Harvesting Wheat by Hand -- Foodmageddon, Ep. 20

In this episode, we harvest wheat, from scything and binding in the field, to threshing, grinding, and baking.
If you enjoy this content, and want to see more, join our community and support us on Patreon, if you're in a position to do so. Thanks: www.patreon.com/lowtechinstitute
-----------------------------------------------
Foodmageddon is a dramatization of a research project being carried out at the Low Technology Institute (lowtechinstitute.org/). The study's goal is to simulate the loss of fossil fuels in our food system, and we'll be tracking all the data (labor, inputs, production, preservation, etc.) as we ferret out problems we couldn't foresee without actually trying it.
Follow our efforts by subscribing to our KZbin channel:
kzbin.info/door/xbdN2W1ZahmHrwfFDoZnQw
You can also hear behind-the-scenes discussions on the Low Tech Podcast, on iTunes (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/p...), Google Play (goo.gl/app/playmusic?ibi=com....), Stitcher (www.stitcher.com/podcast/low-t...), or wherever fine podcasts are released.
lowtechinstitute.org/low-tech-podcast/
Learn more below.
Description: lowtechinstitute.org/2019/11/11/grow-your-own-part-i-what-if-fossil-fuels-disappeared/
Schedule: lowtechinstitute.org/2019/11/12/grow-your-own-part-ii-when-fossil-fuels-fail/
Parameters: lowtechinstitute.org/2019/11/13/grow-your-own-part-iii-rules-for-the-experiment/
Reporting and Social Media: lowtechinstitute.org/2019/11/14/grow-your-own-part-iv-follow-along/
Support and Partnership Opportunities: lowtechinstitute.org/2019/11/15/grow-your-own-part-v-support-the-project/

[@marjorythrash1045]

In the mid 1960s, my great uncle (who fought in WW1, which gives you an idea of his age) planted and harvested buckwheat in central Mississippi. He kept back seed every year (I don't think he had access to seeds otherwise) for the 3 or 4 acres. Like another poster, he would only cut off the tops of the plants, then used a mule-drawn hay cutter to reduce the stems. Then, he would burn off the field, leave it over the winter, and replant. He told me his father also planted wheat and rye, besides the corn. His father would have been an adult in the Civil War.

[@user-dm1tv6nl2e]

@@douganderson7002 I assume there's some method for harvesting just the tops? Hopefully besides cutting small bunches by hand?

[@farmerwayne1404]

​@user-dm1tv6nl2e Good stuff! I think the top harvester is called....birds😊 Ive heard the as soon as the stalks turn from green to almost tan, thats a good time to harvest. Im sure you've gigured out what works by now!!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Right on! This is true. This was my first year and I've done a lot since then. See my new video this year on harvesting by hand, which includes an earlier harvest window!

[@sheilamclaughlin963]

If u harvest wheat just when the stalks turn tan, the seed is wet enough to, “ I never could spell or type” anyway shrink, not as good of seed, sure is not dry enough to keep in storage

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

Hmmmm. I've watched quite a few videos on threshing and winnowing wheat, and I have come to the conclusion that a lot depends on how much you put into the front end of the work. I've seen folks harvest the way you did, with a scythe. But I have also seen people take the time to cut just the heads and maybe 4-6 inches of stalk when harvesting. Yes, it took longer to harvest, but they saved time when it came to threshing and winnowing. It's sorta like the old saying--there's more than one way to skin a cat. I have an idea for modifying a wood chipper to use it as a thresher by replacing the steel blade with a piece of wood, but I haven't worked out any of the details yet. It would be nice if I could figure out how to use it to thresh and winnow the wheat at the same time. At any rate, I enjoyed watching your video. I've learned from growing some of my own food that it's a never ending learning process, and I cannot wait to try my hand at growing wheat!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Hi James, Yeah, it went a lot better with heritage grains that were much taller. I'm making a new video with that information this season. Check my channel for part 1, on seeding. It just came out. The longer-stemmed heritage wheat falls together with the heads on one end and makes life much easier. I do cut the heads off with a lopper once they're in a sheaf before putting them in the thresher. It'd be interesting if the woodchipper would do that. It would give you chopped straw. I'd rather have the straight straw for my purposes, but if you're just mulching or something with it, it'd work great. Good luck!

[@mikhalych9748]

Im growing Einkorn wheat currently for the first time. Im learning as I go and youre giving me lots of good ideas. Thanks.

