Welcome to Nyby gård Organic Farm!
Organic farming since 1990.
Cereals, oilseeds, beans and hay. Experiments with old cereals, beans and lentils since 2014. Regenerative agriculture and trials since 2018. Breeding of rye, wheat and spelt.
The farm is run by Magnus Selenius (jack-of-all-trades) and Embla Lindwall (seed breeding).
Nyby farm
Organic farming since 1990.
Cereals, oilseeds, beans and hay. Experiments with old cereals, beans and lentils since 2014. Regenerative agriculture and trials since 2018. Breeding of rye, wheat and spelt.
The farm is run by Magnus Selenius (jack-of-all-trades) and Embla Lindwall (seed breeding).
Our work
Our aim of the farm is to find and test landraces and old cultivars. And by breeding to bring to cultivation new varieties based on these. Both organic varieties and heterogenous grains according to the upcoming organic regulation. In addition to grains, the beans and lentils are being worked on.
History of wheat
Cereal varieties have, over time, developed to fit human cultivation, moved from one place to another, and ultimately enabled the development of our culture.
An important cornerstone was the discovery of plants whose seeds did not fall to the ground as the seeds matured. However, due to the chemical cultivation methods and the industrial processing of cereals, the processing has changed the grain, adapting it to chemical inputs and, for example, to the demands of the baking industry.
With shorter straw lengths modern cereals also have shorter root systems, which are weaker to absorb nutrients and moisture, and when investing in good baking quality, health considerations have been left behind, such as with gluten.
Shelled wheat spelt, emmer and einkorn are old forms of cultivated wheat.
Tetraploid emmer wheat evolved from diploid einkorn through a natural cross with a diploid grass. Similarly, hexaploid spelt and non-shelled, common wheat evolved from wild emmer through crossings with a diploid grass.
Shelled wheat has, as its name implies, a shell attached to the grains that stays during all cultivation operations. The shell protects the grain but also increases the work in cultivation. This protective shell is part of the spike and must be removed before, for example, grinding, whereby the exposed grain is similar to that of common wheat.
When cultivated, these wheats often have late maturity and susceptible to lodging, but are often very resistant to common plant diseases.
Spelt and common wheat are closely related to each other, and also cross naturally.
The main difference is that wheat has been breeded for centuries in terms of cultivation and, in particular, in terms of use in industry. With spelt on the other hand, it is important not to spoil its genetic heritage by introducing the properties of common wheat.
Spelt is very similar to modern wheat, but more gentle on the stomach, so many people with sensitive stomachs can eat it. However, not celiac disease sufferers already. Emmer and einkorn are even older in the history of wheat development, and their gluten composition is such that by eating them it should not, even in theory, be possible to get celiac disease. However, they are not suitable for people with celiac disease. While spelt can be used quite a bit like wheat in baking, emmer and einkorn are capable of flavoring and replacing rice, for example. Generally, higher levels of nutrients are found in old wheat than in modern wheat.
Shelled cereals are very much landraces and have developed for centuries to suit local conditions. The same is true of landrace wheats, although their cultivation history is much shorter, especially in the Nordic countries. Landraces have adapted to cultivation at a time when cultivation work was largely manual. At that time, the spring cereals did not suffer much from a slight late harvest, and the long straw has been useful in the care of domestic animals.
In current cultivation, these characteristics are more detrimental, especially in wet autumns, also in autumn cereals, if the sometimes very long straw produces a problem in the form of lodging. One of the tasks for landrace cereals is to look for strains that are more suitable for cultivation.
Good qualities in landraces might be more flavour, softer gluten and higher protein and mineral content than modern wheat. Within certain limits, it is possible to try to by breeding make landrace cereals more suitable for modern, mechanical cultivation. The important thing is to try not to degrade their good qualities.
ADDRESS
Röyläntie 35
02940, Espoo
CALL US
+358 400 702472
EMAIL
magnus.selenius@kolumbus.fi
