On-farm Trials
With the large diversity of heritage varieties and species of wheat from which to choose, farmers can find varieties that thrive in their bioregion. They can then produce high-quality grain without costly inputs. With some research into what varieties did well in the region in the era before high input agriculture, farmers can start their search to find adapted varieties to suit their customers' taste, nutritional and quality requirements. There are heritage wheat groups around the world and these networks help people source seed and connect to farmers. On Farm Research booklets are on the net.
Red Fife is not an ideal wheat for all growing conditions. Hundreds of thousands of varieties of bread wheat have been created globally. Finding seed and testing the variety to thrive in a particular location is the farmer's work; governments are not interested in heritage wheat.
Alternative species of wheats, such as emmer, einkorn, and spelt, and varieties within all these species are of growing interest for their quality of gluten, proteins and other properties. Wheat Belly and Demeter's Wheats are books that discuss ancestral grains.
On-farm plant selection trials give farmers a chance to observe the crops, do selection in the field and make their own strains. Then they can brand the variety and create new and improved varieties as they choose.
On Farm Research empowers farmers to seek answers and experiment on their own farms.
Read more about this topic: Red Fife Wheat
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