Diversifying Northwestern fields and palates

Buckwheat Mother Trials

Field trials were implemented at the proposed trial site in Vancouver, WA in both 2022 and 2023. Both trials were largely implemented as described in the original proposal, with a replicated experimental design using large 640 sq. ft. individual plots (80’ x 8’) to evaluate six varieties of commercially available buckwheat in a western Pacific Northwest (PNW) environment. In 2022, the trials were planted on June 8^th and harvested in Late September into early October. In 2023, the trials were planted on June 16^th (ongoing). In 2022, buckwheat followed a cover crop of crimson clover that was mowed and incorporated into the soil the third week of May, and was estimated to be able to supply ~60 lbs/ac plant-available N, in-season. In 2023, the same N fertility protocol was used but the crimson clover winter-killed, so 26 lbs/ac of fertilizer N was added along with 30 lbs/ac of K, 13 lbs/ac of S, and 5 lbs/ac of Fe.

Data was collected on yield (total biomass, stand height, and seed), stand counts, progression of crop emergence and flowering, and canopy cover from two 10.76 sq. ft. (1 square meter) subplot sampling areas within each plot. Sub-plot sampling areas were each located ~27 ft inward from each end of a given plot area lengthwise, and positioned centrally ~2.5 ft inward from the plot edges width-wise. For yield, three additional subplots were hand-harvested from each plot in addition to the two main subplots to assure that that buckwheat quantities were ample enough to supply the needs of the processing trial team. All hand-harvested grain samples were threshed and cleaned using a mechanized plot-scale thresher.

The trial used a standard field-scale grain drill (8 ft width with 7-in spacing between openers) for buckwheat seeding (at 50 lbs. seed/acre) and a standard field-scale combine (with a 10 ft header) for harvest after subplots were hand-harvested. This allowed us to additionally gather insight into buckwheat production with regard to using equipment much more comparable to the grower’s experience with this crop (vs. hand-sown/harvested or typical small-scale plot research equipment). All buckwheat that was bulk-harvested with the combine was dried (targeting ~12-13% moisture) and cleaned with a two-screen air screen cleaner, and then supplied to the processing research team.

Statistical analyses used a mixed model with buckwheat variety as a fixed effect, block/replication as a random effect with plot sub-samples as a random nested effect within block/replication, and an alpha value of p≥0.10 for ANOVA and pairwise multiple comparisons.

Buckwheat yield appeared highly responsive to water availability, and/or available fertility

Yields of buckwheat seed and biomass appeared to be highly responsive to available fertility and water overall. In 2022, buckwheat yields were substantially lower than in 2023. The 2022 trial growing season was subject to drier growing conditions with 31 days over 85°F and negligible rainfall (0.13”) after buckwheat emergence, compared to 2023 which had only 21 days over 85°F and 1” of rain in late August/early September (Table 1). The latter year was followed by a clear reinvigoration of buckwheat growth and yield from this late season precipitation. Early buckwheat vigor during the 2022 season also appeared to be more attenuated including earlier symptoms of lower leaf chlorosis than observed in 2023. Early season soil water somewhat more abundant in 2022, so this relative lack of early vigor observed may plausibly have been due to fertility differences. In 2022, only a crimson clover green manure was used as the fertility source, whereas in 2023 the buckwheat was given a more targeted application of supplemental fertility.

Table 1. Buckwheat Planting Dates and Subsequent Average Growing Season Weather Conditions in Trial Year 

Table 2. Number of Buckwheat Plants of Each Variety per acre, Estimated from Stand Counts

There was evidence of differences in yield parameters between varieties, yet contrasts between varieties were not overtly dramatic (Tables 3, 4 and 5). Overall all the variety ‘Koto’ emerged as one of most  robust varieties, with consistently high seed, biomass, and canopy height across both trial years. This occurred despite the variety having a relatively lower plant population (Table 2), with ‘Koto’ expressing strong compensatory plant growth. This trait was evident with the two other black-hulled varieties ‘Koma’ and ‘Horizon’ as well. ‘Horizon’ yielded commendably in both trial years and ‘Koma’ was on-par with ‘Koto’ in 2022.

