Filed under: June 2015 | Tags: dancer, farm animals, grain, Spelt, speltz, waves
one of our speltz fields
June 15, 2015
They are not amber yet, but the waves on the field are neat to watch. The wind moves through the ripening seed heads. The plants sway and move with the ease of a dancer. This is just one of the wonderful things I get to witness daily. The speltz will be ripe by next month. Now, if the wind doesn’t flatten them, there will be plenty of horse feed to get us through the next year.
We are experiencing some very hot, sticky , wet days. The humidity is above eighty percent. The air is heavy and a man sweats by just walking about. The weeds and bugs are flourishing, but so are the plants in the newly planted gardens. The race is on, as the weeds try to get a foot hold and I try to eradicate them before they become a big problem. The current weather and growing conditions make this contest an even match. I am winning, but there is no rest in sight!
All the farm animals are seeking shade and cool spots to spend their days. I too have found plenty of time to come inside for hydration and conversation. I am getting a few things done, but a nap sure does sound good. It’s no wonder the native people of Mexico rested in the heat of the day. Those people were in no way lazy… they were smart!
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RicelandMeadows 
We’ve not heard of this crop. Assuming you bale it?
Comment by Donkey Driver June 15, 2015 @ 10:11 pmJane, this crop is much like wheat, but it is gluten free. It can be eaten by horses, mules and donkeys as their only feed. A little salt and mineral is all that is needed. It has crude protein equal to shelled corn at 10-12 percent. The straw from the spent grain makes good straw for bedding. Some folks call it spelt, but in our region it is commonly called speltz. The seed head doesn’t have an “awn” the hair like fibers as on bearded wheat. Here in northeast Ohio, we plant from mid-September until the first week in October. It grows some through the winter on any day that is above 50 degrees F. We harvest in mid to late July. This allows me to work our clay soils when conditions are dry, avoiding soil compaction and lots of mud at planting or harvest time.
Comment by ricelandmeadows June 16, 2015 @ 9:25 amHow interesting. I will do some more research on it. Thank you so much for the info and I love your big horses, btw!
Comment by Donkey Driver June 16, 2015 @ 11:38 am