Growing Grain: Harvesting, Threshing, Winnowing & Storing

Overview of Grain Cultivation

If you grow vegetables, you can also grow grain in your home garden. You don’t need to have acreage as far as the eye can see. Our video on planting grain shows you how to prepare the soil and plant cereal grain seeds in a small area. Tricia demos how to harvest the grain in our video. 

The Importance of Grains in Agriculture

Grain cultivation, such as growing wheat and other crops, plays a crucial role in agriculture due to the high demand for edible grains like wheat berries and oats. The process of harvesting grains involves several steps, from planting seeds to threshing wheat heads using threshing machines, which separates the chaff from the loose grain on the threshing floor.

With advancements like combine harvesters and various threshing methods, farmers can efficiently thresh grain and prepare it for consumption, contributing significantly to wheat production and the creation of essential products like flour and bread.

The Journey from Field to Table

The journey of grain from field to table begins with growing wheat and other crops in vast wheat fields, where seed heads develop into grain heads. After harvesting, the process of threshing wheat using threshing machines or combine harvesters separates the loose grain from the chaff on the threshing floor, yielding wheat berries and other edible grains.

These grains, including oats and rice, undergo further grain preparation methods before being transformed into flour, which becomes the foundation for bread and other staple foods.

Understanding Grain Types and Their Characteristics

Common Types of Grains

Understanding grain types and their characteristics is essential for successful growing and harvesting. Common grains like wheat, barley, oats, rice, and corn each have unique features that influence their production.

For instance, wheat is harvested by cutting the grain heads and using a threshing machine to separate the wheat berries from the chaff, while corn involves harvesting the ears and then threshing the kernels.

Effective grain preparation methods, including winnowing and using combine harvesters, help ensure the separation of edible grain from other plant materials, leading to better yields and quality in products like bread and animal feed.

Key Differences in Grain Harvesting and Processing

Understanding grain types and their characteristics involves recognizing key differences in grain harvesting and processing methods, particularly moisture content and growth cycle duration. For instance, wheat typically requires a lower moisture content at harvest to prevent spoilage during threshing, while corn often has a longer growth cycle and is harvested when kernels are fully dried.

Effective grain preparation methods, including winnowing threshing and using combine harvesters, are crucial for separating edible grain from chaff and loose grain, ensuring high-quality yields for products like flour and animal feed.

Growing grain

Growing grains is different from being a vegetable gardener when the harvest comes. Here are quick tips on how to harvest, thresh, winnow and store your grain crop. 

Preparing for Harvest

Identifying the Right Time to Harvest

Preparing for harvest involves carefully identifying the right time to harvest various grains, including wheat, oats, and other crops. Key indicators of maturity include the firmness of the grain heads, the color and dryness of the wheat berries, and the readiness of the seed heads.

Weather conditions, such as low moisture levels and favorable wind, play a crucial role in determining when to use threshing methods, such as combine harvesters and threshing machines, to ensure optimal grain preparation and yield.

Tools and Equipment Needed for Harvesting

Preparing for harvest requires a variety of tools and equipment, ranging from traditional methods to modern machinery. Traditional tools like the flail and threshing floor are often replaced by advanced equipment such as combine harvesters and threshing machines, which streamline the process of threshing wheat and other grains.

Proper maintenance and safety tips for these machines, including regular checks and safe operation procedures, are crucial to ensure efficient and effective grain preparation while minimizing risks during the harvest.

Harvesting Techniques for Different Grains

Manual Harvesting Methods

Harvesting techniques for different grains can vary widely, with manual methods such as using scythes and sickles being traditional choices for cutting wheat and other crops. Hand-held harvesters are also employed for more efficient gathering of grains like oats and buckwheat.

These methods, though labor-intensive compared to modern threshing machines and combine harvesters, are still valued for their precision in handling grain heads and ensuring quality during harvest.

Mechanical Harvesting

Combine harvesters revolutionize mechanical harvesting by integrating multiple processes into one machine, efficiently cutting, threshing, and separating grains such as wheat and oats. These machines work by using rotating blades and threshing systems to handle grain heads, separate edible grain from chaff, and prepare the grain for storage or processing.

The advantages of using combine harvesters include increased speed, reduced labor, and improved grain quality, making them essential for large-scale wheat production and other grain harvesting operations.

Harvesting grain

The color of the grain gradually changes from green to golden brown. Grain ripens in three stages and you can monitor this by checking a piece of grain.

1) Milky: press on a grain and see milky liquid ooze out.

2) Dough: liquid hardens inside the grain and the grain will show a dent when pinched.

3) Mature: grain is hard and the heavy heads often bend forward. Harvest a plot in the way that is easiest for you.

Use your hands to snap off the seed heads, or cut the seed heads off with pruners, a sickle, or a scythe. Dry the heads or sheaves in your wheat plot for 7 to 10 days before threshing. 

Threshing grain

Time to define some vocabulary you may not know, unless you grew up on a wheat farm. Chaff: The seed heads and straw from the plant. Threshing: Separating the heads from the stalks. Winnowing: Separating the grain from the chaff. There are many ways to thresh: Rubbing with your hands. Flailing with a wooden stick or bat. Banging seed heads inside a clean metal trash can. Treading with your feet. After threshing you will winnow: Winnow by pouring from one container to another, in front of a fan for best results.