[@peterellis4262]

Your exploration of methods for threshing and winnowing was fascinating and invaluable. The flail threshing machine and winnowing tower were particularly noteworthy - but then you made the tower superfluous! Ingenious. Thank you for sharing.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching. As with most repetitive, mindless tasks, the mind wanders to think about more efficient ways to do things. :-)

[@tinatillman2814]

Awesome video, I planted organic hard red winter wheat last fall and am harvesting it by hand. I've been searching for an "easier way" to harvest it than what I've been doing!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Check out our new video on harvesting. This video was my first year and I've learned a bit since then. Thanks for watching and good luck!

[@patrickcleburneuczjsxpmp9558]

You may know all this already, but there are a few big advantages to using a sickle over a scythe for harvesting grain: (1) less shattering in the field, (2) a cleaner, complete cut so you don't pull up dirt with the roots of some plants, which can sometimes be very hard to separate out from the grain later, and (3) you'd be able to cut closer to the heads of the grain, so there would be less straw to have to handle and especially to have to run through your thresher (or cut again) later.

[@LowTechInstitute]

These are great points. I just put out an updated "how to harvest" video where I suggest people start with a sickle for those reasons. I need the whole straw, though for thatching. :-) The shattering in the field is also cut down if you harvest at the correct time: by hand, we should be harvesting about two weeks before it is at the point in this video. I also harvest perpendicular to the rows for better results now, too (at least with a scythe). This was my first go and I've learned a lot since then. Once you get the method down, scythe can be very fast and clean. Thanks for the comment and sickle pros. You're right on. Thanks for watching.

[@uscorg]

Couple points to help that you may have figured out by now. Nice longer smooth cuts following through farther will help. You need your cradle to be taller over the blades to keep it from flipping over itself and keep it all laying same direction.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching and the tips. Yeah, the main problem with the wheat spilling all over is that it is dwarf wheat. Scythes we're designed for traditional wheat, which is a foot or more taller. Also, I harvested too late for a scythe, so the stalks had more resistance. I've written a lot of this up on our website. Had a lot more luck this year. lowtechinstitute.org/tag/wheat/

[@nasokas]

Had opportunity to listen of some baker's, they said they don't like fresh milled flour because the loaf behaves differently. Some said you need to wait about a month after milling it(to wet to use straight)

[@LowTechInstitute]

Sure. Good point. Also, it should be sifted first if you're letting it sit, otherwise the oils and fats in the bran go rancid. :-) Thanks for this.

[@511eden]

Once milling wheat berries into flour, it should be used straight away. The nutrients are 90% gone after 3 days and of course rancid. Flour in the stores and what most bakers are using should not be eaten. Sue Becker has great info on this. She is a food scientist and explains a lot of the problems we have these days because of our bad practices. If you are a believer in the Holy Bible then you will enjoy her work all the more. I just started milling my own grain and after a lifetime of constipation, it is working wonders thus far! Depending if the wheat is soft or hard, which is what you want for most breads will be different on how it preforms. Once you get the right variety of wheat for your purpose it is great.

[@alfloro6613]

Nice, well done! My blood pressure skyrocketed at 20:15.

[@thomasjohnpaine8443]

Lol. I thought about that myself.

[@PaigeDWinter]

It's possible to have wheat inside a mixed bale of hay, along with other grains, grasses, and legumes, but you're more often going to see Timothy grass. Wheat is usually used for other things. It can make a good hay, but animals tend to have to get used to it if they're normally fed other grasses.

[@codysimmonds2944]

Literally did it the hardest way!! Way to many steps going on!

[@giuliobaecker5476]

Really interesting video watched most of it. We buy spelt and wheat berries grind and have a spelt and wheat sour dough. We do mostly no kneed for spelt, because of the problem you had. Also all our doughs are made in Dutch ovens, I highly recommend that over bread pans it’s night and day

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks! Yeah, the longer the dough is wet the better it goes. I've learned a lot since then and will be making an updated video.

[@debbiecurtis4146]

You are a great video maker and very sensible about explaining what you're doing. I love your shop, too! You've answered a lot of questions I've had about how much wheat it takes to make a bushel, etc. I'm looking forward to more, especially what variety you're planting, or which of several you are trying. Hard red, soft white, etc. Like with apple varieties, many have been lost that were specific to an area. Here in central NY state, there were varieties that did well in our climate, for instance. Probably someone at Cornell has a stash somewhere, LOL!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Hello and thanks for watching. Check out our site for more info, including lessons learned after the harvest and what we're planting this year: lowtechinstitute.org/?s=wheat Thanks again!

