"Lost Crops"

[Steph S]

Saw this article today, and made me wonder if I've been looking in the wrong place for feasible animal feed.   Sorghum, millet and other grains used for chicken feed elsewhere are not well adapted to the northern climate and short season here.  But what about these lost crops?
https://phys.org/news/2019-12-lost-crops-fed-maize.html

"Mueller discovered that a polyculture of goosefoot and erect knotweed is more productive than either grown separately as a monoculture. Grown together, the two plants have higher yields than global averages for closely related domesticated crops (think: quinoa and buckwheat), and they are within the range of those for traditionally grown maize."

Here is a link to the abstract of the original paper:
https://bioone.org/journals/Journal-of-Ethnobiology/volume-39/issue-4/0278-0771-39.4.549/Experimental-Cultivation-of-Eastern-North-Americas-Lost-Crops--Insights/10.2993/0278-0771-39.4.549.short
"Since the 1930s, archaeologists have been accumulating data on the lost crops of eastern North America. These are a group of annual plants (Chenopodium berlandieri, Hordeum pusillum, Iva annua, Phalaris caroliniana, and Polygonum erectum) that were cultivated by Indigenous societies for thousands of years. No published written or oral histories attest to the methods used in their cultivation, and their domesticated forms are thought to be extinct. "

We certainly have some Chenopodium weeds here that produce seed soon enough.   Not sure about Polygonum erectum.
https://archaeology.uiowa.edu/erect-knotweed

[Gustav H. L.]

Talking about chicken feed on a non-industrial scale, other minor, lost or similar crops might be worthwhile considering as well; in particular I am reminded of this paragraph from Hybrid by Noel Kingsbury:

Even in completely settled farming systems, diverse mixtures of annuals or biennials are grown. In the Hunza Valley, high in the Himalayas, such mixtures are usually grown near the house to be used as potherbs or chicken feed. This particular mixture seems to have become a self-sustaining edible weed flora; very few undesirables seem to germinate, and the mixture comes up with little active encouragement. Prominent is a large-flowered form of the wild mallow Malva sylvestris, used as a vegetable but occasionally grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Sadly the chain of reference ends in a rather vague personal communication with a mx. Shebir (only name given) at some point in 2004; but the cultivation paradigm seems quite attractive on the small scale. Chenopodium species might also be useful in this sort of situation, given that they are often weedy and many of them have a long history of use as greens in human consumption, and as good chicken feed (including the leaves).

[Ocimum]

You may be interested in the following books:

Lost Crops of Africa, Volumes I, II, and III treating of Grains, Vegetables, and Fruits respectively.
as well as the book
Lost Crops of the Incas.
Interestinly, the last book being from 1989, they considered Quinoa and Amaranth to be lost crops. I think their book had some impact in promoting these crops.

The books can be found here
http://gen.lib.rus.ec/search.php?req=lost+crops&lg_topic=libgen&open=0&view=simple&res=25&phrase=1&column=def

[Steph S]

Talking about chicken feed on a non-industrial scale, other minor, lost or similar crops might be worthwhile considering as well; in particular I am reminded of this paragraph from Hybrid by Noel Kingsbury:
"Even in completely settled farming systems, diverse mixtures of annuals or biennials are grown. In the Hunza Valley, high in the Himalayas, such mixtures are usually grown near the house to be used as potherbs or chicken feed. This particular mixture seems to have become a self-sustaining edible weed flora; very few undesirables seem to germinate, and the mixture comes up with little active encouragement. Prominent is a large-flowered form of the wild mallow Malva sylvestris, used as a vegetable but occasionally grown as an ornamental in gardens."
Sadly the chain of reference ends in a rather vague personal communication with a mx. Shebir (only name given) at some point in 2004; but the cultivation paradigm seems quite attractive on the small scale. Chenopodium species might also be useful in this sort of situation, given that they are often weedy and many of them have a long history of use as greens in human consumption, and as good chicken feed (including the leaves).

This quote is really fascinating.    Earlier this year I happened on a video of a living mulch/no till system in Montana.   The farmer is using mallow - as a living mulch/ cover crop which is mowed in a 2 year rotation.   She stated that the mallow was found to contribute as much N to the compost as a cover crop of legumes - not due to N fixing of course, but due to an exceptional ability to scavenge N from the soil.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJk4R1xpMC8&feature=

It is exciting news for me, because mallows do quite well here, self seed and require no inputs, and I have lots of seed on site.   I have some seed drying for experiments in the coming season.   

It's also the case that we have both chenopodium and polygonum - called Ladies Thumb here, which are naturalized here specifically in farm soil along with chickweed.    There are no records that I know of, as to how the settlers here managed to keep chickens - they certainly didn't import feed.   Chances are that the seed-rich goosefoot and others may have been used purposefully in this way, and became part of the flora now considered simply 'weeds'.   

[William Schlegel]

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-07/mpif-gad070319.php

Interesting article about the role grazing animals have in driving the evolution of crops. Including the lost crops.

Also relevant to something we were just talking about in another thread. Some people advocate livestock free farming to reduce impacts. However, large animals have always played a role.

[Steph S]

That is really interesting, William.   
Animals are a part of my system whether I like or not, being connected to wild areas.  The large herbivore is moose, but there are lots of others to consider - the hares, grouse, other birds, even squirrel.  I've learned a lot by watching how they use the perennial garden habitat which I created, and it obviously has a high habitat value for them.  So whatever I do in the future, I have to reckon in what their needs will be, and how to satisfy them as well, without losing what is important for our own use.  I have to partition resources with them, so I  may as well be gracious about it.    I bear them no ill will,  and it is a fact that they also represent a potential food resource in time of need.  Any manures that they contribute are also a plus.   
Domesticated animals are not immediately feasible, but I would not have a problem with incorporating them if I can provide the feed and protection they need.   
I still have a lot to learn about the project of sequestering carbon in soil, which I believe is the rational approach to my own carbon footprint, with or without domesticated animals in the system.     We are not producing the food we need to survive in our own region.  Farmland in my area has been turned into housing, so the capacity which once existed is also reduced.   Our native soils are rocky clay, thin and poor.  Clay at basis, I've read, is especially good for sequestering carbon due to ionic interchanges.   So there is plenty of opportunity to sequester carbon here and address food security at the same time.   Animal products can contribute to that - I have no desire to see farm animals go extinct either.  I would like to know how their 'footprint' equation pans out if their manures are properly directed to carbon capture in farm soil.   
I also don't see the elimination of livestock as the one great solution to climate change.  There are other paths, it just happens to be a highly promoted one.  I'm not yet convinced...
OTOH, I'm also very open to learn about the livestock free farming methods and use them as well to enrich the soil. 
Very grateful for everything learned, and helping me to look at many sides of these questions.

[Steph S]

Thanks also for that link, Ocimum!   I'm looking at the Inca one first, since I'm not sure if African crops are a good bet for us far north.  Great resource for other areas, though. 

[Ocimum]

Steph S: hope you can make something out of it.
Some of the African species are not to neglect even for northern climates, for example the cereal "teff", which matures extremely quickly, or Solanum aethiopicum, the african eggplant, which has some hardy varieties.