grains

Dr. Fengyi Hu helped develop perennial rice, which has living roots that could help preserve valuable soil.

Health & Safety

Could this cheaper, more climate-friendly perennial rice transform farming?

4:07pm November 07, 2022

by Dan Charles

A promising, less labor-intensive perennial rice is beginning to take off in China, but whether this success can be replicated in other crops like wheat or corn remains to be seen.

A cargo ship anchored in the Marmara Sea awaits access to the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul on July 13.

World News

Ukraine, Russia agree to export grain, ending a standoff that threatened food supply

11:11am July 22, 2022

by The Associated Press

The deal allows Ukraine to resume shipments from the Black Sea to world markets and Russia to export grain and fertilizers, clearing the way for millions of tons of desperately needed materials.

Workers plow wheat in Husakiv village in western Ukraine late last month. Russia and Ukraine account for a large percentage of global wheat exports.

Global food prices hit their highest recorded levels last month, driven up by the war

1:32pm April 08, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says prices of food commodities like grains and vegetable oils soared in March following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A farmer harvests a wheat field about 130 miles north of Kyiv in 2009.

World News

Russia's invasion of Ukraine may cause havoc for wheat-importing Mideast nations

2:00pm February 25, 2022

by Jason Beaubien

Last year, the region imported more than 36 million metric tons of wheat, mostly from Russia and Ukraine. The concern is that Russia's war in Ukraine could disrupt supplies and drive up prices.

A bowl of Honey Toasted Kernza. General Mills made 6,000 boxes of the cereal and is passing them out to spread the word about perennial grains.

Can This Breakfast Cereal Help Save The Planet?

9:59am April 13, 2019

by Dan Charles

Some environmentalists say food production needs a fundamental reboot, with crops that stay rooted in the soil for years, like Kernza, a prairie grass. Even General Mills says it likes the idea.

Queue Listen Now

Bob Moore, founder of Bob's Red Mill and Natural Foods, inspects grains at the company's facility in Milwaukie, Ore. The pioneering manufacturer of gluten-free products invests in whole grains as well as beans, seeds, nuts, dried fruits, spices and herbs.

National

How Bob's Red Mill Company Became A Gluten-Free Giant Ahead Of Its Time

12:49pm March 24, 2019

by Tove Danovich

Before there was widespread treatment for people with celiac disease, and options for a gluten-free diet were few, the now 90-year-old founder of the Oregon-based business had his eye on the market.

This granary weevil has set up shop inside a kernel. Even without wings, these stealthy stowaways — with the help of humans — have managed to infest grains all over the world for thousands of years.

Science

Meet The Granary Weevil, The Pantry Monster Of Our Own Creation

10:37am January 08, 2019

by Lindsay Patterson

Granary weevils are different from similar species: They can't fly. That's because they figured out how to use humans to get around the globe, and we are getting tired of this clingy relationship.

Scientists find that rice grown under elevated carbon conditions loses substantial amounts of protein, zinc, iron and B vitamins, depending on the variety.

As The Planet Warms, We'll Be Having Rice With A Side Of CO2

4:10pm May 24, 2018

by Angus Chen

Scientists found that exposing rice to high levels of carbon dioxide causes it to lose valuable nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins. But some varieties are better at resisting than others.

A head of poor-quality malt barley taken directly from a field in Power, Mont. Heat and a lack of water resulted in small and light kernels. Grain rejected for malt barley often ends up as animal feed.

Montana Barley Fields Become Front Line For Climate Change And Beer

10:02am January 11, 2018

by Jackson Mitchell

Barley, the "king of malt," needs a precise recipe of water and sunshine to thrive — too much of either will cause it to wither and die. And amid a changing climate, that's exactly what's happening.

Jonathan Bethony bakes his whole grain breads in a wood-fired oven, heated to about 500 degrees, to help the weighty loaves rise.

'The Hardest Bakery Possible': Reinventing The Meaning Of 'Whole Grain'

1:19pm November 30, 2017

by Whitney Pipkin

A handful of bakeries are pushing the envelope of what's possible — and palatable — by leaving the bran and germ in freshly milled grains from local farmers, who also help drive the menu.