[@maureencrawford2275]

Very nicely done video. I came upon your video after reading “Farmer Boy” which is book 2 in the “Little House on the Prairie” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I couldn’t understand the printed description of threshing so I searched for some video to clarify. You are a pioneer for sure. You have a new subscriber, and I feel like I’m turning more Amish by the minute. I look forward to learning more!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching. So at that time, they probably were bringing their unthreshed grain to a mechanized thresher (a big, bulky thing run off of steam power) that would travel around after harvest to villages to thresh. Before mechanization, people would have spent the winter threshing the grain they needed as they needed it using either animals to trample it over a floor with gaps to let the grain fall through or with flails to beat the grains from the heads. Much more time consuming and provided employment for many agricultural workers over the otherwise quiet winter period.

[@endtimesareuponus8930]

Most Amish don't do this.

[@What..a..shambles]

I bought a hand powered grain thresher with woodworm (needs wood replaced) but the drum and gears are all there ..cost £5 ..there is slats under the drum to allow the berries to fall and I'm guessing a bag or sheet caught all... also a small table to rest the sheath while being threshed ... harvesting my 1st small patch of wheat ever with a sickle ,glad to have found this channel👍🏻

[@LowTechInstitute]

Sounds great! Good luck on the harvest. Sickle makes nice work of the process a lot easier than a scythe, which has a steeper learning curve. Lots of resources to learn that in the UK, though! I eventually pointed a fan under the chute where the berries drop out and it did a fair job of winnowing about 90% of the chaff while I threshed.

[@What..a..shambles]

I saw that ,I think I will copy that idea,just testing out how einkorn grows here ,I will need a roller to suit the jang seeder,I broadcast this batch and the birds stole many when they just emerged ,live and learn 😅. ...I watched your vid where you sowed with something similar to an earthway seeder

[@soniarodriguez3810]

@@What..a..shambles Is there a way for you to share your experience with eikorn? I just got a small quantity for "trying and learning", I'm looking forward to it.

[@What..a..shambles]

@@soniarodriguez3810 how difficult can it be to dehull ?? Very 😔I've sown it again this year for animal feed.

[@soniarodriguez3810]

@@What..a..shambles wow, good for them, the animals. I know it is harder to process than regular wheat but I have a gluten sensitivity and for some reason the gluten in einkorn seems to be better for us. Good luck!

[@mamamj19]

In The Backyard Homestead they beat the wheat in a metal trash can and then they pour it from one tub to another in front of a fan or on a windy day to separate the chaff

[@LowTechInstitute]

For sure this is a good method for a small amount. I threshed 8 or so bushels (64 gallons of wheat berries), so the more specialized equipment was worth it for me. I've gotten better at this and will be sharing my improved methods in a video this fall. Thanks or watching.

[@robertireland4589]

Two more bike gear wheels and bike chains, which can be joined into one chain. A third smaller gear wheel as tensioner and quick release of the chain. Gear wheel in the middle can be a double, for two 2 chains transfer motion. Bike gear to center gears, other center gear to device rotor gear wheel. Scale the gear wheels right and you can thresh like a mad man with very minimal input work. Highly unlikely any of it wouldn't outlive you, either lol.

[@christophermetz1550]

Wow! Super cool. Looks like the simpler you get with the process the better. Awesome video and info!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks so much for watching. I'm working on an updated version with more lessons learned.

[@abdyvence6729]

Enjoyed your video. I've been planting wheat for several years now. My plot is about 25' x 90' or about half of what you were working on. This year I used a scythe for the first time. It sure was easier than using a sickle. My questions is how did you modify your scythe to incorporate a cradle? Also what variety wheat was it that you were harvesting? I assume you didn't plant that wheat. Are you going to cover that topic in the future? Finally, your threshing equipment was nice. Thanks for sharing.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks so much for the comments. I added a "bow" (bent stick) going from the handle to the base of the snath. Then I attached 90 deg. fingers paralleling the blade. Unfortunately this is hard to explain, so I'll have to make a video about it sometime. Sorry! Last year (in this video) I was harvesting hard red winter wheat, sown for industrial production. This year I switched to Maris Widgeon and sewed it by hand. Much better results. I will do a video about this, too, but for now, find more info here: lowtechinstitute.org/2021/04/28/update-to-no-till-wheat-study/

[@skdjirrrdjdm3926]

Really fascinating video I'm just now learning about wheat. So much respect for the pre-industrial people who had to grow and process the old fashioned way.

[@Gaspa79]

@11:50 when you say "straw is when it doesn't have seeds in it, hay is when it does". That's simply not true. I've never seen someone call wheat "hay" since it's mostly plain grass or alfalfa, because it's grown solely for the purpose of feeding cattle (and wheat is not). Whereas straw is (usually) just the "waste" of producing wheat, which usually doesn't have seeds in it, but it may very well have. So it can be straw and still have seeds in it.

