Harvesting History: A Farmer's Guide to Growing Spelt
The Spelt Advantage: A Resilient Crop
One of spelt's biggest selling points is its ability to thrive where modern crops might struggle.
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Low-Input Tolerance: Spelt does not require highly fertile soil or heavy fertilization. In fact, over-fertilizing can cause the plants to grow too tall, leading to a problem known as "lodging" where the heavy stalks fall over. This low-input nature makes it an excellent choice for marginal soils and organic farming systems.
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Deep Root System: Spelt possesses a robust and deep root system, which allows it to access water and nutrients from lower soil layers. This makes it significantly more drought-tolerant than modern wheat and a reliable crop in regions with unpredictable rainfall.
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Natural Pest Resistance: The most distinctive feature of spelt is its tough, inedible husk (or hull) that tightly encloses the grain. This hull provides a natural barrier against insects, birds, and fungal diseases, reducing the need for pesticides and fungicides throughout the growing season.
Planting the Seeds of Success
Successfully establishing a spelt crop begins with careful planning.
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Soil & Site Selection: Spelt prefers well-drained soil but will tolerate a wide range of soil types. It performs best in moderate-fertility ground. Avoid planting in fields with extremely rich soil, as this can exacerbate lodging issues.
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Sowing Time & Technique: Spelt can be planted in either the fall or early spring. Fall planting is generally preferred as it allows the grain to establish a deep root system before winter, leading to higher yields. The ideal seeding rate is typically lower than that for wheat, and the seedbed should be firm and clean to ensure good germination.
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Weed Management: Due to its tall, leafy growth, spelt is an excellent competitor against weeds. Once established, it naturally shades out competing plants, often requiring little to no weed control.
Navigating the Harvest Challenge
Harvesting spelt is the most critical difference from harvesting modern wheat. The tough hull, while a benefit in the field, is a challenge at harvest time.
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The Dual-Stage Harvest: Unlike modern "free-threshing" wheat, spelt is harvested with its hull still intact. This requires a two-step process.
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Combining: First, the spelt is harvested using a standard combine. However, the combine must be set with a wider concave clearance and a slower cylinder speed to prevent damage to the grain while it's still in the hull. The result is a harvested product of un-hulled "spelt spikelets."
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De-hulling: The harvested grain must then undergo a separate de-hulling process. This requires a specialized piece of equipment that gently removes the tough hull without damaging the inner grain. Farmers must either purchase this equipment or, more commonly, find a de-hulling service or a local mill that offers this service.
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The Bottom Line: Yields and Market
While spelt yields are generally lower than those of modern wheat, the economics often prove to be more favorable. The lower input costs combined with the premium price that spelt commands in the market make it a compelling choice.
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Yields: Expect yields to be roughly 50-75% of a similar modern wheat crop. However, this is offset by lower fertilizer, pesticide, and herbicide costs.
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Market: The market for spelt is strong and growing, particularly among organic bakeries, specialty food producers, and direct-to-consumer buyers at farmers' markets. Because of the required de-hulling step, many buyers prefer to purchase the grain in its hulled form. Having a plan for de-hulling is therefore a crucial part of your sales strategy.
Farming spelt is a journey that connects a farmer to the deep roots of agricultural history. While its unique characteristics present distinct challenges—most notably the de-hulling process—its resilience, low input needs, and high-value market make it a rewarding and profitable addition to the modern farm.