“Ancient grain” is a term commonly used as a marketing device by the health-food industry. Although there’s no technical definition, it’s widely accepted that “ancient grains” are grown for their edible seeds and have remained relatively unaltered since their original domestication. Modern grains, such as commercial wheat, have been dramatically altered from their original state through extensive breeding. While this has led to the creation of crops better suited to largescale commercial production, these modern crops often lack the nutrients available in their ancient counterparts. Most ancient grains are part of the grass family, Poaceae, although there are a few exceptions, such as the pseudo-cereals amaranth and buckwheat.
In recent years, especially since the pandemic, there’s been an incredible surge of interest in local foods, gardening, and sustainable food production. Of course, the foundation of a sustainable food system is locally grown grains, since these staple crops provide a majority of our caloric intake. Luckily, there’s a diverse selection of nutritious ancient grains, with seeds available for private growers. It doesn’t matter if you’re a small-scale farmer, a homesteader, or even a dedicated home gardener; there’s sure to be an ancient grain that’s perfect for you!
Wheat
A few species of wheat are considered ancient grains. Each of these species was domesticated around 10,000 years ago in an area of the Middle East commonly known as the Fertile Crescent. In fact, many foods can be traced back to this region, including garbanzo beans, peas, lentils, flax, barley, and figs.
