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By: Amrita Ray, Ph.D. | Northern Crops Institute Barley, one of the oldest cultivated grains, has been a staple in human diets for thousands of years. Barley can be grown in varied agro-climatic conditions such as arid, semi-arid and wet climates. Known for its versatility and rich nutritional profile, barley is more than just a […]

Barley is packed with nutritional benefits that are great for your health. Learn more about the health benefits barley has to offer from Eat Barley’s website. Heart Health Since 2006, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that soluble fiber from barley, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may […]

The American Malting Barley Association shared their list of recommended malting barley varieties for the 2024 crop year. The new additions to this year’s list include, Avalon, BC Leandra, and ABI Raptor. The removals from this year’s list include, Innovation, Moravian 37, and ABI Growler. Read the full list and more about the new varieties […]

Steven Edwardson | North Dakota Barley Council What is your role/position at ND Barley Council? Steven Edwardson serves as executive administrator for the ND Barley Council.  The role involves implementation of projects and procedures as directed by the board of directors. Tell me a little bit about what the ND Barley Council does. The ND […]

By Amrita Ray, Ph.D. | Northern Crops Institute Barley is one of the most important and ancient among the cereal crops domesticated about 10,000 years ago. The grain mainly comprises of pericarp, aleurone layer, endosperm and embryo; has various health benefits and helps in disease management. Barley is usually milled to flour and utilized to […]

Barley is a great addition to any meal as it provides many health benefits such as lowering your risk for heart disease, diabetes, helping promote weight loss, and more. It can be hard to incorporate good foods into your diet if you are not familiar with them. Here is a list of recipes that include […]

The Northern Crops Institute will be hosting their online Healthy Solutions for Food Barley course from January 15 – 25! This course is an effort to give people in the food barley industry an in-depth look at all aspects of barley for food: breeding, nutritional benefits, barley food product launches, barley food trends, processing, transportation, […]

Read more about the latest barley cost and returns update from the USDA ERS by downloading the file below. Read more about the historical barley cost and returns update from the USDA ERS by downloading the file below. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/commodity-costs-and-returns/

It’s commonly know that barley provides great health benefits by consuming it in different dishes, but did you know drinking barley tea also has amazing health benefits? Read more about 7 of the benefits from drinking barley tea from an article from Sencha Tea Bar! Digestion Barley tea is a natural antacid, contains high levels […]

The Northern Crops Institute has recently launched their on-demand Barley to Beer Course! This course provides participants with information on how to successfully choose high quality malting barley, as well as a basic understanding of the malting process and the brewing of beer, through networked lectures and video tours. This course is available now and […]

In 2021, the United States produced 117.7 million bushels of barley according to an article from Beef 2 Live. Idaho was the top barley producing state, with Montana and North Dakota behind in 2nd and 3rd. See the full list of top barley producing states from 2021 in the article below. https://beef2live.com/story-ranking-states-produce-barley-0-212342#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20produced%20117.7,the%20United%20States%20in%202021. In 2020, the […]

Read about the 2023 Federal Policy Priorities from the National Barley Growers Association that includes the Farm Bill & Crop Insurance, Appropriations for FY2024, and Trade & Supply Chain.

The 2023 planting progress for barley was off to a slow start, but has been catching up now in the late spring/early summer. Learn more about the progress updates through radio clips from the USDA and blog post from the American Malting Barley Association. April 10th, 2023 Update https://www.usda.gov/media/radio/daily-newsline/2023-04-10/actuality-slow-start-spring-wheat-and-barley-planting April 17th, 2023 Update https://www.usda.gov/media/radio/daily-newsline/2023-04-17/actuality-barley-planting-progress May […]

Learn more about the barley situation and outlook for North Dakota in the recent report from the North Dakota Barley Council.

Barley and wheat are two of the major crops used for both human and animal consumption. While they may look similar at a glance, they are different in how they’re processed, used, nutrition, and health effects. Learn more about the differences between barley and wheat based on an article from Healthline.  Characteristics Both barley and […]

The Northern Crops Institute hosted their Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses again in 2023. This was an online course that presented the healthy aspects of barley to people around the globe who are interested in including barley as an ingredient in their products. This year 25 participants took part in the course, which included […]

The Northern Crops Institute is hosting an online Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses course from January 31 – February 9, 2023. This course is an effort to give people in the food barley industry an in-depth look at all aspects of barley for food: breeding, nutritional benefits, barley food product launches, barley food trends, […]

Learn about barley in this plant guide from the United States Department of Agriculture! This guide includes: Description Adaptation Uses Ethnobotany Status Planting Guidelines Management Pests and Potential Problems Control/Cover Crop Termination Seeds and Plant Production Cultivars, Improved, and Selected Materials https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_hovu.pdf

This podcast from IFT Sci Dish focuses on how barley, with upcycling, can change the approach to food nutrition and sustainability. This episode featured 3 guests: Rosa Sanchez, Global Senior Director R&D Applications for EverGrain, Joy Nemerson, Events and Partnership Manager at Upcycled Food Association, and Jacqueline Hochreiter, Global Director Sustainability & Marketing, EverGrain.  The […]

