ASFC’s North American Staple Network (NASN) Updates

Our network of food system leaders meets quarterly to work together to advance staple crops across North American regions. Here are some annual updates from a few of our members across the country:

Common Grain Alliance

In November of this year, Common Grain Alliance was awarded a USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant to continue their mission to support an integrated grain economy in the Mid-Atlantic. Part of this multi-year, $749,217 grant will enable CGA to work with FRESHFARM to host grain stand pilot at farmers markets in the DC-metro area in an effort to promote consumer awareness of regional grains.

Cascadia Grains

Cascadia Grains hosted Grains Week, an interactive online educational event featuring research, information, community sustainability and health of regional value-added small grain economies for farmers, bakers, brewers, distillers, millers, maltsters, and consumers. The online series has amassed over 4 thousand views since its premiere in May.

Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance

Six years, 194 trialists, and 300 varieties later, Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance’s Heritage Grain Trials Program is coming to a close with a vetted collection of Top 20 adaptable and well-performing ancient and heritage cereal grains for the Mountain West. This work was made possible with grassroots efforts of nearly 200 volunteer and research trialists.

Visit their website to try varieties of the Top 20 grain collection, or other grains from the Heritage and Ancient Grain Collection.