permaculture

["E. E. Mitchamore Jr" <emitch@att.net>]

Catching up here, after several days focus on a plant sale.

I'm having a hard time getting my head around sorghum OR grain.  Neither has 
entered my consciousness in a lifetime in Central Texas.

Am aware that legumes and grains are commonly combined to make complete 
protein, but that's as far as I have thought so, surprise!, yet ANOTHER thing 
to learn about.

E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
www.hillcountrynatives.biz
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Marimike6@cs.com 
  To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org 
  Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 8:48 PM
  Subject: Re: [permaculture] agroforestry discussion list


  The article below-- actually an entire booklet-- will serve as a good 
general 
  introduction to the uses of sorghum and millet in human nutrition. Astute 
  Texans on the lookout for opportunity's knock will note that in Africa, 
sorghum 
  was first cultivated as the basis for making beer. This could work, folks.

  
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/T0818e/T0818E01.htm


  Unfortunately, sorghum has an incomplete suite of amino acids, and is not 
  that great from a nutritive standpoint. Certain heretics have discussed the 
  prospect of enhancing the stuff via genetic tinkering. If this were to come 
to 
  pass, millions who now depend on the stuff for survival could in fact be 
living 
  healthier lives. Naturally, their souls would be in jeopardy.

  http://www.africancrops.net/abstracts2/nutrition/mehlo.htm

  
http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/T0818e/T0818e00.htm


  It's a good idea when preparing these foods to supply an array of nutrients 
  by adding dal (lentils), vegetables and healthy spices like turmeric, 
coriander 
  and garlic. This boosts food value and flavor.  The strategy gets around 
the 
  GM problem, and makes the food taste good as well.

  There would be some cultural problems with acceptance. I'm trying to wrap 
my 
  head around people in Oklahoma, New Mexico and West Texas thinking that 
  sorghum is not just for the cattle. I don't think some among them will be 
ordering 
  the curry soon.

  Their loss. The millet injera in particular is very good, and holds pinto 
  beans and gravy as well as any corn tortilla I ever saw. More absorbent, 
even.
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