Quinoa needs to have the seed coat removed, which I think is considerably more work than threshing wheat or rye.

If you'd like to do grain, I think the first thing to try would be a large-grained wheat like Kamut.

Amaranth and quinoa are leafy plants, not grassy plants, so critters will be more likely to much on them.

Yes, I've grown both.

With quinoa, order a low saponin type (Seeds of Change has these), and you won't have to do a lot of rinsing of the seeds to get the bitter saponins out. Quinoa does NOT have a hull, by the way.

Neither quinoa nor amaranth seems excessively bothered with critters in my garden (and believe me, I have plenty of critters). Woodchucks chewed the leaves of the amaranth some this year, but didn't hurt the crown. There isn't much stopping an amaranth plant, anyway.

I've been dabbling in grains for a couple of years. For my money, flour corns are by far the most productive. Then Amaranth and quinoa, then the various legumes and cereal grains.

denninmi,
Thanks for the input, I've got furry pests but not woodchucks just LOTS of opossums, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, and chipmunks. I have a fenced in yard but things still get in.
How big did yours get, I've read all different heights, I was hoping no more than 3-4 ft and then it could work as natural fence before the garden fence.
Have you weighed the amount of seed per plant, I've read anywhere from 1-6 oz. per plant?
What about legume flours, I'm interested in chickpea flour mainly?
What about pests with corn, I haven't really been considering corn because of pests, I read an electrified fence is one of the only ways to keep squirrels away.
Also what do you use to grind the seeds, grains, maize, etc.?
Sorry I have so many questions I just haven't been able to find much info out there.

Thanks!

I've been growing giant grain amaranth for several years: zero pest problems; the plant is gorgeous and goes 4-7 feet tall; tends to fall over; is not very easy to harvest - perhaps a bit easier than wheat but nothing like maize; it requires a very fine grinding arrangement to make flour.

It's weed-like self-sowing habit is it's distinguishing characteristic from the small grains and maize. This is why I keep it and what would make it an important starvation-hedge.

Amaranth can get really tall, like 8 feet or so, almost as big as many sunflowers, and more bulk. The yield can be impressive, up to a lb of seed from the biggest kinds. And yes, it can be weedy in its reseeding habits.

Quinoa is more diminuative, about 3 feet tall in my garden, yielding probably an ounce per healthy plant.

I'll save you the trouble with garbanzos/chickpeas. Yield is VERY low, almost everyone, including myself, who's tried it at home says its not worth it, except to see the plant grow (it's actually very pretty, quite at home in the flower garden as an accent).

Corn has all of the usual pest problems, but it varies from place to place.

I was going to buy a grain mill, but I just bought a Black and Decker coffee mill with adjustable grind on sale last year at Target, $15, and it's been great. It grinds everything from hard, hard flint corn to wheat, rice, you name it. At the finest setting, it produces flour comparable to commercial flour, coarse setting gives cornmeal texture. Hard corn needs to go through twice to make fine flour. It has a 2 cup capacity, and takes between 20 seconds to 2 minutes to grind that much, depending upon how hard the item being ground is. I use it probably on average twice a week, and its been going for about 14 months now with no trouble. Every once in a while, something, usually corn, gets stuck in the mill, and I have to take the thing apart to clear the jam (it unscrews, easy to do).

I think I will try to experiment with both maize and amaranth and maybe a few quinoa and oats. I bought some amaranth at the health food store today I've never had it before. I'd think if I planted those seeds I would get plants that would be big and bountiful. What strains have you planted, what would you recommend? What about spacing? I was thinking I could put them in front of the fence in the front yard, so that's about 100 foot span I can plant then some in the garden.

How do you thresh/harvest the amaranth I saw a video where a lady scraped it against a strainer into a bowl?

I asked about the chickpeas because I plan on growing a lot for eating fresh and also to have dry I love chickpeas and lentils in cooking.

I think I saw that exact grinder you are describing denninmi at target and I liked it the best because I have been needing to grind flax seeds lately and I have needed to go to my grandmother's to use her coffee grinder.

Tyler.

The best short-money grinder is the Corona.

Cut the seed-heads off the amaranth when the seed is mature, and then put the heads somewhere quite dry for several months. This will make it much easier to thresh out.

Hi,

I tried growing amaranth two years ago. It's a beautiful plant, about 4-5 feet tall. I grew a red variety, very attractive. I had no bug issues and no small critter interest. I harvested the seeds by rubbing the tops on a strainer over a bowl (like mentioned in another post). It wasn't really worth the trouble. Some of the plants had fallen over and gotten muddy and so I couldn't figure out how to get the dirt out of the grains. I got about 2 cups of grains from two 7 foot rows. I'd grow them again for their beauty and for the birds, but not for me to harvest and eat.

I've had very good luck growing soybeans. Great high protein bean and very easy to grow, harvest and store (I freeze the pods and boil them as needed). I've grown the "beer friend" variety. Two 8 foot rows keep me in soybeans for months!

Anyone out there who has tried quinoa, mine is getting floppy! It is only about 12 inches tall, and should reach up to 3ft, correct? But for some reason it is now top heavy, the stalks are bending almost horizontal. is this normal? any suggestions??
thank you!