{
  "id": 12630285,
  "title": "Enthusiasts hope the organic farm staple buckwheat can reach more fields and tables",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/enthusiasts-hope-the-organic-farm-staple-buckwheat-can-reach-more",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T13:01:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/2026/10/07/enthusiasts-hope-the-organic-farm-staple-buckwheat-can-reach-more-fields-and-tables"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "PEN YAN, N.Y. (AP) — Buckwheat fields sway in the wind as bees visit the tiny white flowers. Small seeds darken underneath, signaling harvest time. The first annual payment for a subscription is $205.00 plus GST. This annual fee will automatically renew every 52 weeks at $233.00 plus GST (10% off the regular price of $259.35). Subscribers can cancel anytime.\n\nPaige Hansen, an organic farmer, holds a buckwheat plant whose seeds may soon become a food product. \"That diversity of crop in the field, I think we should be eating the same way with our diets,\" Hansen said, envisioning a shift towards more diverse diets. After overcoming a dairy allergy, Hansen developed a buckwheat-based alternative milk and partnered with New Barn Organics to launch it in Whole Foods markets across the United States. They also created a buckwheat milk powder for use in confections, snacks, crackers and other foods.\n\nIn the U.S., some farmers use buckwheat as a cover crop, but many avoid planting cover crops due to costs despite environmental benefits. Hansen and other organic farmers see buckwheat as a way to change the food system and make farmers more resilient to climate change. \"If we can grow a valuable crop, it's a lot more likely to become part of the system than if we're growing it because there's a subsidy payment,\" said Klaas Martens, an organic farmer who has grown buckwheat for 40 years.\n\nBuckwheat, once a popular food crop, fell out of favor with higher-yielding crops like corn, soybeans and wheat. Today, it's mainly used as a cover crop, absorbing carbon in its roots and reducing fertilizer runoff. Globally, about 2 million tons of buckwheat were produced in 2024, a decrease of about half over the last two decades. China, Russia and Ukraine are the main producers. Buckwheat seeds are more like fruits than grains, used in dishes like Japanese soba and Jewish kasha varnishkes. Its short growing cycle allows farmers to plant it between winter and spring crops. The plant's roots release an acid that enriches soil quality, making it beneficial for various food crops. However, harvesting buckwheat can be challenging due to uneven ripening, requiring specialized equipment for drying and threshing. Despite this, farmers like Martens believe expanding buckwheat in crop rotations could diversify agriculture and make farms more resilient to extreme weather.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Buckwheat fields sway in PEN YAN, N.Y., awaiting harvest.",
    "Organic farmer Paige Hansen aims to diversify diets with buckwheat-based milk.",
    "Buckwheat production globally decreased by half in last two decades."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}