Amongst the brown-hulled varieties, the experimental WSU population variety was unique with a short-stature but nonetheless producing robust biomass and seed yield in 2022 trials when conditions were less favorable. The brown seeded varieties ‘Mancan’ and ‘Kitawase’ yielded relatively poorly in the 2022 trial year, and then more favorably in the 2023 trial year, with ‘Kitawase’ surpassing seed yields of the WSU variety. These differential yield responses on likely had to do with the more austere growing conditions in 2022, where the relatively later-flowering, later-maturing (Table 6) ‘Mancan’ and ‘Kitawase’ varieties were observed to have been notably senescent during seed fill later in the growing season. The WSU variety, in contrast, flowered a week or more earlier than all the other varieties, which helped to assure that a portion of seed set occurred before resources became more constrained later in the season. The WSU variety also uniquely had an ongoing, prolonged flowering season. It was observed to continue flowering even after the other varieties’ flowering appeared to be declining, and this would happen despite being the variety that was consistently the first to flower. Theoretically this characteristic would allow the plants to continue amassing seed yield late into the season, long after the first set of seeds had already matured. This trait appeared to be evident in the yields from the combine harvests in 2022 (not shown). In this year,  the remaining plot plantings of WSU variety was harvested several weeks after all the small subsamples had been hand harvested from the plots, and the WSU variety yielded 124-164% more seed than any other variety.

Table 3. Buckwheat Mother Trial Average Seed Yields for 2022, 2023 Trial Years and Averages Across Both Trial Years

Table 4. Average Total Buckwheat Biomass Yields for 2022, 2023 Mother Trial Years and Averages Across both Trial Years

Table 5. Average Canopy Heights 2022, 2023 Mother Trial Years and Averages Across both Trial Years

Table 6. Generalized Seasonality of Buckwheat Trial Varieties with Green Colors Indicating Pre-Flowering Stage, White Colors Indicating Flowering Stage, and Brown Colors Indicating Seed Maturation Stage

Buckwheat Baby Trials

Buckwheat field trials were coordinated in western Washington and Oregon at ten farms in 2022 and seven farms in 2023, with an average of four varieties per farm, with each variety grown on average at four locations. Plots for each variety were typically ¼ to 1 acre, though one site (The Evergreen State College Organic Farm) grew plots on only 15-foot x 4-foot prepared beds for student instructional and research purposes. Mancan served as the control and was grown at every location.

Results from farmer trials included the following: 1) an emergence observation, 2) a mid-season plant vigor evaluation, 3) an end-of-season interview, 4) yield data from 1m² x 1m² sub-samples across all farms and sites, and 5) buckwheat rate trial examining average (55 lbs live seed per acre) and high (100 lbs live seed per acre) seeding rate treatments. Specific management recommendations were provided to growers regarding seeding date, water management (based on seeding date), fertility, seeding rate and depth, and harvest practices. Based on researcher observations and grower input from end-of-season interviews, the following results and observations were obtained:

Farmer Exit Interview

Overall performance was directly related to stand establishment and vigor

• Buckwheat did very poorly, but it was external conditions. Farmer has grown lots of buckwheat in the past that did just fine. Germ was good and so was early growth. His soil was damaged by being plowed too early, which messed with the soil structure, then it was really hot and dry and he didn’t water it.
• Competition with weeds was an issues, Lambs Quarter especially. Weather was also an issue, and lack of water
• Did not suppress weeds if not vigorous
• Performance was variable, decent overall, best in lowland
• The buckwheat suppressed weeds, but only when it could grow vigorously, had a tough time competing with the wild mustard
• Weeds grew where it didn’t germinate well, the timing was difficult, and this farmer couldn’t get the buckwheat to dry down
• It did suppress weeds, and worked even better when interplanted with the birdsfood trefoil
• Buckwheat suppresses weeds sort of, especially when grown with favas
• Looked good, not excellent. Especially for seeding late around June 15th or so.
• Buckwheat suppressed weeds well: Yes, pretty much. Think it did. Wasn’t too dirty. Had some shade.
• It finds enough moisture to grow unirrigated, provides good shade cover for the soil, and is excellent habitat for pollinators
• No weed pressure, very few weeds germinating by the time he plants, the weed pressure is mostly from winter grasses; no major challenges, OG certified so can’t spray and has some weeds. Does a lot of pre-plant cultivation. Cultivated 3 times before he planted using a finish disk.

