What is a heritage wheat?

Heritage wheat is being talked about more and more today and can be quite confusing with primitive wheats such as Einkorn, Emmer and Spelt included. These primitive wheats are what are known as 'Hulled wheats' in that they have a hard seed coat that is firmly attached to the grain and needs removing before using. A later type evolved which is a 'naked' grain that threshes clean and this is the wheat which has been most widely grown for generations and remained relatively unchanged until the Second World War.

It is becoming more accepted that the primitive wheats are called heritage grains whilst heritage wheats are the later types of wheat that were in use before the Second World War as these were the traditional long strawed low yielding types. Most of our wheats are types that were in cultivation centuries ago and the oldest Red Lammas was described first in 1650.






For the harvest year 2020 we have the following varieties sown;

Red Lammas.   A once very widely grown and popular variety first mentioned in 1650 and lauded as 'The King of wheats' By Ellis in 1747. This wheat was probably Elizabethan in origin and may well have been part of the English soldiers and sailors diet at the time of the Spanish Armada. A lovely reddish brown colour when in ear with medium sized hard red grains.

Old Kent Red.  A local variant of Red Lammas more suited to conditions and soils found in the Kent, Surrey and Sussex weald. Red like its parent but with a slightly deeper flavour and nose.

Orange Rough Chaff.  A west country variety chosen by us for it's taste.

Chidham Red.  Another old red wheat from Chidham near Chichester.

Millers Choice.    A modern mix of many domestic and foreign heritage wheats.

Trencher.  (Lodge Farm Population).  This arose by accident when I was using the

combine to cut the outside of plots to ensure the plots were pure. When finished I

had a mix of many different varieties of wheat and also some naked spelt. Out of curiosity I tried some of the flour and it was exceptional especially for pizza hence

its name.