The harvest from one of Glenn Schur’s sorghum fields does not go toward livestock feed.
But the grainy crop isn’t headed for the ethanol market, either.
The Hale County farmer produces a special breed of sorghum for hungry two-legged consumers.
“This kind of changes the concept of what sorghum is used for,” he said.
In a few weeks, Schur’s sorghum will be on the road to the breakfast table. Silver Palate, the company he contracts with, uses the crop to make its Grain Berry line of cereals, crackers, muffin and brownie mix and other dry goods.
Antioxidants
Onyx, the sorghum variety, was bred by by Texas A&M. Considered a hybrid, it’s high-tannin with high antioxidant properties.
That’s why Silver Palate is excited about it, said Robert Harris, chairman of the New Jersey-based company.
“It now had a higher level of antioxidants than ever before, and we’re putting it into our cereals,” he said.
But what exactly is an antioxidant?
The buzzword describes a nutrient quality advocates say can help prevent cancer and other diseases.
“Antioxidants stop the oxidation process and slow down the aging process,” Harris said. “By adding it to the cerals, it makes your body more able to withstand free-radical attacks on the cells.”
Blueberries are known for their high antioxidant content. Laboratory analysis indicated Schur’s sorghum contains even more, Harris said.
“All food has some degree of antioxidants, but berries have a lot and high-tannin sorghum has more than anything other grain,” he said.
Old crop, new uses
Other food brands have also begun exploring sorghum, said Douglas Bice, high-value markets director for the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, Reading ingredient labels on cereals, snack bars and other grocery-store goodies, the grain seems to be listed more often lately.
“You’re seeing it much more so than you have before,” he said.
Considered a complex carbohydrate, sorghum is high in fiber and micronutrients such as niacin and vitamin B.
“That’s where sorghum shines — it has very good benefits that other grains don’t have,” Bice said.
Bice also likes sorghum’s adaptability. He calls it an “ancient grain, American-grown,” praising its low water demands in the field and nutritional value at snack time.
“It’s becoming more popular not just for its nutritional benefits, but for its versatility of use,” he said. “There’s all kinds of different ways to apply it to a food source. Why wouldn’t you choose sorghum for your dinner table?”
In the field
Now in its late growing stages, the appearance of Schur’s future Grain Berry sorghum differs only slightly from that in a nearby field headed for more traditional uses. Some grain modules are turning from green to reddish or purplish tinted, in contrast with the dark brown of other sorghum. At harvest time, the Grain Berry sorghum will be black.
It also grows similarly to other sorghum, but more quickly. With an open planting window, Schur considers the best time for water availability.
“It’s a fairly short season, so we don’t plant it real early in the year,” he said.
Grain Berry products are available at United Supermarkets and many other grocery stores.