Small Scale Grain Raising: An Organic Guide to Growing, Processing, and Using Nutritious Whole Grains, for Home Gardeners and Local Farmers

by Gene Logsdon, Jerry O'Brien (Illustrator)

First published in 1977, this book—from one of America’s most famous and prolific agricultural writers—became an almost instant classic among homestead gardeners and small farmers. Now fully updated and available once more, Small-Scale Grain Raising offers an entirely new generation of readers the best introduction to a wide range of both common and lesser-known specialty grains and related field crops, from corn, wheat, and rye to buckwheat, millet, rice, spelt, flax, and even beans and sunflowers.More and more Americans are seeking out locally grown foods, yet one of the real stumbling blocks to their efforts has been finding local sources for grains, which are grown mainly on large, distant corporate farms. At the same time, commodity prices for grains—and the products made from them—have skyrocketed due to rising energy costs and increased demand. In this book, Gene Logsdon proves that anyone who has access to a large garden or small farm can (and should) think outside the agribusiness box and learn to grow healthy whole grains or beans—the base of our culinary food pyramid—alongside their fruits and vegetables.Starting from the simple but revolutionary concept of the garden “pancake patch,” Logsdon opens up our eyes to a whole world of plants that we wrongly assume only the agricultural “big boys” can grow. He succinctly covers all the basics, from planting and dealing with pests, weeds, and diseases to harvesting, processing, storing, and using whole grains. There are even a few recipes sprinkled throughout, along with more than a little wit and wisdom.Never has there been a better time, or a more receptive audience, for this book. Localvores, serious home gardeners, CSA farmers, and whole-foods advocates—in fact, all people who value fresh, high-quality foods—will find a field full of information and ideas in this once and future classic.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Agriculture, Food, Reference, Nature, How To

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Emma Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vegetables, fruits and herbs are all common in kitchen gardens, but very few gardeners ever consider growing their own grains. The common perception is that you need a lot of space to make it worthwhile, and that processing grains is something that is difficult and time-consuming to do on a smaller scale.

‘Small-Scale Grain Raising’ aims to set the record straight, by laying out exactly how much land you need to raise a reasonable quantity of various grains, and the benefits of doing so. If you have a small garden then your options are limited, but if you have a large garden or a smallholding then, according to author Gene Logsdon (who has many years of experience of growing grains on various scales) being self-sufficient in grains is a real possibility.

The book covers all the main grains in detail – maize, wheat, oats, sorghum, rye, barley, buckwheat and millet. You’ll find sowing rates and harvest estimates, information on potential problems, and suggestions for harvesting and storage. Because this is an American book there’s about twice as much information about maize as any of the others, but this is a well researched reference guide that will be invaluable to grain growers everywhere.

It’s not a dry tome, either. It’s too weighty to read straight through, but it’s written in an informal style and is full of interesting anecdotes. There are also recipes for you to make the most of your homegrown grains and insights into sustainable gardening. Some of the fascinating ideas raised include using an oat crop as a mulch for your strawberry bed, oat grains as a mushroom growing medium and buckwheat as a nectar source for a honey crop.

There’s an illustrated glossary, a ton of information on using grains as livestock fodder and tantalising hints of the work being done to produce perennial grains. Add in a section on unusual grain crops – including wild rice and quinoa (but sadly not amaranths) and there’s plenty here to keep you dreaming of golden fields all year round.

[KB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gene Logsdon's "Small Scale Grain Raising" is less useful as a practical guide than might have been hoped.

The text is not well-structured, and is as much memoir as instructive treatise. The quality of the descriptions of the different types of crops and their cultures varies rather widely. Discussions of specific grains frequently veer off into tangential anecdote, and skip over basic, important information. A more methodical approach could have imparted better guidance to a novice.

The book's apparent intended audience oscillates between established farmer and small-scale gardener, but generally places greater emphasis on larger tracts of land with extensive livestock holdings. Esoteric agricultural terms and practices are assumed to be understood on the part of the reader. An illustrated glossary of some phrases is included at the end of the book, but this section should have been expanded and placed at the beginning in order to properly orient those unfamiliar with the material.

The 2008 edition includes multiple references to the author's decision to intentionally excise factual material that had been included in the book's original edition; he chose to do so because he wanted to make the new edition more entertaining, and because he believes that the deleted information is now available on the Internet for whomever wishes to search for it. This reviewer would have personally preferred for Mr. Logsdon to leave in the useful facts, and to instead omit the numerous random and unappealing recipes that conclude each section (and which typically utilize a quantity of wheat flour larger than that of whatever particular grain is supposedly being highlighted).

Despite this book's failings, bits of practical information can be gleaned among the pages of extraneous rambling. If nothing else, it may help an aspiring farmer to broaden his or her notions of the range of possibilities with respect to grain production.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, although (as usual) I felt it glossed over some very important aspects of bringing grain growing to the backyard. Still, the book made me feel that growing grain was within my reach.

Check out the gems of information about growing grains as a backyard endeavor on my blog.

[Zone Farmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. This book was sort of fun, but also seemed mostly useless? Although Logsdon seems to have some disdain for large scale industrial agriculture, he tends to spend more time discussing the largescale and industrial methods than he does describing small scale hands-on methods. In addition, as much time is usually spent discussing feeding it to animals as it is for human use. I guess I'm just not a meat head. I would say this is a very "meat-head" and recovering from being raised in and having access to industrial methods of cultivation. So if you grew up with things like tractor pulled plows, tillers, cultivators, combines and so-on, and want to raise your own beef and chicken etc. maybe this book could be useful? But as a vegan radical homesteader, I leave having read this book feeling like I didn't learn much.