Farmers liked the flexibility of the grain, and found ways to experiment with it

• Nice that it could be planted late, but stayed too wet, low input is nice likes that it is not necessary to cultivate the buckwheat
• It was easy to grow, a good green manure to rejuvenate soil, it grew well with birdsfood trefoil
• Buckwheat is versatile and equals pancakes
• Interested in yield data, uses it as a summer cover crop along with fava beans. Plants it early in spring where mid-season crops will go.

Harvesting buckwheat is an impediment

• Harvest was difficult, adjusting the combine correctly was hard, the seed was too fluffy, he had to have the fan speed on the combine turned down
• Timing is difficulty, and this farmer couldn’t get the buckwheat to dry down
• Was supposed to sell it but he couldn’t separate out the weed seeds with his combine so it was unsellable (for this reason has no future market objectives for growing buckwheat)
• Can’t plant it thickly enough to be profitable, when he planted it thickly it lodged and he couldn’t pick it back up with his combine (and this grower has a pick-up combine, the only one with)
• Harvested a little for household use (made pancakes!), and used as food for geese and ducks
• Big seed, looked healthy, good stem, held up good. We were just too late. Would have liked to be able to swatch and pick-up combine, but don’t have pick-up header. Was vigorous, didn’t lodge.
• Got a bag, fed it to the ducks through the winter. The combine bogged down, didn’t have a pick-up header so couldn’t harvest it all. Standing in the field, burnt some of it the other day. Too thick of a stem for the combine to harvest.
• Sells to Ukrainian and Russian population, would sell to that. But didn’t get enough. Was too damp even at harvest. Would have molded. Ropey. Would need to swath it and then use a pick-up header. Swath and dry, hope for 7-8d good dry weather. Bill’s perspective is its so moist around here is hard to dry. Humidity he thinks is a problem. To be consistent.

Identifying a market in advance will be critical

• He might like to grow as bedding hay in the future
• The crop was not harvested, it was worked back into the soil
• Has grown buckwheat for Patagonia in the past, they wanted to make noodles with it but they didn’t. They are very interested tho. Has grown 10 acres for customers/production in the past. He only wants to grow buckwheat as a cover crop unless he can make more money per pound selling it as a specialty item. He had someone come teach him and his crew how to make buckwheat soba noodles
• Wants to plant a larger trial if possible. He would be interested in any culinary varieties that he could sell for a higher price. Would be interested in a Russian culinary variety

Locking in best management practices in advance is critical for such a short-season crop

• Should have watered but ran out of time/didn’t
• Even in unideal conditions for grain, very useful as a summer cover crop, but pay attention to changing conditions
• He hadn’t planned on watering but he did so it would germinate. It was planted so late.
• Plant it somewhere where it can access moisture
• Water was his biggest issue, all the rest was pretty equal
• Will plant earlier, water it, and use manure or fertilizer
• Use fertilizer, don’t overpack when you plant it, water it, if lodging is a concern, plant thinner and use less fertilizer
• Planted on 6/16, normally plants a month earlier. Put the buckwheat in ground that had been worked early and didn’t plant spring cover on it. Did stale seed bed before planting and didn’t have an issue with weeds
• Reed canary grass was its biggest competitor, and not watering it was an issue. This farmer claims the crop needs to be irrigated. Also had trouble planting earlier in the season because of weather.
• [Researcher observation relevant to many farmer comments]: Spring 2022 was cold and wet early, and then dried out fairly rapidly, delaying seeding while also making growth difficult past germination
• Buckwheat won’t take frost, even the most minor frost will be bad
• No, he did not/does not water buckwheat when he grows it (despite late planting date) (Hedlin, 6/16 planting)
• Got planting depth right, his planting grew well, he planted in fertile soil that had been fertilized to grow vegetables

