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Wheat Diaries
We ask all readers of our grow-a-loaf guidebook to send us notes and photos of how their hands-on journeys from seed to sandwich go, ideally including comments from the child(ren). Here are extracts from some of the reports that we have received.
The aim is to inspire more people to give it a go, and to reassure people whose projects don’t go entirely as planned that they are not alone!
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2024-2025
September 2024
‘Last week, the children were busy putting the wheat grain into the mill to produce their own flour, which we later used to make some delicious bread. Each child was given a chance of putting a scoop of grain into the top of the mill then watched as the mill turned it into flour.
Using the ears of barley and the wheat grain I explained to the children that a combine harvester had cut the crops and after the combine had separated the parts of the ears all that was left was the grain, which we were going to use to make some flour.
Once all the grain had been milled, we used our very trusty ‘bread in a bag’ recipe to make a delicious loaf of bread which the children are going to enjoy for their tea.’ Betty Heywood, Overbury Grasshoppers
July 2024
‘We have been busy growing our own wheat with support from head gardener Harry Green. We have even had a go at baking our own bread. Penelope also ordered bread from the bakers for the children, so we have been able to try different types for our supper here at nursery.’ Betty Heywood, Overbury Grasshoppers
‘Volunteers who were helping to clear up the garden area cut it down completely. There had been instructions not to. Even our scarecrow made in art club could not assist.’ Brigid Montgomery, South Grove Primary School, London
‘We are currently preparing beds in a number of local community gardens where we will be planting Hen Gymro [wheat] with local families. We have an event booked for October 13th for the first planting date in Yr Ardd, Llandysul.’ Sophie Bennett, Ein Cegin, Ceredigion
‘We have had a disaster this year! The very wet weather caused the border crop of phacelia to grow huge and then fall on top of the wheat crop! This then either stunted the wheat or just didn’t enable it to germinate and then the slugs and weeds moved in! We have learnt a lot! And definitely have plans to grow wheat again next year…’ Jacky Honour, The Country Trust (Norfolk)
‘We started late and struggled (along with the weather not helping!) to get anything growing. So we’ve taken this as a learning experience with our group and will be trying again next season!’ Ysella Wood, Badger Forest School, Cornwall
May 2024
‘Our wheat is growing!’ Lucy Lehman, Wellholme Academy, Lincolnshire
See also
- Wheat Diaries 2012-13
- Wheat Diaries 2011
- Real Bread on The Menu
- Having a field day
- Playing fields of wheat
- From seed to sourdough
- Seed to sandwich in Shaky Toon
- Bakers' Bush
Real Bread Campaign: The Real Bread Campaign finds and shares ways to make bread better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet. Whether your interest is local food, community-focussed small enterprises, honest labelling, therapeutic baking, or simply tasty toast, everyone is invited to become a Campaign supporter.
