Indian Blue Pearl Millet
Seeds have a story… Groundwork grows and maintains over 200 varieties of seed. We partner with local seed companies that adapt seeds to our arid Colorado region, breeding resiliency for a changing climate.
Indian Blue Pearl Millet. Millet is one of the most drought tolerant, versatile grain crops in the world. Millet is a broad category of grasses with edible seeds. In fact, the word “millet” doesn’t just refer to many species, but it includes 10 different plant genera (that’s the first word in the Latin binomial name). Pearl Millet is the most widely grown millet in the world. It’s a major crop in the Sahel region: the arid borderlands of the Sahara Desert, and in the arid Indian subcontinent.
We started growing millet because plants that can feed people without much input are important in our desert climate. It’s interesting, with crops and grains – whether it’s rice, corn, or wheat made into bread – people’s whole identities are based off grains. The landscape also determines what grain people eat. In the North Fork Valley, we can grow wheat. And as the climate shifts, the ability to grow wheat likely won’t change that much, however the varieties we can grow will change. Wheat is more of a cool season crop, and as it gets hotter, it’s harder and harder to grow. So, we turn to crops that are more adapted to grow in the desert and that are more drought tolerant – bringing us millet: a mid summer crop that can handle extreme heat.
Our Indian Pearl Millet has been shared from our friends in India.