[@LowTechInstitute]

I do say "technically," because that is true. Hay, as I understand it (backed up by reading a few definitions on- and off-line), is grasses cut for animal fodder, which can be any grass, but is often alfalfa. But! Oats, rye, and wheat can and have been used as hay. If I fed my wheat stems and seeds before threshing to animals, it would be hay. Although hay is usually cut green and cured. My main point is that a lot of gardeners buy "hay bales" for mulch on their gardens when they mean "straw bales," not understanding the difference. I was using this as an opportunity to point out that hay has the whole plant and straw is just the stems. Thanks for watching.

[@Gaspa79]

@@LowTechInstitute Thank you for the videos. They are amazing. And yes, with the word 'technically' maybe you can get away with your comment, but Before posting I've asked a couple friends because I thought I may have been wrong but they all said that they've never heard anything like your definition. In any case, your channel rocks. Keep it up

[@LowTechInstitute]

Hey, thanks. And it would be a waste to give wheat to animals as hay, so it isn't common. Maybe technically correct but stupid to do? Ha. I appreciate you mentioning it. I do get things wrong on these videos. I try not to but it happens, for sure. Thanks for watching and glad you like them!

[@allenstaley]

Very good and informative! Your next job is to get some heavy whipping cream and make you some butter by shaking it in a mason jar to have your own butter to cook with and put on your freshly baked breads.

[@davidpatriot1082]

youre a good dude making good comment brother glad I found this channel just now

[@thomasjohnpaine8443]

Great video brother. Clever devices. I like how you show us the evolution of your technique. Keep up the good work!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks! I'm working on an updated video with even more streamlining.

[@Golden_SnowFlake]

Great video, very neat to see how difficult it can be!

[@dailyrider2975]

I've scythed our property years ago when it had tall dry grass, so this may not be useful for wheat cutting. Found swing speed makes for cleaner cuts and follow thru so don't use your body to stop blade as much. Otherwise you tire quickly and may get a sore back.

[@lisasoto955]

You are amazing!!! I'm impressed 👏

[@maureenparran8918]

That was a wonderfully fascinating video. Thank you so much for making it.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@serdarbicer719]

Good job man!

[@hangfire5005]

In the next episode, how to fight a rodent infestation by hand...

[@LowTechInstitute]

True story. I've kept the grain up on a platform made with 5-gal buckets as legs, which the mice have trouble climbing. Definitely something to think about.

[@hatac]

The Pennsylvanian Amish and Mennonites use a horse drawn harvester with a small ethanol or biodiesel motor driving the cutter/ binder. Another farmer I know of uses a solar tractor with three battery packs and a solar roof. He pulls a towed 1940's combine harvester. I believe he restored the harvester by hand.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Those are fun examples! Thanks for sharing.

[@jaridkeen123]

I dont have a grass lawn. my entire frontyard and backyard is a garden. It could be cool to see people growing wheat in there front yard instead of grass.

[@LowTechInstitute]

For sure! I did get a cautionary statement from a young doctoral student here at the UW-Madison. Her thesis looked at exhaust from cars and trucks settling in the soil adjacent to roads. Within 30 ft of the roadside, heavy metals and other nasty thing you wouldn't want to eat are at potentially unsafe levels. I was gung-ho about front-yard gardens, but if they front a street, I'd do a soil test first. Yay cars? Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@asparks8056]

I was very impressed with your explanation and modeling how to do this. Thank you so much.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching!

[@YaelSharon3410]

Good video. Just found your channel, it was in the suggestions because I enjoy watching old farm equipment at work. liked and subscribed .

[@LowTechInstitute]

Welcome and thanks! I spend too much time watching that stuff, too.

[@ZokcoPokco]

excellent video! thank you!

[@nootjeuh]

thank you for the nice video wishing you and your family all the best love from belgium

[@juliamarple3785]

Wow That is cool! Keep on trying stuff out.

[@stephaniespalmer]

Boy that is some serious soothing ASMR lol

[@mitchelreimer6934]

wow.. this is exactly what i wanted to see.. its usually pretty hard finding a good video on a niche topic

[@LowTechInstitute]

Check out my new video on how to harvest. It is updated and has better techniques now that I've had more experience. Thanks for watching.

[@dEEmARIE-]

Just found your channel. Thank you and I'll start from the beginning.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching and enjoy!

