Lars, that was my original question because I'd read against eating raw flour - I don't think it was limited to just white flour. It was because of ecoli in the product (I since have read elsewhere to not eat raw flour, so I don't). I suspect the ecoli gets into the flour in the mills, or even from the harvest fields. I know they (FDA) allow a certain # of impurities in our food. I would imagine that feces from vermin in both the fields and the processing plants (how could you ever keep mice and rats from getting into a large facility) end up in our food. Or who knows. Here is a more recent report from the CDC, showing that people DID become ill from eating raw flour. https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2019/flour-05-19/index.html Here is info on another, earlier problem: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/fda-investigated-multistate-outbreak-shiga-toxin-producing-e-coli-infections-linked-flour eta: one more to read: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6395439/ It's long and scientific, but: Conclusion In conclusion, findings of the present work further confirmed that EHEC and Salmonella could survive for extended periods in wheat flour stored at typical conditions used at home and commercial settings. Heat treatment is an effective method for mitigating risk of EHEC in flour but is more limited in case of Salmonella. On the other hand, storing produced flour at slightly high temperatures (35°C) for a minimum period of 2 months before distribution can be an effective substitute strategy affecting both EHEC and Salmonella. Results from this study further improve our knowledge regarding risk assessment and management, such as predicting thermal process lethality of EHEC and Salmonella in flour.

Hmmm, Floral why isn't your post showing up here, I got an email notification there was one. To answer your question, this is where I got my seed from... http://aeronvale-allotments.org.uk/aeronpurplestar/ We had them for supper last night, delicious. Annette

Believe it or not, the worms are probably a source of B12 which can prove to be important in the diets of vegans and vegetarians who have a hard time getting enough of this important nutrient. Nature gives us gnats/fruit flies, and weevils - which also provide B12 - and are commonly found in our food (usually unknowingly). Not all creepy/crawly things in nature are "bad", just a high "ick factor". I took a food class about vegan/vegetarianism from a woman who was a dietitian and a Seventh Day Adventist and she suggested these "add-ins" were important in their strict meatless diet; and it was also why vegans in third-world countries have less Pernicious anaemia. They are exposed to the bugs/worms/insects because they don't live in a world where everything cleaned and stored in Tupperware. Weevils in their meal and beans is a common thing that is just part of their diet. She even went so far as to suggest the next time a strict vegan was out for a bike ride and they encounter a swarm of gnats to be sure to swallow a few. An entomologists giving a class on "Pests In Your Pantry" also told the same thing about weevils in your food (which are a good source of protein and quite edible). Not what you really want to hear.....(LOL). -Grainlady

I know a crazy person who puts peds (those nylon footies they give you at the shoe store when you don't have socks on) on her tomatoes when they start getting big. Obviously, she's not growing a ton of plants or anything. She says it works, but the thing with squirrels is that they all have their own personalities, and there's no one tactic that works on all of them. Sey: "Possibly squirrels. They usually haul away the things . Rats, mice eat at the location. Rabbits cannot reach too high." Yes, if it's still left on the plant, it's usually a rat, mouse, vole, etc. If there's no sign of gnawing, it could be a raccoon, which don't gnaw them off but pick them. Then you're really in trouble.