Yellow wheat & co: old grain varieties make a comeback

The roller mills of the roller mill are working at full speed, the floor is vibrating. Wheat is being processed into fresh flour in several passes - around 50 tons a day. "We grind wheat, spelt and rye using water power," explains Anne Rolle-Baldauf, who runs the mill together with her brother Frank. The family business also uses varieties that are rarely found in fields in this country: Champagne and perennial rye, for example, and yellow wheat.

"We don't want zero-eight-fifteen flours. Large companies can do that better and more cheaply," states Rolle-Baldauf. The majority of production is organic flour. And to set itself apart from others, the family business has also discovered old grain varieties. "That's a niche," admits the nutritionist. But for artisan bakers, they allow them to stand out from chains and supermarkets. The flours are also sold outside Saxony. "We have a large fan group in Berlin. Many bakers there are keen on our specialty flours."

Old grain varieties find their way back into the fields

Old fruit varieties have been successful in allotment gardens for a number of years due to their variety of flavors. There used to be a large number of regional grain varieties too. Today, however, modern varieties dominate in the fields due to their higher yield. However, some farmers do see advantages in historical varieties.

This includes Axel Heinze, an organic farmer from Oschatz. He cultivates around 30 hectares of wheat on his fields, 5 to 8 hectares of which have been yellow wheat for several years, he explains. This old variety contains carotenoids that give baked goods a yellow color - even without the addition of eggs. The yield is lower than that of normal wheat. However, he receives a premium from the mill for this. Heinze sees potential for old grain varieties in the future. He points to the example of spelt - an old type of grain that has been experiencing a renaissance for a number of years.

Perennial rye: a grain that defies time

Like yellow wheat, some old varieties have special characteristics. Forest perennial rye, for example, is perennial. Farmers can thus save themselves the work of further sowing. And it also thrives on poor soils, such as those found in the Ore Mountains.

Master baker Markus Hertel from Mildenau relies on this grain. He has created a special wholemeal bread roll and last year won the "So schmeckt Kulturregion" competition for the Capital of Culture 2025. The baker listed many good reasons for using ancient grains: "A tradition that goes back thousands of years, more diversity in the fields, nutritional benefits, the special taste, exclusivity, naturalness, resistance to diseases and sustainable production."

Farmers who are turning to old or rare varieties receive financial support from the state. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, special funding has been available since 2023. Farmers receive an annual subsidy of 120 euros per hectare. This is not only for cereals, but also for historical potato varieties such as Ackersegen and Bamberger Hörnchen or crops such as camelina and buckwheat.

Old types of grain: A niche with a future

The aim is to preserve genetic resources for future generations, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. They could help to breed new varieties that are better adapted to the region and more climate-resistant. They also offer regional marketers the opportunity to counter competitive pressure in the trade with special products.

Another important advantage is that these plants require less fertilizer and plant protection. This means that cultivation in combination with organic farming can also contribute to the protection and preservation of biodiversity in the agricultural landscape, according to the ministry.

However, these old varieties are rare in Saxony's fields. In 2023, 10 farms with an area of 431 hectares benefited from the funding, compared to 15 farms with 460 hectares last year. The extent to which farmers in the state also cultivate old varieties in their fields is not recorded - nor is the extent of cultivation of individual varieties and crops, according to the report. In total, Saxony's farmers cultivate around 700,000 hectares of arable land.

Association makes old seeds available

But how do farmers get hold of such seeds? The Verein zur Erhaltung und Rekultivierung von Nutzpflanzen (VERN) in Brandenburg has been cultivating preserved seeds in gene databases for many years in order to test, propagate and sell them to farmers. Almost 1,000 grain varieties of different origins have also been tested, explains CEO Rudi Vögel.

As a result, around 100 historical varieties are now available so that seed can be distributed to farmers. The members - around 150 farmers in Germany and neighboring countries - are working to maintain and preserve the respective varieties.

In the selection process, the old varieties also have to prove themselves under modern cultivation conditions, emphasizes Vögel. "Under certain location and operating conditions, they are definitely competitive."