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

The simulated situation would be typical inland and without navigable waterways. Coastal and navigable areas should see a resurgence in international trade after a few years, after cargo operators figure out how to convert back to sail. It will take longer to get inland trade back up and running in the Americas, because electric locomotives (for railways and also for roadways) aren't really rolled out yet.

[@TheProjectHelpDesk]

I like your channel concept. One of my life goals is to be able to completely sustain myself from my own property. Most channels devoted to offgrid/apocalypse living always rely on things that have to be purchased and will eventually wear out. Lithium batteries and solar panels as an example. I want to be able to survive if a total supply chain collapse ever happens and you can't really buy ANYTHING.

[@LowTechInstitute]

I think in that scenario only a well-functioning community will have a good chance of thriving. It's one of the reasons we located ourselves in a little village instead of an isolated homestead. Spread the work and specializations out. My neighbor is a blacksmith, so now I don't have to learn that huge set of skills. :-) Good comment and thanks for watching.

[@archangel20031]

Those variable length belts are basically a polymer & fabric chain that runs on friction instead of sprocket teeth.

[@mossymaple]

Well done! GOD BLESS YOUR HARD WORK! GLORY TO GOD!

[@bsdiceman]

Excellent video.

[@bsdiceman]

I learned the difference between hay and straw. And how to seperate bran and garm from white flour. I appreciated watching your evolution in your processes to become more efficient and threshing. I will be planting hard red spring wheat today!

[@funkeymonkey9017]

Mixing boiling water might help a little bit. There's a youtube channel called proof bread that talks about this in their "Khorasan Ancient Grain Sourdough" video. Hope this helps.

[@ronprince1478]

Loose grain was harvested with a sickle not a scythe, you take a handful of stalks and cut below your hand, the hand keeps the grain stalks still so as not to disturb seeds. It takes longer but the yield is Considerably higher.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks! Yes, and harvesting earlier. I just did an updated how to harvest grain by hand video with a few more years of experience than this video. In my case, I need the whole stalk for thatching, but for most, your method is a good one. And to be clear, the yield doesn't go up, but the amount of vegetable matter that needs to be threshed goes down, which is a huge advantage. Thanks for watching!

[@jonathans2cents258]

You got a lot of heart son,, and it works. Practice make perfect, good job

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks so much for watching and the kind words.

[@tonih4674]

I always love seeing videos that combine old knowledge with new technology, especially when new tech is fossil free. Looks like your process produces straw as long stems as well as chopped. I've seen where natural builders use both depending on the use, for example longer for a cob mix and shorter for plasters. Do you know any builders in the area? You may have a great opportunity for mutual benefit. After all, community is key to surviving foodmageddon.

[@LowTechInstitute]

This was from years ago. I now grow long-stem heritage varieties and use the straw for thatching. We're also building with light straw-clay wall fill, so yeah, nothing goes to waste! Thanks for watching.

[@alexarquitt]

I appreciate the history lesson 🙂

[@ChrisCalmtheCrazy]

backpack vacuum for the gleaning wheat.

[@torchwoody58]

Pam says- take a smaller bite each time and sharpen sharpen sharpen. 😎

[@cindytappe6486]

If you would put a tarp on the ground where you're placing the shafts the shatter would be minimal.

[@djsimonrossprice9400]

As a combine harvester operator of over 35 summers the only pearl of wisdom is to AVOID GRAIN SHATTER, is harvest when the GRAIN is fit NOT when the straw is fit... You'll find the grain will stay in the ear when its "Not quite fit".. P.s Hay is dried grass Straw is grain residue..

[@LowTechInstitute]

For sure! In this case, I was harvesting at my neighbor's farm. Now I grow on my own plot and I do harvest about two weeks before dead ripe and it is much, much better. Thanks!

[@normbrunelle134]

Are plans available for each of the wonderful contraptions you use in this video?

[@LowTechInstitute]

The thresher can be found on farmhack: farmhack.org/tools/bicycle-powered-thresher

[@danbaldwin9511]

nice Job. really good ideas. If I had the space I would build something for chaffing myself.

[@christaljohnson3300]

When I was watching another video about baking with homegrown wheat they said that they'd done some research and found out that you need to use 1 and a 3rd cups of fresh ground flour as aposed to 1 cup regular flour. Hope this helps

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for the comment. I find that fresh-ground sucks up more water than store-bought flour. I've learned a lot since then and need to make a new video on grinding, sifting, and using home-grown grains. Thanks for watching!

[@ronaldjeanbaptiste7158]

Very interesting

[@MA-mh1vs]

That bran and germ is good for a mealworm farm.

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Fabulous

[@danbaldwin9511]

try per heating the flower, letting it cool and then using it. This should get rid of some the your "Glass" problem.