Variety performance varied and did not produce an obvious preference

• Overall germination was good
• No “worse” variety
• Horizon was the most variable, Kitawase did the best, it was competitive with the weeds and didn’t lodge (Hidden River)
• Koma was the worst, it lodged and was hard to harvest but it did smother the weeds
• Mancan performed (Fagerness). It sprouted almost as fast as Horizon, had more mass (he’s using it as a green manure), and didn’t lodge (none of his varieties lodged)
• WSU variety as not as good, maybe yield was the same but he thought it looked more yellow. Also the WSU variety didn’t have the mass and yield that the other varieties had (Fagerness)
• All went well, good emergence, Kitawase was faster (Hedlin)
• None lodged and either Koma or Kitawase was 6-8 inches taller than the others; All came up, all were goo.
• Could grow commercially with a little higher ground. Koma was the best, WSU had a hard time coming up. #3 going from house to road 1-3, with #3 on far side of driveway/gravel road. Was a nice even stand, come up even, could be varying by other factors, but just seemed to do best.
• He like Mancan the best. WSU Pop and Mancan looked the most lush to him. WSU Pop was not as good (the 2nd planting he put in was better). He had no clear favorite, but he liked the ones that were denser/more lush as he was growing it for ground cover

Farmers are interested in specialty markets

• Trying to expand grains/dry goods market. Will sell packaged grains at Farmers Markets, Webstore, CSA and hopefully SWWA Food Hub

Producers had remaining questions

• Is there a difference between indeterminate varieties and determinate varieties?
• Is the indeterminate v determinate a factor in what varieties to grow for culinary purposes?
• Performance of different varieties. Interested in ones that are early, or if there are flavor differences among varieties. Also interest in yield data

Producers had observations

• Buckwheat contamination with wheat/other crops has not been a problem, it’s usually in full bloom when he turns it in, but that anything that regrows is killed by frost. He says he has no issues with buckwheat contamination
• Study up on how they grow it in other places. Find a market for it first. It is easy to grow but hard to sell for a profit
• Make sure can get it in early enough. Grow on a sufficiently dry site.
• Put on some cow manure and chicken manure on this ground. Even if don’t put down, grow on the better ground. Definitely need to swath it. If the summer was really hot, might be able to combine it standing up. If the stem was under 15% moisture he thinks could possibly combine it. Get it on flat, level, not shaded ground, a southern elevation (more heat).

Seed Rate Trials (2023) at Puyallup Research and Extension Center

Seeding rate trials completed on a subset of project varieties (Koto, WSU, Komo, and Mancan) at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension center in summer 2023 demonstrated that both variety and seeding rate significantly influence buckwheat cover at an important time frame while weeds are competing with the crop during canopy closure. Average stand cover (Figure 1) under the high rate was 90.6% while stand cover under low rate was 70.8%. Regarding variety effect, only Mancan showed significantly lower plant cover (61.3%) than the other varieties (Koto: 88.8%; WSU: 87.3%; and Komo: 85.5%), suggesting significantly greater stand vigor for all test varieties compared to the control.

On-farm demonstration trial yield data is presented in tables 7 and 8; yield data from the Puyallup Research and Extension Center trials is reported in Table 9.  

Table 7. Year 1 (2022) Baby Trial Buckwheat Yields in On-Farm Demonstration and Evaluation Plots

Table 8. Year 2 (2023) Baby Trial Buckwheat Yields in On-Farm Demonstration and Evaluation Plots*

*Not including 2023 Replicated Puyallup Research and Demonstration Plots

Table 9. Yield and Standard Deviation of 2023 Buckwheat Trials at the Puyallup Research and Extension Center

Buckwheat Market Assessment

Market assessment and supply chain development for this project was supported through partnerships with the Washington State school meals programs, [the Washington School Nutrition Association], and industry partners. The goal with this work was to cultivate school meal programs as a reliable partner and buyer of a value-added buckwheat production, such as buckwheat pancake mix, a muffin mix, breakfast bar, or other.

