Weatherbury Farm Grain Tracker
From Planting to Harvest, Milky Way Einkorn (Einkorn Flour, Einkorn Flakes & Einkorn Berries) in the field:
Planting Einkorn
Frost Seeding Milky Way Einkorn
Milky Way Einkorn is a winter planted grain — this means that the einkorn needs to vernalize to produce grain. If you were to plant it in the spring, it would just look like grass and not develop any grain.
This year we planted a field of emmer but did not have enough to plant the entire field. In this picture, on the bottom field (above the bottom plowed field), the Milky Way Einkorn can be seen below the emmer. And above the 2nd plowed field, the second field of einkorn can be seen at the top of the photo.
Closeup of Einkorn Field
The Milky Way Einkorn is nearly ready for harvest.
Harvesting Milky Way Einkorn
Rain storms with high winds played some havoc with our einkorn in the top field — much of it has lodged (farm speak for fallen over). But with the use of crop lifters, the farmers were able to harvest most of it.
On the second field of einkorn (planted below the emmer), the Milky Way Einkorn has not lodged as much.
Two fields — 100 feet apart. One of the joys of farming — figuring out what happened.
Unloading the Milky Way Einkorn into a gravity wagon. Aerators are then placed in the wagon to bring down the moisture of the grain. The grain is stored in the wagon until it is debearded, cleaned and dehulled.
With visions of einkorn flatbread dancing in our heads!
Milky Way Einkorn Facts 2022
Milky Way Einkorn Fields 2022
In 2022, Milky Way Einkorn was grown in Independence Township on on two fields of 1.49 acres on the farm known as “Pleasant View Farm.” This farm was established in 1824 by J.M Welsh. Welsh is listed in the Caldwell Atlas as a farmer, grain, stock and wool grower. The farm was dormant for many years; however since 2006, organic grains and hay were grown on this farm. Weatherbury Farm has farmed this land since 2017. The farm has been certified organic since 2006.
The einkorn was planted on October 13,2021.
Clover was frost seeded into the grain on March 13, 2022. (The clover suppresses weeds, aids in holding up the grain and, eventually provides nitrogen to the next crop.)
The einkorn was harvested on July 24, 2022.
At the 2022 Washington County Fair, both the sheaf of Milky Way Emmer won 2nd place and the jar of Milky Way Einkorn won 2nd place.
For an illustrated explanation of how Weatherbury grains become flour, visit the from seed to flour page.
About Milky Way Einkorn
Einkorn is one of the three ancient hulled wheats. And even today at taste testings, einkorn flat bread always rates best. At Weatherbury Farm, we grow Milky Way Einkorn, an accession from the USDA small grains collection. It was collected in 1970 in Vorarlberg, Austria, grown out by 40 growers and bulked as the trials looked promising due to yield.
Like spelt, einkorn is protected from the elements by a hull which doesn’t come free in harvest (unlike the hulls on wheat which do). The removal of the hull prior to milling requires special machinery. Weatherbury is lucky to have a dehuller, built by Farmer Nigel.
Products Milled from Milky Way Einkorn
Weatherbury’s Einkorn Family: whole einkorn flour, einkorn berries, einkorn flakes
Milky Way Einkorn is milled into whole unbleached einkorn flour. Einkorn flour can be used in place of whole wheat flour in most dishes from pie crusts to cakes to pancakes to bread.
Rolled Einkorn Flakes offer a new way to start your day.
Einkorn berries (also known as Farro Piccol0), can be used in everything from baked goods to soups and salads or use like rice in a berry bowl.
Health benefits of Einkorn
Einkorn is the most primitive form of wheat on Earth; it has never been hybridized. Thus, einkorn contains only 14 chromosomes; modern wheat contains 42. Einkorn doesn’t have the D chromosome, which may be connected with wheat intolerance. As a result, it is easier to digest and contains more protein and higher levels of fat, phosphorus, pyridoxine, potassium and beta-carotene than modern wheat.
More Information
Einkorn flour can be ordered either for our monthly on-farm pickup or you can have your order sent to you.
To read more about einkorn flour, please visit our products page.
More information on einkorn and other grains are on the grains we grow page.