[@DanaLordsonII]

Mixing all the yeast directly with salt and water is the worst thing you could do for the yeast. I usually add all the liquids(a tablespoon of molasses/honey/maple syrup is highly recommended) and yeast together, let the yeast sit for 4-6 minutes to start growing then add flour and salt for best results.

[@LowTechInstitute]

You're 100% right! Salt is a yeast-growth inhibitor. Good point and thanks.

[@SgtSnausages]

Any advice on a Crain Cradle? Where'd you get yours?

[@SebNutter]

Mix the flour, starter, water and salt. Leave in a cool place like a cellar or fridge on warmest setting for three days. The bread will ferment and rise. Fold it once and shape it, stick it in a banneton basket for 12 hours in a cool place, then bake. Perfect loaf every time.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks Sebastian! Yeah, that would likely work with better-sifted flour. I need to post a follow-up video to this one on baking with home-grown wheat. I've learned a lot since then. The loaf here was baked with all the bran in, and (I'm sure you know this, but for anyone reading this who doesn't...) the bran acts like shards of glass and cuts all the gluten. This wheat was "dead ripe" when harvested and had an extremely high bran content. My wheat this year was harvested earlier and is much easier to work with. The wheat from this video was too poor quality for good bread baking, even when fully sifted. Goes to show that industrial wheat production prefers ease of harvest and processing over quality. Thanks for watching!

[@MA-mh1vs]

The lady I watch sifts the bran out and it bakes just fine.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Yes! I need to do an updated video. I sift now and get much better results. Thanks for the comment and watching.

[@robertireland4589]

Scythe needs more frequent honing. Also need to follow through on the swing and lower. No jerking or hesitation. Also temper your bite so not to overwork the blade filling it to thick. LoL I've scythed many a time as a boy harvesting wheat or rye, 2 acres. Watched fields of men and women scything across an entire landscape. Whether one large field or many smaller average European fields.

[@mlauntube]

Did you make that attachment to your scythe or did you buy it? Please send more info. Great video! I'm wondering if I can do like I've seen with linen/flax where they use a device or machine to comb out the flax seeds before processing the straw into linen. I figure you can grab a handful of stalks from your bundled and dried sheaves to comb the ends. I would be temped to ignore seed in the middle because I would use the straw for chicken flooring or back to the grain field for mulch. I think I would rather process more field, but streamline the labor.

[@LowTechInstitute]

I did make my attachment. They're called bows or cradles. Google around but they are kind of DIY nowadays. You could use a flax rippler (big comb to pull the seedheads off), but if you just want the heads, get a sack that you can tie around your waist, grab the heads and cut just below with a sickle (careful of your hand!) and drop the heads in the sack. Then just thresh the heads. Lots of ways to try! Some will do better than others and the more wheat you do, the more you quickly find out what is a waste of time. :-) Thanks for watching.

[@mlauntube]

@@LowTechInstitute Thank you for your reply, very helpful!

[@willbass2869]

11:35 Straw is residue from threshed small grains. Dry corn stalks are called stalks or fodder depending on final use; bedding or filler feed. Straw is rarely if ever fed to animals because of high cellulose content (too difficult to digest, too low feed value) but is a fine bedding material. What you have in this vid is STRAW, not hay. Whether the seed head is still attached or not does not make that *SHEAVE* into hay. .....multiple sheaves (8-10) are made into "shocks"/"stooks" (regional idioms) and left to dry in field for a week or so. Hay is a grass crop that is cut, dried and stored for animal feed. Some hays (alfalfa) has very high feed value while very mature grass is lesser.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for the comment. Since this video I've learned a bit and things have changed since these English terms became common. Before combine harvester threshers, the sheaves (singular "sheaf") were stooked in the field to dry because they were harvested before they were fully dry. Now the wheat is harvested "dead ripe" so that it can be immediately threshed. This was too late to do by hand. Check out my newer video on harvesting by hand. The hay/straw division is largely a question of whether or not it is fed to animals. Wheat, oats, and rye can be cut for hay, but because it is worth more, it usually isn't. Mine is only considered straw when the head is removed. Thanks for watching!

[@fishing4squirrel83]

With the "it behooves you"....I'm thinking former Army enlisted?

[@LowTechInstitute]

Ha! No, not me, but both my parents were. Maybe I picked it up there.

[@fishing4squirrel83]

@@LowTechInstitute Lol. You should mention the "it behooves you" question to them. They might get a kick out of it. Lol. It's like the buzz word of sgts to throw out there. lol.