School Meal Programs

The concept to develop Washington-grown buckwheat products emerged from discussions with Annette Slonim and Nicole Garden, with the WSDA Farm-to-School Program. They indicated the project could dovetail with farm-to-school grant funding to support purchase of Washington-grown products. Programs that could help support purchase of Washington-grown grains for school meal programs include the following:

• WSDA Farm-to-School Purchasing Grant program (https://agr.wa.gov/departments/business-and-marketing-support/farm-to-school-toolkit/grants), which has since had its funding cut
• The OSPI Commodity Food Purchasing grant program, that subsidizes procurement of W-code foods to offset use of potentially more expensive WA-sourced ingredients in processed foods (such as pasta sauce, or products envisioned by this program: focaccia bread, pancake mix, or breakfast bar)
• Local Food for Washington Schools program, which provides funding for sourcing specific products for school meal programs such as bison, salmon, frozen processed vegetables, or potentially one of the products developed for this program)

With this strategy in mind, in 2023 a school meals program survey was developed in collaboration with the WSU Division of Governmental Studies and Services and the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). It was developed and sent, with the help of Erica Lamson, through OSPI to all 300 school districts in the state, with 224 responding (75 percent response rate). The survey was determined Exempt Human Subjects Research by the WSU Institutional Review Board.

The goal was to determine whole grain products of interest, factors that would influence uptake of Washington-grown grain products, a willingness-to-pay assessment, and interest in continuing to collaborate on new whole grain products for Washington Schools. Feedback identified interest in a range of Washington-grown buckwheat products (Table 10), including dry bread mixes (focaccia, pancakes, muffins), a breakfast bar, dinner rolls, granola, and many others. Interest among school food service programs in three buckwheat products was evaluated, with the intention of guiding product selection (Table 3).

Table 10. Interest Among 224 Washington State School District Food Service Directors* in Three Selected Buckwheat Products

*Results are from 2023 survey collaboration between WSU and the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The survey was determined to be Exempt Human Subjects Research by the WSU Institutional Review Board.

Schools reported several factors that are most important in adopting new Washington-grown products into meal programs and emphasized the importance of whole grains and exposure of students to new products through taste-testing (Figure 2).

Field to Flavor Showcase with the Washington School Nutrition Association (WSNA)

Finally, the market assessment was supported by an event evaluation completed following a July 2023 “Field to Flavor Showcase” event for members of the WSNA. This evaluation provided direct feedback from WSNA members regarding opportunities to integrate Washington-grown millet and buckwheat products into school meal programs (Table 11).

Table 11. New ideas WSNA attendees gained to integrate into school meal programs, and additional comments regarding the WSNA pre-conference “Field to Flavor Showcase” tour:

Product Development and Testing

Product Development

Collaboration with Cascade Milling inspired development and testing of a buckwheat pancake recipe, which involved collaborators at InnovationChix (a food science firm that works with Cascade Milling), the WSU Food Science program, and Cascade Milling themselves. Mixes with different levels of buckwheat and sugar were developed. A final pancake formulation with low sugar content and greater than 50% buckwheat was created.

Since the research team was working with a private manufacturer, the formulation was limited to those ingredients that Cascade Milling already used in their pancake mix, with the addition of buckwheat flour. This was due to the companies practice of bulk purchasing ingredients and organic certification. Adding new ingredients at this ‘proof-of-concept’ stage of the research and development cycle was considered not cost effective.

Finally, if ironically, product selection was largely limited to a pancake mix despite it being ranked lowest among products school food programs were interested in. The adage “Beggars Can’t Be Choosers” was fitting when searching among a limited number of willing private food manufacturers. Their time is limited and augmenting an existing product line is more realistic initially than branching out into entirely new directions. That said, this leaves considerable opportunity open for testing and development of additional buckwheat products such as muffin mixes, buckwheat groat granola, or breakfast bars.

