitchell (MOFGA), Sara & Marcus Flewelling (Aurora Mills & Farm), and others.
Reintroducing Heritage & Landrace Grain Resources with Tristan Noyes & Paul Pollaro
For more information and to register, please visit the registration page and enter the code FarmScholar at checkout to secure your spot today!
June Baker Meet-Up: Baking With Local Rye
On Monday, June 3, dozens of bakers gathered at the University of D.C. for our latest baker meet-up. This time, we focused on baking with local rye. Andrew Roy of Twin Bears Bakery gave a wonderful talk about layering flavors in bread with different ferments, fermentation temperatures, and ingredients. Mark Woodward, a Serious Home Baker and CGA member, busted some myths about baking with rye and shared a helpful set of tips and recommended resources for baking success with rye. We snacked and swapped everything from artisanal loaves to caneles, cookies, and chocolate cherry babka, all with rye incorporated into the recipes.
Grain Fact: Don’t Let Your Bread Go A-Rye!
(Image via Serious Eats) Baking puns aside, rye is a grain with a rich and fascinating history, not to mention a complex flavor profile and abundance of nutrients. A close relative of wheat and barley, rye flour comes in different varieties, ranging from light (most refined) to dark (less refined). Pumpernickel flour is rye flour that is coarser and wholly unrefined. The unrefined rye berry can also be used for porridge, cereal and salads.
In countries like Germany and Russia, you’ll find bread made with 100% rye flour. Conversely, in places like the United States, it is common for rye bread to contain as little as 20% rye. Rye has been cultivated in Central and Eastern Europe since the Middle Ages, with estimates of its origins stemming from southwestern Asia around 6500 B.C.
Shop for rye online through CGA members such as Purple Mountain Grown (Maryland), Deep Roots Milling (Virginia), Grapewood Farm (Virginia), Castle Valley Mill (Pennsylvania), Small Valley Milling (Pennsylvania), and Red Tail Grains (North Carolina). Want to learn more? Find links to articles, videos and books here, courtesy of the Rye Revival Resource Room!
Recipe Spotlight: Rye Canelés (presented during June 3 CGA Baker Meetup by Cameron Haddard and adapted via Serious Eats)
Ingredients:
50g unsalted butter (cubed)
500mL whole milk
300g powdered sugar, halved
1 vanilla bean
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
40g rye flour
85g AP flour
⅛ tsp. Kosher salt
28g of rum
Directions:
Whisk milk, half of sugar, scraped vanilla bean pod/seeds and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Turn off when edges begin to bubble.
Add remaining sugar, eggs, and yolks to a separate bowl. Whisk until combined.
Strain and slowly mix warm milk mixture into egg mixture (remove vanilla pod)
Add rum, and mix into the flour and salt.
Push batter through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps, cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one day.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, preheating the (nonstick) baking sheet as well. This encourages skin formation.
Carefully pour batter into the tray and place into the oven. Reduce temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 35-45 minutes depending on the mold size. Best enjoyed within a few hours of baking.
Notes: Cameron used a mini muffin tray instead of copper molds and found using rye flour with percentages higher than 50% led to the caneles losing their structure.