Re: FW: small scale grain thresher?

Bargyla Rateaver (brateaver@earthlink.net)
Tue, 10 Aug 1999 18:43:35 -0700

I can tell you how our rice was prepared. We bought it as grains, but with the
hulls on. The day's meal portion was put in a wooden mortar, hollowed out from
a stump of wood. Two women would pound it, each with a pestly, each taking a
turn. Thum from woman A, then thump from woman B, and so on, alternating, until
the grains were freed from hulls.

Then the whole mass was put on a woven disk, and the disk shaken in the wind,
so everything but the grain would blow off. That was the "threshed" grain we
cooked. Of course, along with the hulls discarded, was the priceless reddish
powder of the layer just inside the hull. That was where the flavor was, and we
still yearn for that "red rice" of our childhood. That was probably where most
of the nutritional value was. But even at that, we had the red rice we loved so
much.

Myy younger sister had a chance to return, and she said they could not find
red rice any more, anywhere. What a loss.

Andy Clark wrote:

> Can anyone help?
>
> Pease reply to Bruce at spiritus@uninets.net (he is not on sanet, so will
> not receive replies to sanet).
>
> Bruce Walker
> Bioregional Conservancy & Reclamation Trust
> P. O. Box 777
> Unity, ME 04988
> Tel/fax: 1 207 568 3139
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: spiritus [mailto:spiritus@uninets.net]
> Sent: Monday, August 09, 1999 4:15 PM
> To: fmagdoff@zoo.uvm.edu
> Subject: small scale grain thresher?
>
> Hi,
> I'm with the Bioregional Conservancy and Reclamation Trust in central
> Maine. We are developing an intergated sustainable model farm system with
> eventual related cottage industries, ie bakery. I am looking for threshing
> equipment suitable for small acreage, and have a few acres of winter rye to
> harvest right now. Do you know of such, even stationary units, even human
> powered? Do you know of plans for same? What is used in 3rd world
> countries to mechanically thresh grains? We have many small fields, 15-20
> acres that need to be better used or they will grow back to woods. Help if
> you can!
>
> Thanks a million
>
> Bruce Walker
>
> Bioregional Conservancy & Reclamation Trust
> P. O. Box 777
> Unity, ME 04988
> Tel/fax: 1 207 568 3139
>
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