On Mon, 21 Sep 1998 07:42:53 -0400, Don Wiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Amadeus Schmidt wrote:
>
>>1.Most spelt you get is a "modern" spelt, modified in the last years
>>  to be closer to normal wheat and accept nitrogen  fertilizer.
>>  But I have access to real old spelt grains (red-grains) that a farmer
>>  near me uses as his own seed grain since 20-30 years.
>
>Marketing bullshit.

Don, I know this man and his family, and where he gets his seed from.
You can easily *taste* the difference between an ancient
"rotkorn" and a normal wheat.
Spelt yields 1800 kg/he where wheat gives from 3500 to 4500 (organic!).
Spelt ignores nitrogen fertilizer whereas whea
t is pushed by it.
Spelt is robust and outgrows most herbs between.

He also has his own wheat brand since over 10 years btw..
Just not changing to newer, "better".
"Newer better" developed grain brands mostly have "advantages like"
- accept more nitrogen fertilizer, growing quicker, bigger
  only for chemical, conventional agriculture of interest
- smaller stems (its waste for "modern" farmers)
- they cope better with chemical anti-xxx poisons

>
>>  Other "wheats" which I do avoid are: heavily genetic modified,
>
>Breeding of spelt and wheats has been taking place since agriculture has
>been taking place. Any changes from the past 20-30 years is minuscule
>compared to the changes taken place before.

That's not true, the last few decades brought the real modifications.
Think of the "wonder rice" with doubled the harvests in several world parts.
... bu
t at the expense that farmers have to buy it new every year new,
- that these grains *need* fertilizer and chemicals!
- and that after some years, if the earth is exhausted farmers will have
  less than before.
Just go to an excavation and look at the grains you get from an roman
settlement and *real* spelt. They are *same*.
Most of the developenment took place in the very first time.
Lateron new *plants* came up (hemp, rye for ex).

>For example back at the
>beginning they were selected for the seeds to not fall off the plant. Today
>wheat is unable to reproduce itself.
But that was differet some years ago.
Did you hear the case when some middle american indians were given
maize from northern america as a supply?
They tried to plant it and then next year they had *no* harvest, starved.

Genetic engeneering now produces plants which are infertile and tolerate
monstrous herbizid-treatements. Thats m
odern live.
And they do it to feed the cattle, not the humans.

I think we are to do something against it.

Amadeus