To address the problem of making pancakes efficiently in school meal programs, we developed instructions for how to use the mix to make buckwheat pancake “breakfast bars”. This consisted of pouring batches into sheet pans for baking. The flapjack recipe adapted admirably to a new lunchroom life as “bars”.

Taste Testing

The product formulation timeline was set to coincide with the October 2024 Taste Washington Month. To prepare and make final adjustments to the receipt, small batches of the pancake mix were taste-tested in classrooms in the Olympia School District at and the Thurston County Fair. Taste testing at the Thurston County Fair occurred at the Board of County Commissioners “Pancake Breakfast” which traditionally is held on Saturday morning of the fair. The mix was also tested in five 5^th grade classrooms at Garfield Elementary in the Olympia School District, in collaboration with the SNAP-Ed Program.

Thurston County Fair Buckwheat Pancake Mix Assessment

Development and testing of a buckwheat pancake formulation was aided by testing at a local county fair in Thurston County. County Commissioners typically host a pancake breakfast on the Saturday of fair. Project personnel coordinated with the County Clerk and staff to substitute half of the pre-made commercial pancake mix with a buckwheat pancake mix made from buckwheat grown in the County. County staff, administrators, and Commissioners were enthusiastic about the project, and conducted outreach about the local-made pancake mix, made buttons, and circulated and posted project posters at the event. A short ballot was laid out at tables for participants to fill out. Approximately 30 feedback forms were completed. The primary question asked of this cohort was their willingness to purchase the mix if it was commercially available (Figure 3). This feedback would be particularly useful to private partners on this project, namely Cascade Milling, as an indication of the broader commercial appeal of the mix. 

Fair pancake taste-testers were also asked for open-ended qualitative feedback about the pancake mix and provided answers across a variety of age-ranges.

Table 12. Reasons that Thurston County Fair Pancake Breakfast Attendees Would Purchase Buckwheat Pancake Mix if Commercially Available*

*Approximately 150 people attended the pancake breakfast and 19% provided feedback (n=28).

Elementary School Student Taste Testing

To obtain a direct evaluation of the potential acceptability of the formulated buckwheat pancake mix, project personnel collaborated with a local SNAP-Ed program in Washington State. We conducted a taste test of 85 fifth grade students in a local elementary school. Students were provided with freshly made buckwheat pancake samples. To get an assessment of the pancakes themselves, they were served without butter or syrup. This arguably skewed a "real-life" experience they would get in the school cafeteria, but prevented feedback from being influenced by the flavor of a sweetener and butter. Youth taste testers provided useful qualitative feedback. While the SNAP-Ed program emphasized in advance that students should not “yuck my yum” (share distastes outloud, thus influencing nearby taste testers), some convergence in responses did appear to occur by table. 

Table 13.  Liking Preferences and Rationale for Buckwheat Pancakes Among 5^th Grade Students Who Participated in a SNAP-Ed Taste Test

At Scale Production Distribution

Following recipe development and taste testing, a final recipe formulation was established that reduced sugar content somewhat further. Plans were developed to conduct what we called an “at scale” production run, though this was a fraction of Cascade Millings mixing capacity. The WSU Extension program sourced labels, worked with InnovationChix on a nutrition label and whole grain equivalent for sale to school meal programs, compiled essential elements into a label, confirmed availability of packaging for Cascade Milling compatible with their manufacturing line, and coordinated with warehouse personnel and the marketing team to organize the production run.

Buckwheat flour was sourced from Hedlin Farms in the Skagit Valley, a participating farmer in the field trials. Camas Country Mill out of Eugene, Oregon was used for milling, as Cascade Milling is too large of a facility to switch over their wheat milling line for a small run of buckwheat flour. As such, the supply chain was awkward and rather long, but for a small run this was easiest for the partners involved.

In September of 2024, the Cascade Milling batch mixer was used to manufacture 1,700 pounds of the pilot pancake mix. Fifty-pound bags were subsequently shipped to three distribution partners: the SW Washington Food Hub (Chehalis, WA), Linc Foods (Spokane, WA), and Viva Farms (Mt Vernon, WA). From there, mix was distributed for free or for cost-of-delivery by the Food Hub partners to food districts in their customer base.

