Hand Grain grinders on back order - Roman topsoil

[Guest guest]

Hare Krsna dasi

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Samba prabhu's comment about the nourishing content of fresh-ground wheat

reminded me of this passage from that great classic on soil conservation:

*Topsoil and Civilization* by Vernon Carter and Tom Dale (pp 125-126):

 

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When the Roman Republic was founded in 508 B.C. the soils of Laium were

certainly productive. At this time, Rome controlled only about 400 square

miles of territory, but according to Julius Beloch, there were then

130,000 Roman citizens. Since only free, adult males were eligible for

citizenship, the total population must have been in the neighborhood of

400,000, or about 1,000 persons per square mile. This seems an almost

unbelievable density of population, considering the fact that little

industry or commerce existed in Rome or any of the other towns of Latium.

Yet most historians agree with Beloch's figures - at least they all agree

that the population of Latium was dense, the most conservative estimates

placing it at 500, or more, per square mile.

 

Historians do not agree, however, on where people got their food. Some

simply ignore the fact that people must eat, while others assume that the

Romans were getting large quantities of grain, as tribute, from some

surrounding tribes of Italy. The known facts do not justify this

assumption. Volscia, Hernicia, and Aequia, which surrounded latium on the

sough and east, were densely populated and still independent of Rome, and

it is unlikely that the Etruscans, who hemmed in Latium on the north, were

paying tribute. Although the Romans may have traded the products of their

meager industry for small quantities of food and exacted temporary tribute

from some of the surrounding tribes at times, they must have depended on

the agriculture of Latium for most of their food.

 

The primitive methods of Latin agriculture, combined with the density of

population, undoubtedly led to intensive cultivation. The soil must have

been quite fertile and the climate dependable for growing barley, spelt,

and millet, which were the principal crops of the early Romans. There are

records of a few serious famines during the early history of the Roman

Republic, but the number of famine years seems surprisingly small

considering the density of population.

 

If the early Romans had not been almost wholly vegetarian, it would have

been impossible for the land to have supported so many people...Since land

will produce five to ten times as many cereal calories as meat calories,

man nearly always becomes vegetarian when he does not have enough land to

produce adequate quantities of meat and other animal foods.

 

The early Romans were also frugal eaters. The Roman soldier, during the

early centuries of the Republic, was issued food only twice a month, and

he carried his two week's rations on his back, often when he went into

battle. These hardy conquerors subsisted on two meals a day, composed

mainly of ground barley or spelt. Not only must the soil of Latium have

given dependable, high yields, but it must also have produced a high

quality of food - grain that was rich in the proteins, minerals, and

vitamins essential to good health. Otherwise these vegetarians could

hardly have become the foremost conquerors and rulers of antiquity.

 

It should be kept in mind that the population of the early Roman Republic,

whether it was 200,000 or 400,000, was largely rural. Most of the people

who lived in Rome and the other towns of Latium were primarily farmers.

The average farm in 500 B.C. consisted of one to five acres of plowland,

from which each farmer produced enough food for himself an his family,

with a small surplus to help feed the artisans of Rome and other towns.

 

***********************

 

This passage contains lots of interesting information:

 

1. Grains grown on fertile soil are incredibly nutritious: Roman soldiers

could carry 2 wks supply of food on their backs, even into battle, and

stay very healthy.

 

2. Romans were largely vegetarian.

 

3. The average farm was 1-5 acres (the same size that Prabhupada often

suggests).

 

4. Most of the population consisted of small farmers (similar to

Prabhupada's saying in Geneva: "Every man should grow his own food, that

is Vedic culture.")

 

5. Not stated, but implied: 500 people per square mile were supported by

ox-power agriculture. (There was no tractor-powered, or even horse-powered

agriculture at this time.

 

*********************

 

Later on, Carter and Dale develop other points:

 

6. As Rome grew more powerful, farms became larger.

 

7. Large farms started to depend on slave labor.

 

8. As farms depended more and more on slave labor, it meant the people

doing the work did not have a direct stake in the health of the soil.

 

9. Slaves gradually let the soil become depleted.

 

10. As the quality of the soil deteriorated, the quality of food grown in

the soil also deteriorated.

 

11. Rome began to have to conquer other nations to produce her food.

 

12. Thus, poor quality soil, precipitated Rome's imperialistic expansion.

 

13. Thus, Rome depended on her military might to keep her people fed.

 

14. Military might alone can only keep and empire together for a couple

hundred years.

