I’ve posted about this several times before. Like here.
The more I watch this grow, the more interesting I find it.
It’s another ‘no-weed’ plant, like what I posted about earlier today. It’s basically grass, and it’s no-weed like most of our lawns are. It just forms a very thick root mass that almost no weeds can penetrate. Like grass, I wouldn’t really expect there to be insect or disease problems. Like grass it can be used as a forage crop, and in fact it grows about 2 meters high, and produces a lot of hay or straw. For gardeners it’s a useful source of mulch.
It will literally grow anywhere grass grows. It’s not uncommon to find unselected rye grasses in lawn seed mixes, and rye is not an uncommon component of people’s lawns. It’s the thicker bladed grass most of us are familiar with.
Okay, I can hear you asking. If it’s like grass and grows where grass grows, what makes it interesting? What makes it interesting is that you can eat it! Literally, anywhere grass grows, this is a drop-in replacement you can eat.
So let me repeat. Replaces grass, including people’s lawns, is weed, insect and disease free, hardly requires any care, and you can eat it. When you’re done eating it, any animals you might have can eat it.
If you were to create a major food for a sustainable future, what would you do different?
“If you were to create a major food for a sustainable future, what would you do different?”
Rip out more than half the yard and plant the P.Rye.
Looks good. One thing to watch out for in humid climates is ergot infecting the grains – not nice. Perhaps perennial rye is not as susceptible to this as conventional rye.
Your perennial rye would be great forage for horses. Any idea what zones it can be grown in? My father lives in east texas (zone 9) and would love to try growing some.
Owen: Thanks for mentioning that! Actually we talked about this a while ago on the Homegrown Goodness discussion forum, but I’d forgotten about it. I think it’ll be a few years before I’m actually eating any of it, but in the meantime I’ll certainly be on the look out for anything that looks like ergot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot
Eric: It should literally grow anywhere grass grows, and I understand it’s very drought tolerant. It should be okay in zone 9.
I’m not sure it makes sense for me to send you seeds from Europe, but I’ll see if I can find someone in the US to send you some seeds. I’ll send you an email.
Hi Patrick,
I spent some time last winter trying unsuccessfully to fin perennial grains. Once the seasons turned, research took a back seat to doing.
So I’m quite tickled to have stumbled across this post.
Would it be possible to get a bit of seed when you harvest? I would pay postage so you wouldn’t be out of pocket. It doesn’t have to be much because I’m quite prepared to grow it out for a season or two. Grain seed supplies multiply very quickly.
Thanks & regards,
Mike
Mike: I’ll send you an email.
Fascinating. But how do you eat it???
Hi Jen,
Good question!
First you have to thresh and winnow it. This video suggests one way of doing this on a small scale, with a shoe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfMafKjqRXQ
The basic recipe for grains like rye or wheat is to rinse then under running water then cook them in boiling water for about a half hour. If you prefer it softer, you can also soak it in water for several hours or overnight and cook as long as an hour or two.
Then you can eat it like it is, or add butter and/or salt, some people add milk and sugar or fruit and eat it for breakfast. It’s possible to make something similar to tabbouleh salad with cooked rye grain.
Some people cook the grain together with meat or broth, sometimes in the oven.
You can make bread with purchased wheat flour as the basis, with whole rye grains added.
Otherwise you can buy a number of inexpensive mills or rollers to make flour or rolled grain. Here’s a page of someone I know locally who sells them (in Dutch):
http://www.levenvanhetland.nl/graanvlokken.htm
I think if you search the Internet you can find similar things for sale locally.
It’s difficult to make bread from only rye, because it doesn’t have enough gluten and the taste is a little strong, but it works well mixed with wheat flour.
If you’re interested in experimenting with these things, you can often buy plain rye grain from natural food stores.
First you have to thresh and winnow it. This video suggests one way of doing this on a small scale, with a shoe:
Or you can go higher tech with this – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDr8VF2QIPM
I am interested in growing any of your perennial wet seeds.
I live on the Olympic peninsula near Sequim but with bad soil, good for grass and grazing.
john
So where can I get some?
Adaptive Seeds are offering a different line:
http://www.adaptiveseeds.com/content/rye-millwright-perennial
If all you’re interested in is getting seeds, I suggest starting there.
I sometimes send out seeds too. If there’s some reason you can’t get it from Adaptive Seeds, or you need the particular line I have, let me know and we’ll work something out.
It’s really quite a lot of work to offer seeds for free on the Internet, and there are very few people who grow and reoffer seeds I send out. It’s also remarkable how particular people get when I’m sending free seeds, and how demanding they can be. It’s particularly tiresome to have to ask again and again for an address to send the seeds to, as many people seem reluctant to give this to me. I really don’t have much time for this, and I’m not a seed company with customer service who’s job it is to do this kind of thing.
I also don’t have many seeds of this rye, and I would prefer to send it to others who plan to share or cooperate in this as a breeding project with me. I’m also happy to send it out to people in Europe or elsewhere who might otherwise have a hard time getting it.
On the other hand, if you plan to grow and reoffer these or other seeds I send you, we have traded seeds before or you’re interested in working on this cooperatively as a breeding project, I’m happy to send some seeds. In this case please let me know. Please be prepared to give me your address promptly after we agree I’ll send you some seeds.
I am very interested in getting some perennial rye grain seed if you think it would do OK in the Missouri Ozarks ..we have some good bottom land as well as higher pasture..It seems it would be an excellent addition to our homestead..Will send pymt. as soon as I hear from you…thanks VDavis
Hi Everyone,
I’m out of seeds now too! Sorry, I might have some more this summer.
It’s great everyone is getting interested in this. I hope as some of you start growing this you’ll share with others too.
Hi,
Would love to get some seeds and would be happy to pay you for them and your time. Doing a bit of permaculture here in Montana. If you have time, any time you have some, would love a few.
Thanks,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
I’m out of seeds now anyway again. I’ve been sending out seeds for several years now, together with one other person in the US, especially to people on the permies.com forum. As far as I can tell not a single person is reoffering the rye. I’m not even sure anyone has grown the seeds I sent.
I’ve probably sent out 50-100 packets.
I’m not a seed company, and I really just don’t have time to endlessly send out seed samples.
If you’re someone who has a seed company or otherwise has an established record of sharing seeds on the Internet, and you want some seeds for the purpose of regrowing and sharing, I will probably make an exception and send out some more seeds. Otherwise, I’m afraid you just need to ask around from other people.
I would be very interested in getting seeds for perennial rye. We’re definitely willing to make up your costs: we run a small mail order business and know how difficult (and expensive) just shipping and handling can become. Once we have some ourselves, yes, we’ll be willing to share.
Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery
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