An information and evaluation packet for school districts testing the mix was developed. This consisted of the nutrition label, the whole-grain equivalent, an instructional video on how to prepare the pancake mix as flapjacks and as bars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGggZUom7ug), a simple evaluation ballot, and the overall product label for reference. The same information was provided online, and a QR code both to overall project information and to the evaluation form was included as well.

In the fall and winter of 2024/25, youth at approximately 18 school districts around the state received the opportunity to taste buckwheat pancakes and buckwheat pancake breakfast bars as a result of this project. Participating School Districts include Concrete, Lopez Island, Blaine, Granite Falls, Ferndale, Burlington-Edison, La Conner, Kahlotus, Onion Creek, Almira, Catholic Charities, Gonzaga Family Haven, Inchelium, Washtucna Farm to School, Ellensburg, Curlew Farm to School, Olympia, Aberdeen, Pe Ell, Hoquiam, Pioneer, and Griffin.

Evaluations of these schools’ experiences with the pancake mix are underway. Four districts had reported at time of the project final report to the Western SARE project in June 2025. Funding to follow-up with school districts was awarded in late 2024 through the Organic Research and Extension Initiative. By the end of the of the first funding cycle through Western SARE, Cascade Milling was interested in exploring commercialization through the WSU Office of Commercialization, a process which is being explored as part of the OREI project.

Millet Variety Trials and On-farm Evaluations

• Mother Trial
  • A proso millet “mother trial” was planted at Spillman Agronomy Farm in Pullman on May 22, 2022. Seven varieties (Earlybird, Dawn, Horizon, Huntsman, Plateau, Sunrise, and Sunup) were planted in a replicated complete block design.
  • In-season data collection included rate of emergence, days to heading, days to maturity, plant height, and emergence.
  • Plots were harvested between September 1 and September 15, 2022.
  • Seed samples from each plot were cleaned and dehulled to prepare for analysis of seed morphology and nutrition (in progress).
• On-farm Trials
  • Five growers across the inland Pacific Northwest planted proso millet “baby trials” in 2022. Each grower was assigned between three and seven varieties to plant in unreplicated strips on their farms using full-scale planting equipment. Growers planted and managed their crops, but researchers collected samples from each plot to compare plant height and yield of test varieties.
  • Interviews were conducted with each grower before planting and after harvest in order to understand grower management decisions and overall experience working with the crop.

Table 14. Averages by Variety

Table 15. Averages by Grower

 Food Science 

• Six proso millet were planted in the same controlled location, and several varieties were planted on various farms across the PNW. We analyzed 28 samples for their functional properties and proximate composition.
• Six buckwheat varieties were planted in the same controlled location, and several varieties were planted in two farms across the PNW. We analyzed 14 samples for their functional properties and proximate composition.
• Performed a study on the influence of the proximate and physicochemical properties of dehulled and whole buckwheat flour on focaccia bread quality.

Table 16: Name, growing location, and proximate composition of 7 proso-millet flours

Table 17: Functional properties of 7 proso-millet varieties grown in different locations.

Note: abbreviations: WHC-water holding capacity, OHC-oil holding capacity, WAI-water absorption index, WSI-water solubility index, FSP-flour swelling power.

Table 18: Name, growing locations, protein content, and functional properties of 6 buckwheat varieties grown in different locations.

Note: abbreviations: WHC-water holding capacity, OHC-oil holding capacity, EA-emulsion ability, ES-emulsion stability.

Furthering our end-use quality results for Objective 3, we designed an experiment to develop a basic understanding the influence of varietals and growing year on agronomic yield parameters and the physicochemical properties of common buckwheat.

