February 19, 2008
Lake Saint Louis
The price of top-quality spring wheat is increasing dramatically due to a shortage of wheat and transportation costs. Prices of flour, bread, crackers and pasta will also probably rise significantly.
Some have estimated the price of bread to reach $5 per loaf by the end of the year. In addition, higher feed costs for animals could affect prices of meat and dairy.
Grow your own. It can be done.
Rosalind Creasy, of Los Altos, CA, really does grow her own wheat. St. Charles County W.O.R.L.D.S. chatted with Creasy today, during the midst of this week’s wheat news. On a 100 square foot patch, she plants wheat in November and weeds during the winter. From her harvest, she is able to bake around 10 to 20 loaves of bread.
In her affluent subdivision, neighbors help cut the tops from the wheat patch at their 4th of July block party. Creasy lays the bounty in between a tarp and a sheet in her driveway.
A festive portion of the party is the “tennis shoe twist,” the practice of party-goers grinding their feet on top of the sheet, separating chaff from berries. Creasy then slips away to her kitchen for milling; and later, at what must be the highlight of the party, shares the fresh, still-warm bread with neighbors.
Saving money is not a motive for her passion. Creasy practices the increasingly popular pursuit called edible landscaping. Edible landscaping proponents choose to cultivate eco-friendly gardens in their yards instead of maintaining ornamental lawns. Spending time in the yard and sharing extra produce brings the community together.
The practice of growing wheat may seem extreme, but Creasy is “breaking the mold” of the definition of gardening. “It will take all of us,” she said.
Copyright 2008 Neighbors About Town