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George Explores... the Grain Chain, with support from farmers and millers across the UK
Y'alright? Wheat is one of the most important grains we use, so it's DEFINITELY going in
my Grain Chain project. If we're going to find out more, I better get down to a farm
that grows wheat. Come on, I know where to find some.
Wheat grows best in places with good rich soils, like they have in the East of England,
where it gets a bit more sun in the summer and a bit less rain too. That's why you find
loads of farms around here with large fields for growing wheat.
But it doesn't grow itself! First, the farmers have to [tractor] plough their fields to prepare
the soil for the seeds and this all starts in the Autumn.
This ploughing squashes all the weeds and the rubbishy plant debris into to the soil
where they rot down to make nutrients for the next cropOnce that's done, it's then time
to get sowing. Quite quickly the new wheat grows slowly over, and can look a bit like
a field of grass! Look out for wheat fields if you're in the countryside in the Autumn
-- you can tell your mum and dad that it's not a field of grass -- it's a field of bread!
Well, sort of...
If we speed through to Spring, this is when, with a good supply of water, sunlight and
warmth, our little wheat seed will be growing nice and big -- if you do a good job, they'll
grow up to 60cm tall! Farmers also use something called fertiliser to help this process.
Phew! It's really REALLY incredibly smelly! Fertiliser is full of useful things that crops
need to grow, with chemicals like nitrogen, phosphate and potassium. It can be artificially
made but quite often farmers use organic fertiliser, like manure - that's poo to you and me! It's
pretty stinky stuff but it it's a great way to give the plants all the important things
they need to grow. And once they're all grown up, by June at the top of each stalk you'll
see... The ear! That's the nice feathery bit at the
top. They're not ears like yours or mine - a wheat ear is the part that contains the grain,
and each 'ear' will contain around 50 grains. An amazing fact is that it takes 350 ears
to make just one loaf of bread. Sounds like it's time to harvest! The ears
have got nice and fat and ready for the next step on the Grain Chain, and I'm ready for
something to eat! This project doesn't half build up an appetite! Let's get back to the
kitchen. I think it's ready.... Check this out. I've
just made some Soda Bread. It's a traditional Irish Bread and really easy to make.
Instead of using yeast to help the bread rise, to make soda bread, you use... well... soda!
Soda is an alkali that when combined with acid, produces carbon dioxide and tiny, fizzy
bubbles. Soda bread is normally made with wholemeal
flour, but I've made mine with white flour... and added some raisins as an experiment. And
even though it looks a bit different to other bread, all flat, round and heavy...
It's delicious! See you soon! George Explores... the Grain Chain, with support
from farmers and millers across the UK