[OneDayI'll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally everything grain related for small plots to farms. Are you growing grain for animal feed? They list types, how much per animal, and which is easier/hardier to grow.
Growing grain for yourself? Same.
Growing grain for brewing, rotating crops for better growth and soil recovery, what grows best at what time of year, storage and usage, everything you need. It's a slog, some is a little redundant but applies to different situations so worth the repetition to absorb the information. There are hand drawn illustrations to help with visuals. It's a dense but very useful book.

[Wendy Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loads of handy information about growing, harvesting, and storing grain, and all of it presented in Logsdon's adorable old man voice. There are also some good recipes in here! I like books that are both entertaining and useful, and this one fits the bill.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had the information I was looking for to start small scale. Will be trying some of the techniques this year to see what works best for our land.

[David Bellangue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with good info esp. for someone who's never grown grain before. Writing style is also quite enjoyable as well.

[Chils27 · Rating 4 out of 5]

only regret that "small scale" in the book is actually very big. I only have a backyard garden....

[Cristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much knowledge! I am so grateful for this book!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's another Gene Logsdon farming book, and it's very good, though I can't quite recommend this one as heartily as All Flesh is Grass.

Logsdon does a good job taking us through the various grains, discussing everything one would need to know. We get information about planting, cultivation, harvesting, and storing, weeds to worry about, pests to worry about, and both modern and old-time methods for these grains. His slant tends to favor the small homesteader (hence the name) or even gardener: he doesn't expect his reader to necessarily have--or ever get--the latest and biggest equipment.

Each grain discussed also includes recipes illustrating ways to use the grain in the kitchen (but he also talks about grains as feed for animals). He goes a little beyond grains to legumes, which he sees as critical for the organic grain grower, especially advocating soybeans. Another nice feature at the end is an illustrated glossary of farm tools, nice for the reader who lacks a background in farming.

The only real criticism I have of the book is that it was published in 1977. Occasionally, Logsdon makes statements to the effect that some particular bit of information "may be out of date by the time this goes to press": how much more is that true thirty years later? Traditional methods, obviously, don't change much, but since Logsdon isn't afraid to offer modern ideas, it's hard not to wonder if there are things we're missing. The good news, though, is that a new edition is being released in June 2009, and that's really the edition to read, unless you need to know about raising grain now.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous entertainment, I felt wonderfully validated for many of the practices I pursue, I was inspired to try some new crops, and I love how he calls us gardening farmers rather than hobbyists. After all, I am certainly not a commercial farmer, but I want to supplement my own and my animals' diet with homegrown goodness, and I wish I could turn even the tiniest bit of a profit with my all of the hard work I put into my gardens and goat herd.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts are not based on the author's experience; other parts are mostly based on his farming in northern Ohio. Nevertheless he gives very clear and detailed information on what he knows, which is quite broad in scope. And he is very outspoken against some concepts and practices based on "group thinking".

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I save five-star reviews for life changing books. This book has changed my life. I feel like I am now armed with information that makes possible a new facet in farming and homesteading that I had not seriously considered before. Small scale grains? Homemade bread just became even more exciting than it had been previously!

[Sutherland · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was some really great info in here for small and medium scale small-grain and bean growing. It also has a great layout that makes it useful as a reference book. I didn't always agree with the flavor text but it made the book entertaining enough to read cover to cover. I'm going to try some rye this year.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small scale, of course, means only a few acres in Logsdon's world, and the tools and techniques are aimed at small farmers rather than gardeners. But for the most part he includes planting/ harvesting options that are possible even if we just decide to try planting a single row.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a great resource for someone wanting to raise grain on a small scale. I picked up this book for that very purpose. It covers many different grains from corn to rice and even some older grains that are not used much on large grain farms.

[Michael]

Lot of information but definitely not for the "I'm just curious" reader (which is myself. This would be a good book for somebody who was about to start growing their own grains and needed all of the nitty gritty details. Because of that difference, I'm holding off on rating this book at all.

[Ethicurean Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethicurean review: Well worth the wheat: Gene Logsdon's "Small-Scale Grain Raising"

[Michael De Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks like a 45' x 45' square can grow all the grain we need. This book was fantastic! I'm thrilled to have gotten a copy for Christmas!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical but also good for general info on good organic grain production

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book! I'm growing my first wheat crop this year. So far, so good, thanks to this book. For more detailed info, see your county extension website.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I've been studying more about period farming practices (early first millennium and early medieval periods), I have an appreciation for this book. While most of it was geared toward the small, modern farmer (and those garden farmers who can have small livestock), there were quite a few kernels of useful information that I gleaned from it. (I know, puns intended. ;p ) Even though I'm planning on sticking with my period grains experiment, I'm inclined to add an attempt or two with more modern grain crops. Mind you, none of these are guaranteed, nor are they going to be large plantings.

Now, if only the prices on home grain mills (and hullers) would come down.

[Josie]

Useful information for...someday.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it! So helpful to the beginning grain farmer. I'd love to hear more about crop rotations, however.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting with wheat and may venture into oats next year.

[Thejerseyhomesteader]

I am finding this to be a great resource for my interest in having a small farm.

[Michelle]

Excellent information on how to raise grain in a small area and harvest without machinery.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. Informative. Inspiring. Now I need to read a book with more how-to instruction. It's not so helpful to read something like, "I'm going to include this but I don't know anything about it."

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dipped into and out of this book for three weeks, at first focusing on the grains I was interested in, then broadening out until I had covered the whole book. Logsdon writes with humour, and clearly has a rich experience to draw on. He also has an ability to translate practical experience into the many lessons in the book.

The only difficulty I experienced was the very North American focus of his book, which meant mental gymnastics for me to invert seasons and convert measurement systems. Given that Logsdon has never grown grain outside of the states, this omission is understandable, and his long experience is so valuable that I was happy to work my mind a little to understand the lessons he had to teach.