The effects of five commercially available buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) varieties ('Horizon, 'Kitawase', 'Koto', 'Mancan' and 'Tinker') and two growing years on agronomic yield parameters and physicochemical properties were investigated to assess their suitability for practical integration into food systems in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) region. Most variables displayed a significant year x variety interaction except for canopy height (variety, year), fat (year), ash (year), emulsion ability (year), water solubility index (year), pasting temperature (variety), and emulsion stability (not significant). Variations between varieties within a given year were observed for canopy height, in 2022 for all the proximate properties and in 2023 for insoluble dietary fiber and moisture content, for the year 2023 in water and oil holding capacities in 2023, and for all the pasting properties except for pasting temperature and breakdown in 2022. Tinker displayed the most stable behavior when comparing the agronomy and physicochemical properties of the buckwheat flours between the two years, while Kitawase was the least stable variety, followed by Koto. Further research with controlled irrigation and fertility crop management treatments across several growing seasons would help further refine buckwheat varietal response to variations in growing behavior and physicochemical properties observed across two different growing seasons in our trials. These efforts could help predict end-user applications for specific buckwheat varieties, which is essential for their successful integration into the food system. 

We followed up this research by studing the physicochemical properties of buckwheat flours and their influence on focaccia bread quality. Focaccia bread was prepared with 25%, 50%, and 75% substitution rates of whole (WBK) and dehulled buckwheat flour (DBK) with refined wheat bread flour.

The flours showed differences in protein content; the WBK was high in fiber while the DBK was composed mainly of starch. The peak time in the mixograph increased, and the height at peak time decreased as the buckwheat substitution rate increased. Gluten dilution partially explains these results. The specific volume of the focaccia decreased with 50% and 75% substitution rate of WBF, possibly attributable to fiber particles limiting the expansion of gas cells in the bread. The number of such cells, measured by the C-cell, increased, and cell diameters decreased as the buckwheat substitution levels increased. These trends were also evident in the decrease in bread density. Focaccia, with 25% WBK and 25% and 50% DBK, had acceptable quality attributes comparable to those of the control.

Research Conclusions

Farmers

Farmers are considerably interested in growing buckwheat and conveyed that certain agronomic challenges must be overcome such as refining seeding rates, seeding date, site selection, irrigation, and fertility practices. Harvesting was considered difficult as many farmers do not have pick-up headers for combines, and the crop can mature and dry down evenly or insufficiently prior to harvest. Buckwheat production is limited by lack of markets.

School Food Service Buyers

School food service buyers are very interested in buckwheat products and willing to experiment with them. Meeting whole grain standards, conducting taste tests to introduce novel foods to kids, adequate nutritional statements, and ease of preparation were identified as key conditions to adoption. Loss of the WSDA Farm-to-School program deals a headlong blow to the prospects of introducing more Washington-grown foods into school meals, including any more expensive breakfast products. Continued funding for the effort through OREI will allow the project team to continue to explore how the mix can become a staple in school breakfasts throughout the state.

Youth Eaters

Approximately two-thirds of youth taste-testers approved of buckwheat-based products, which is considerable provided how greatly pancakes/bars differ visually and in terms of flavor from standard prepared frozen pancakes. Youth were extremely interested in experimenting with growing buckwheat, milling buckwheat groats, and making and tasting their own pancakes. Literature demonstrates that multiple novel and socially-engaging interventions greatly increase acceptance of new foods by young eaters; the experience of our research and SNAP-Ed outreach teams very strongly aligned with those conclusions.

Milling Partners

Washington mills and manufacturers are interested in new products and willing to collaborate, particularly when branding and marketing collaborations bring positive notoriety to their businesses. Collaboration with enthusiastic private partners is critical to value-chain development for new Washington products. Nuance and continued flexibility is essential to nurturing these partnerships, always looking for ways to incentive private participation in a way that can lead to genuine economic benefit.

The Importance of Value Chain Partners

Value-chain development in this project was dependent upon a private mill (Cascade Milling) already having a similar pancake mix that could be adapted to include buckwheat, availability of distribution partners such as Food Hubs to help connect products to school buyers, partnership with educators such as SNAP-Ed programs and Educational Service Districts to help introduce products to students and school food service employees, and help from OSPI and Washington School Nutrition Association organizations willingly spreading the word about the mix.