[@sdw6846]

When you get the "shadder" (spell?) does that just give you the leg up on next season of planting and just do it for you?

[@LowTechInstitute]

Unfortunately not. The birds eat a lot of it and planting in rows helps with weeding. Good question.

[@JustinDOehlke]

No one should expect to get everything right the first time. You did well in my opinion.

[@farmco6897]

Great Content...shorter videos, (ie the first 20 min of this video in one and the next 20 min in another) may serve you well, this way you can upload more frequently which will (from what I hear) improve the algorithm, plus people like to see updates and in our immediate gratification world they want them daily if possible...also, prepping and gardening are quite popular subjects so this niche is awesome. May God Bless Your Journey to 10k subs and have a wonderful day!

[@LowTechInstitute]

Good ideas. Thanks. I need to look into more algorithm tips.

[@NiceMuslimLady]

@@LowTechInstitute I concur. Especially with KZbin pushing the Tictoc style videos that are one to two minutes.

[@TadLeonard]

Are those cut nails holding the boards of your octagonal thresher together or are they just nails with squarish heads? If they are cut nails, I'm curious if driving them in diagonally along the edge-to-edge joint shown at 21:32 was deliberate. Just looking for more detailed info on the subject which, aside from a Chris Schwarz article, is hard to come by.

[@matthew22sow]

Where can you get that cradle scythe

[@jamesleblanc4850]

I love the machine. Is it your design? Where can I get measurements and a plan to make one myself?

[@patrickcleburneuczjsxpmp9558]

Looks like a design made public through a grant that you can find if you search for "bicycle thresher."

[@HippocratesGarden]

Ok, 3 years after, and I didn't see this mentioned. Where did you get the information that the cut wheat, with grains in the head is "hay" and without the grain it's "straw"? I've never heard that (multigenerational farmer). Straw is dried hollow stemmed plant material (grains) and hay is some kind of grass.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Good question and I misspoke as to how it is generally used, but technically its not wrong. Hay is any grass, forb, or other plant matter that is cut and dried for animal feed (species doesn't technically matter). Oats, rye, and wheat are sometimes done this way, but typically it is alfalfa or other plants. Straw is the hollow stem without the seed head, so after it is threshed, wheat stems are straw. Hope that makes sense and thanks for asking!

[@ronaldjeanbaptiste7158]

Greatest

[@thestews4273]

When trying to make sourdough bread you should use a flat baking sheet instead..good job love the video don't get discouraged

[@s.a.j.johnson]

Thanks for watching. Yeah, the ground flour needed to be sifted. The bran content was too high and destroyed the gluten. Also, sourdough just refers to the method of introducing yeast to a dough. You can make sourdough as a freestanding loaf (on a sheet, as you suggest), in a clouche, in a bread pan, as buns, etc. You can do the same with bread made with conventional live or dry yeast, too. A "sourdough" bread has no defined final form, so don't let using sourdough limit you to a single type of loaf or pan. :-) I used to work in a a bread bakery and ran a small wood-fired artisan bread concern for a season. Thanks again!

[@farmerwayne1404]

At 20:20, it looks more like a neutering machine..."NEXT"!

[@user-wh1dv2vn2i]

Are the plans for the scythe modifications and threshing machine available anywhere? I would love to build these.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching and sorry for the slow reply. The thresher plans are here: farmhack.org/tools/bicycle-powered-thresher But the scythe mods are still in beta testing, so to speak. :-) If you have a good version, please share!

[@user-wh1dv2vn2i]

@@LowTechInstitute thanks so much! Unfortunately I'm a total beginner and I don't have any scythe mod plans of my own to share.

[@Ilamarea]

It would be really cool to see a relatively simple combine machine, like a push cart which can be pushed, driven with a bike, animals or an electric motor.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Yes! I'd love to create a pedal-driven cart that has attachments like a human powered tractor. It'd be slow, but at least you'd use your legs with stronger muscles than arms for pushing implements through the soil. Thanks for watching.

[@CCAcresHomestead]

Do you think the thresher set up would work to knock corn off of the cob?

[@LowTechInstitute]

Nah, just get a crank corn sheller. They're way more efficient. It works well for dried beans, though.

[@enjoyer8700]

Hay is before the produces lignin in the stalk, that’s before it is golden and ridged. Livestock cannot digest the lignin in straw.

[@asparks8056]

Where did you get the scythe? Who makes them?

[@LowTechInstitute]

I get my equipment from onescytherevolution.com . The one in the video is Austrian.

[@FoEDekker]

How long does the cable holding the flails last?