Traditional Threshing Methods

Traditional threshing methods, such as beating with a flail and animal-assisted threshing, involve separating grain from chaff by physically striking the harvested ears of wheat and other crops.

In these methods, the grain is separated from the straw and stalks, with the edible part collected for further processing. The process often requires manual effort and space, such as a threshing floor or barn, and while effective, it can be labor-intensive compared to modern threshing machines.

Modern Threshing Techniques

Modern threshing techniques utilize advanced threshing machines to efficiently separate grain from chaff, significantly improving the speed and effectiveness of the process. These machines handle harvested ears of wheat and other crops, separating the seeds from stalks and straw with high precision, and often incorporate winnowing as part of the process.

By automating the threshing, these machines increase the efficiency and output of the harvest, reducing labor and improving the overall quality of the threshed grain compared to traditional methods like flailing.

Winnowing: Cleaning the Grain

Traditional Winnowing Methods

Traditional winnowing methods involve using baskets and fans to separate seeds from chaff after threshing. Basket winnowing requires manually tossing threshed grain into the air, allowing the wind to carry away the lighter chaff while the heavier seeds fall back into the basket.

Wind-assisted winnowing, often done on the ground or in a barn, utilizes natural or mechanical airflow to streamline the separation of edible parts from straw and bran, enhancing the efficiency of the process on the farm.

Modern Winnowing Techniques

Modern winnowing techniques use mechanical winnowers to enhance the efficiency of separating seeds from chaff after threshing. These machines work by blowing air through the threshed grain to remove lighter materials like straw and bran, leaving behind the cleaner, edible seeds.

By automating the winnowing process, these machines ensure a high level of purity and quality for the harvested grain, making them essential for maintaining the integrity of crops like wheat and other cereals on the farm.

Storing grain

Keep your grain fresh when you store it below 60F, free from oxygen, moisture, and pests. You can do this by bagging and freezing it, or putting it in food-safe, airtight buckets along with oxygen-absorber packets. Utah State Cooperative Extension has details on how to store wheat at home.

Protecting Grains During Storage

Common Grain Storage Pests

Common grain storage pests include weevils, moths, and rodents, all of which can severely impact the quality of stored grain. Weevils and moths often infest stored seeds and cereals, feeding on the edible parts and causing damage to the grain.

Rodents, on the other hand, can contaminate grain supplies by chewing through storage containers and spreading disease, making it crucial to implement effective pest control measures on the farm to protect harvested crops.

Pest Control Strategies

Pest control strategies for protecting stored grains involve using natural repellents and pesticides alongside integrated pest management techniques. Natural repellents, such as essential oils, can help deter pests from infesting stored seeds and cereals, while pesticides offer more targeted solutions.

Integrated pest management combines these methods with regular monitoring and sanitation practices to effectively manage pests, ensuring the quality and safety of harvested crops on the farm.

Preventing Mold and Fungal Growth

Preventing mold and fungal growth in stored grains involves controlling moisture levels and ensuring proper ventilation in storage areas such as barns or silos. By managing moisture through effective drying processes and using adequate airflow to reduce humidity, you can prevent the conditions that promote mold growth.

Regular monitoring and maintenance are also crucial, as they help detect and address potential issues early, protecting your stored seeds and cereals from contamination.

Need more information?  Sara Pitzer is your new pal. She wrote Homegrown Whole Grains: Grow, Harvest & Cook Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rice, Corn & More. As Tricia says in our video, “do yourself a favor” and get this book to help you grow your own grain. Review the harvesting steps with Tricia as she harvests, threshes and winnows in our video.

Conclusion

In conclusion, growing and processing grain, from planting to storage, involves a series of essential steps that ensure high-quality yields and effective use of harvested crops. By understanding and applying methods for harvesting, threshing, and winnowing—whether through traditional techniques or modern machinery—you can efficiently manage your grain crops. For a range of cereal grain seeds and quality reaping tools, including hand-held tools for cutting wheat, explore our collection.

Proper storage practices, along with vigilant pest control and mold prevention strategies, are crucial for maintaining the integrity of your grains.

FAQs: Growing Grain – Harvesting, Threshing, Winnowing & Storing

• 1. What is the process of harvesting grain?

  • Harvesting grain involves cutting the stalks of plants when the crop is mature. The harvested ears are then collected and prepared for threshing, where the seeds are separated from the straw and stalks.

• 2. How is threshing done, and what equipment is used?

• 3. What is winnowing, and why is it important?

  • Winnowing is the process of separating the threshed grain from the chaff and other impurities using wind or air. It is essential for ensuring that only the clean, edible part of the grain is stored for use.

• 4. How is grain stored after it has been harvested and threshed?

• 5. What are the key considerations when growing your own wheat?

  • When growing your own wheat, it’s important to consider factors like soil quality, crop rotation with other crops, and the timing of harvest. Ensuring that the seeds are fully mature before harvesting is crucial for a successful yield.