A Short Guide to Some Grains

Amaranth is not an actual cereal grain but acts an awful lot like one. Its seeds and leaves are highly nutritous. The leaves can be used like spinach while the seeds can be used to make flatbreads, pancakes, and oatmeals. Amaranth contains no gluten.

It is very tolerant of hot, dry climates and has no major diseases. If you throw it on some tilled soil and water regularly, it will likely do just fine.

You should plant 1 pound per acre and on average you'll receive 125 bushels per acre.



Barley tolerates salty soils and high pH more than most grains. It is drought tolerant but doesn't do too well is cold weather.

The grains can be used in soups, as a side, and for making beer and malts.

You should plant 100 pounds of barley per acre and can expect 130 bushels per acre.


Buckwheat is used as a grain or as a great cover crop. It grows quickly; it's seeds ripen 11 weeks after planting. Since it grows so fast it's great in climates that have short growing seasons.

Buckwheat has a rich and butty flavor which works really well in baking and pancakes.

Plant 50 pounds per acre. In return you'll receive approximately 20-30 bushels per acre.




Oats are a grain that do better in cooler, moist climates.  It's best to sow oats as soon as soil can be worked because it will go dormant in summer heat. In fact oats do fine during frosts and snow. Oat is a heavy nitrogen feeder and can succumb to leaf and stem rot.


Oat can be used in a variety of ways, many that you probably know: oatmeal, mueseli, granola, cookies, bread, and beer. It can be consumed raw or cooked.

You should sow 80 pounds of oat per acre and the yield will be 70-100 bushels per acre.




Rye is closely related to barley and wheat. It can be used as a cover crop, for animal feed, in baking, or to make hard liquor. Rye is another cereal that tolerates cool, moist conditions. It will also survive drought, frosts, and snow. It will grow in poor, sandy soil better than other grains.  Rye is suseptible to ergot, and moths.

Rye makes great crisp breads, pumpernickel bread, and whickey.

You should sow approximately 84 pounds of seed per acre and the yield will be 25 bushels per acre.


Wheat is the quintessential grain for most people. It usually takes 4-5 months for seeds to mature and ripen. Wheat can be very disease-prone and varies depending on the kind of wheat you plant.

Wheat is planted either as a winter or spring crop depending on the climate.

It is a great grain for making flour for cakes, pastries, bread and pasta.

You will need 75-90 pounds of seed per acre and will receive 40-70 bushels per acre.