[@LowTechInstitute]

I replace it each year. It is just nylon 1/4" rope. No point in risking it breaking. I thresh all this plus beans and other stuff on one string. The wooden flails seen here are the hardest on it. I also use plastic chain and other lighter flails for other things.

[@historichomestead]

With how easy it is for the wheat to separate from the chaff instead of just reaping it to the side it is better to lay a tarp down (canvas) and reap it onto the tarp. That way you save as much grain as possible.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Hi Joseph, thanks for watching. The wheat in this video is "dead ripe." Modern combine harvesters cut the wheat, thresh it, and bale it all at once, so it has to be dry, dry, dry, which you may already know. This is too ripe for harvesting with a scythe. Traditionally, wheat was harvested when the stem was yellow up to about six inches below the head. Not only does this prevent shatter (loss of seeds) but it stops bran development, leaving you with less bran to sift out of the flour. See more of the lessons learned here: lowtechinstitute.org/2020/12/02/lessons-learned-in-small-scale-wheat-harvest-part-i-variety-and-harvesting/ Unfortunately, at this scale, using the tarp would be impractical. Just harvest earlier! That's what I did this year and it worked much better.

[@lobbiester]

@@LowTechInstitute Can I ask why there's no videos of this? Would be really interesting to see the lessons learned :)

[@LowTechInstitute]

@@lobbiester Lack of time! We hope to put out an updated small-grain growing and harvesting video when we get another year under our belt. Learning a lot each year. For now, the place to go is our website. Thanks again for watching.

[@soniarodriguez3810]

I do think this is an idea worth trying (when and if I get some wheat).

[@mikeblack7129]

Good for you Brother! Enjoyed watching your efforts, successful and otherwise, your missteps are as valuable as your victories. See you around, Pops

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching! I make the mistakes so you don't have to. Ha. I need to update this video, as I've found a way to thresh and winnow with the same equipment in one step, eliminating the winnowing tower.

[@TheWanderer2be]

I'm curious as to how much actual wheat you got from what size plot of land.

[@s.a.j.johnson]

About 8 bushels from 1/10th of an acre.

[@takingitontheroad4771]

@@s.a.j.johnson How much actual total flour did you end up with please.

[@s.a.j.johnson]

@@takingitontheroad4771 about half that. Lots of bran. Had I harvested earlier, less bran would have formed.

[@valeriesmith9031]

Thank you because immstudying how Jesus and His disciples rubb the wheat with their hands to eat the wheat . I’m like how is that so thanks for this . Didn’t know the wheat is nutty and that’s why the winds blows the other part . Coooool😊😮

[@shelleypilcher3812]

How much did each shelve weigh?

[@JesusisLord78]

Nice but is there a way to do all this without fuel on a large scale?

[@LowTechInstitute]

Hi Mervin, thanks for watching. Yes! It has been done for thousands of years without fuel. Before the early 1900s, this was all done with human and animal muscle. Granted, 90 percent of people were farmers, though. But yes, it is possible. Potatoes would grow a lot more for less work, though. I'm doing a podcast on that right now and will post it here on KZbin this Friday. Thanks for watching.

[@Nellyontheland]

Hey. I'm from the UK 🇬🇧 I took your advice and will start at the beginning. I'll soon catch-up. I own 13+ acres. In South Wales. Purely for us and not for "the man"! Catch you in the comments ❤

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

08:10 I wonder if you could get behind yourself with a pallet and a large cart?

[@entrepreneursfinest]

Let your dough set overnight without adding the starter. Knead in the starter the next day and bake and you'll have a much better product.

[@LowTechInstitute]

Yes! I've been learning a lot since this first loaf. Thanks for watching and good point.

[@colinvoss8484]

You get more nutrients from fresh ground wheat than wheat ground two weeks ago.

[@fishing4squirrel83]

Do you have plans for how to make this?

[@babybluehashyo]

How long would it take to seed 1acre? And how long to harvest that acre? Assuming you have just one person doing it

[@LowTechInstitute]

Thanks for watching. It all depends. Do you need to plow it? Disk it? What type of planter? Mechanized or not? Harvesting by hand like this alone would take a few days at least for an acre. Really depends on the individual in that case. Sorry I can't give you hard-and-fast estimates, but there are just too many variables.

[@zaarkhananal7165]

What variety of wheat did you plant?

[@s.a.j.johnson]

That was just a conventional red winter wheat. This year I did maris widgeon with great results.

[@shelleypilcher3812]

What did it taste like??

[@FoEDekker]

14:00 " this is a machine I designed specifically to give OSHA inspectors heart attacks" LOL

[@LowTechInstitute]

There is a reason farm accidents are so common!