 

15. When the military might collapsed, the means of feeding the people

collapsed, and the great civilization collapsed.

 

16. Thus Rome was the strongest when she produced her own grain by many

independent small holders, rather than by a few large land owners using

slaves to do the actual work. (Srila Prabhupada often states that the

vaisya should be independent. Rome's problem with trying to use dependent

slaves as vaisyas was repeated under the feudal system, when kings and

knights tried to use dependent serfs as vaisyas. The result was

ultimately that the serfs ran away to work in the factories, where they

could have "independence." [so-called.] The best agriculture happens when

things are kept small scale, and the vaisya has his independence to

inspire him to be a productive, first-class farmer, providing for his

family.)

 

Many interesting things for us to consider in trying to develop varnasrama

rural communities. The one important thing which Srila Prabhupada

stresses that Vernon and Dale don't mention much is the importance of

training. In the March 1974 Varnasrama Walks, for example, Prabhupada

says that in the modern context, in a varnasrama college, the brahmanas

would train the vaisyas in cow protection and how to plow (presumably with

oxen). Obviously, if our farmers aren't properly trained, they will

quickly ruin the soil. Then there is no question of barley, spelt, wheat

or rice.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

[Guest guest]

> Not only must the soil of Latium have

> given dependable, high yields, but it must also have produced a high

> quality of food - grain that was rich in the proteins, minerals, and

> vitamins essential to good health. Otherwise these vegetarians could

> hardly have become the foremost conquerors and rulers of antiquity.

 

When the high yielding hybrid wheats began coming in, one of the most

noticeable aspects of it was the protein content dropped from around 15 % a

point or two. And if anyone is following the heart spinoff from the ghee

research, you know vitamin E is an absolutely essential element. Wheat germ

contains vitamin E. An interesting study would be what is the Vit E content of

the newer vaieties compared to the older varieties, also organically grown

grain as opposed to chemically stimulated grains.

[Guest guest]

On Sun, 17 Jan 1999, COM: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA) wrote:

 

> [Text 2023961 from COM]

> When the high yielding hybrid wheats began coming in, one of the most

> noticeable aspects of it was the protein content dropped from around 15 % a

> point or two. And if anyone is following the heart spinoff from the ghee

> research, you know vitamin E is an absolutely essential element. Wheat germ

> contains vitamin E. An interesting study would be what is the Vit E content

of

> the newer vaieties compared to the older varieties, also organically grown

> grain as opposed to chemically stimulated grains.

 

 

Madhava Gosh prabhu--

 

 

This point about reduced protein content of high-yielding strains of wheat

is very interesting.

 

Can you possibly remember a source for this? That would be useful for my

writing.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Madhava Gosh prabhu--

>

> This point about reduced protein content of high-yielding strains of wheat

> is very interesting.

>

> Can you possibly remember a source for this? That would be useful for my

> writing.

>

> your servant,

>

> Hare Krsna dasi

 

Just memories. When we used to take the wheat to the elevator to sell it, it

was

routinue to have it protein tested. You got a premium when it was above a

certain

level. The hybrid wheats yields went up way more then you lost in the lowered

proteins, so you either switched or got drove out of business by those who

did.

Growing conditions also effect protein levels so even with the same variety

there

is some variation.

 

While hunting for ghee studies, I came across Tektran which is a USDA service.

I

did a search on wheat and protein and got the following article.

 

http://www.nal.usda.gov/ttic/tektran/data/000008/38/0000083813.html

 

There were a few other studies, addressing in a general way the beneficial

aspects

of higher protein. You way find some contacts in these studies. It may well

be

that the newer hybrids are higher in protein. My experinces are from 25+ years

ago

and breeding research is an ongoing thing. Maybe they have gotten better.

 

I could call my farming brother and see if he remembers some of the old variety

names and what current achievable protein levels ar if you don't find any other

sources.. I would imagine the research programs at University of North Dakota

would have all that data. I have a brother who is a professor there. Although

his

field is neurobiology, I'm sure he could give a few clues how to retrieve info

from the ag trials. He was primaerily a researcher for years, then took the

teaching job in part to get back near home. If not UND then NDSU. I know NDSU

is

heavy into that type of stuff, actually don't know if UND is as much.