5.3 Crop Quality and Measuring

Over time we got to know how our crops should look, smell and feel; however in the early days we were less sure. Because the harvest had been largely stored in damp conditions on a farm in the first year we wanted to get it tested to make sure that it wasn’t harbouring dangerous pathogens. Campden BRI were very helpful at explaining the risks to us. They informed us that Ochratoxin* contamination mainly occurs through incorrect storage, especially if conditions are warm as well as damp and that this could be present in all of our crops from the first year’s harvest - spelt, einkorn*, maslin*, wheat, naked oats and peas. The other mycotoxins* that were of concern were aflatoxins (B1,B2,G1,G2)  and trichothecenes (inc. deoxynivalenol, T-2, HT-2 & zearalenone). These were less likely to be an issue but apparently couldn’t be ruled out. Trichothecene mycotoxins* are produced pre-harvest, in the field. On this basis we decided to just get the crops tested for Ochratoxin A. They were all within safe levels, except the maslin that, for reasons unknown to us, had the highest score the lab had ever seen!

Our moisture meter was an invaluable piece of equipment and we tested the grain weekly until we had it down to 15% moisture, and then carried out random tests monthly. We recorded the results so that changes over time could be seen, see our moisture record sheet.

5.3.5 Baking Properties

Gluten* (protein) figures are important for many bakers, as is the Hagberg falling number*, however we chose not to go for these wheat tests due to their cost and the fact that we felt our flour wasn’t comparable to standardised bread flours.  Our flours weren't sold as commodity items; we offered a different range of values to purely commercial flours, specifically around traceability and local provenance. 

Our own sourdough bread baking experiments made with the YQ flour provided a lovely nutty loaf.  It was different to the light, open-holed sourdoughs that are fashionable amongst many artisan bakers, but nevertheless provided an incredibly tasty, nicely textured and long lasting loaf. 

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(1) ‘Dry basis’ is if the moisture from the sample was removed
(2) ‘Wet gluten’ is the weight in grams of insoluble gluten from performing a gluten wash, with a fixed moisture content of 14%. 
(3) Hectoliter - 1 cubic meter is equal to 1000 kilogram [water], or 10 hectoliter
(4) ‘Hardness’ is measured in PSI which is Particle Size Index
(5) ‘as is’ is with the moisture from the sample included
(6) Thanks to Chris Holister - Shipton Mill - for his advice

Our local artisan baker did get some wheat tests carried out by his flour supplier at Shipton Mill, who commented that he had never seen such low protein levels as in the YQ.  

* Denotes items featured in the ​Glossary

5.4 Infestations and Crop Care

Constant vigilance is required to prevent infestations in the crop and, once the crop is in the processing unit, it should be cleaned to a level fit for human consumption and dried down to 14% (for most crops). A fast turnover of your crop and products is the best strategy to reduce spoilage, however this needs to be balanced with demand; it is essential to ensure your products are arriving with your customers as fresh as possible.  

The next defense against spoilage is the polisher – a vital piece of equipment for crop hygiene that removes dust, fungal spores, mites, eggs etc.

We used the polisher for all our crops as a standard hygiene measure, and also on the few occasions when we did get an infestation. In all cases these appeared in crops that had been stored for over a year.

A couple of times we got booklice (not related to lice)

and grain weevils and, though harmless to humans, they do eat the crop, causing damage and reducing its value. We found that these tiny little black insects (about the size of a pin-head) would congregate on the floor around the sacks, making them easy to spot.

A couple of times we also found moths in the crop. Again these will eat the harvest, reducing its quality and giving a dusty feel to the crop. The moths were easily visible at the top of the sacks; it is important to carry out regular checks in your stored harvest and use insect traps to monitor infestations. The moths we spotted in time and simply killed by crushing them. We saved the crop from the booklice and weevils by polishing it all and then as a precaution putting it in a deep freezer for 24 hours, to kill the insects and their eggs. Fortunately this only happened in the relatively small harvest from the first year, which was stored in 15kg sacks, so the task was not too onerous. The difficulty then was keeping the frozen, cleaned crop separate from the unfrozen crop. We ended up getting into trouble when we used the fire escape to store the cleaned crop and had to move it outside for a couple of days – fortunately the weather stayed dry.

Another frequent visitor were mice, despite us having sealed up any obvious holes in the building, and having a vermin contractor to advise us where they might be getting in.

We had a combination of poison-baited boxes and ‘humane’ mouse traps, which really weren’t humane as the poor mice could die in them before we found them on our weekly check. However,

surprisingly, they were at least as effective as the poison, and the old peanut butter and cheese combination was the most popular menu. Mice dribble urine and faeces as they move around and though their faeces are easy to spot, the urine isn’t.

Some crops had to be discarded. We checked for mice on a weekly basis on our processing day and recorded this as part of our unit cleaning schedule record. Every 2-3 months we deep cleaned the unit, moving all of the sacks and vacuuming and washing the floor underneath them.