The USDA released their August Crop Production report for barley. Read more details about it below from the American Malting Barley Association blog. “Production is forecast at 158 million bushels, up 34 percent from 2021. Based on conditions as of August 1, the average yield for the United States is forecast at 66.3 bushels per […]

The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) recently hosted its first ever Ancient Grains Conference on July 20th, 2022, at the Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, MN. The purpose of the event was to explore and educate the 50+ attendees of the conference on the benefits of consuming Ancient Grains foods while also showing them the […]

The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) held their Cereal Innovators webinar on May 11, 2022. This hour-long webinar featured Matt Drew, Head Distiller for the Montana Whiskey Company, Marketing Consultant with the Escotte Group, and Host/Founder of the American Whiskey Podcast, Single Malt Matters, who presented on Barley and Malt Applications and Considerations in Whiskey Production. […]

Malt Barley Barley is commonly used to produce malt, a package of starch, enzymes, protein, vitamins, and minerals, which is then used by brewers and distillers to produce various alcoholic beverages. The process of turning barley grain into malt consists of 4 stages.  The first stage is steeping, which is when cleaned raw barley is […]

Barley is a great choice for food as it provides many health benefits such as lowering your risk for heart disease and diabetes. It can be hard to incorporate good foods to your diet if you are not familiar with them. Here is a list of recipes made with barley for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and […]

History of Barley Barley (Hordeum vulgare) has been around for thousands of years, and is descended from wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum). Evidence has found the cultivation of barley to date back to 5000 BCE in Egypt and 1500 BCE in China. Once barley was domesticated, it became a staple in many people’s diets as they […]

Last month, the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) hosted an online Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Uses course from February 1st through the 10th. The online course was offered to participants from around the world, and included pre-recorded lectures, tours, and presentations. Live Q&A sessions were hosted throughout the course for participants to discuss questions and […]

Think Barley would not be possible without our sponsoring organizations. These organizations are dedicated to sharing barley resources to educate others, so let’s get to know them! Meet Mary Palmer Sullivan, Vice President of the Washington Grain Commission. Tell me a little about your position at the Washington Grain Commission. As the Vice President of […]

Think Barley would not be possible without our sponsoring organizations. These organizations are dedicated to sharing barley resources to educate others, so let’s get to know them! Meet Steve Edwardson, Executive Administrator for the North Dakota Barley Council. Tell me a little bit about your position at the North Dakota Barley Council I serve as […]

Think Barley would not be possible without our sponsoring organizations. These organizations are dedicated to sharing barley resources to educate others, so let’s get to know them! Meet Jason Laird, Marketing and Communications Director for Montana Wheat & Barley Committee. Tell us a little bit about what Montana Wheat & Barley does. At the Montana […]

By Jessie Topp One of the most widely grown cereal grains in the world, barley, has been used as a food and beverage source since ancient times. However, today, its use as a food product is limited. In fact, only two percent of all barley cultivated worldwide is consumed or processed into food products. That […]

By Jessie Topp Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is among the most significant global public health challenges. The progression of T2D is directly linked to chronic hyperglycemia and chronic oxidative stress. Because of this, controlling hyperglycemia is a key strategy for T2D control. Currently, pharmaceutical strategies to control chronic hyperglycemia use synthetic inhibitors. Unfortunately, there are […]

By Jessie Topp Today, diabetes is considered a major global public health challenge. In fact, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is among the most commonly occurring diet and lifestyle-linked non-communicable chronic diseases worldwide. According to the International Diabetes Federation and World Health Organization, worldwide, it is estimated that 415 million people suffer from diabetes; more than […]

The latest Cereal Innovators webinar will be taking place on Wednesday August 11th at 9:30 am (CDT). Join us to hear from Dr. Kalidas Shetty about barley and cereal grains. This interactive webinar will focus on innovative ways to use barley and cereal grains, and the specific benefits they have to offer. Here is what […]

Grain grading is a tricky topic. It is important to understand how the USDA classes grain for sale, and what the differences are when buying barley. This blog covers what each USDA grade means, and how barley is categorized. First, barley is graded on a 5 point scale depending on several factors. These factors include […]

Barley lodging is one well known difficulty farmers face. Seasonal factors, sowing time, and seed rate can all impact the amount of lodging we see throughout the year. But how can this issue be avoided and prevented as we head into the spring growing season. First, we should know there are two primary types of […]

Other articles on this blog have looked at how barley is malted, processed, and made into food products. But those blogs still haven’t answered the first question. How and where is food barley grown? From planting to harvest, barley goes through many different stages of development before becoming the ingredient we see on store shelves. […]

This blog has covered the health benefits and uses of barley previously, highlighting how it shows up in your life every day. But beyond the kitchen, where is barley? It turns out that barley can also be found in animal feed, day to day snacks, and places you wouldn’t expect.   In the United States, […]

The Northern Crops Institute is excited to announce the Healthy Solutions for Food Barley Course. This course will take place virtually starting on January 26, 2021 and will feature four live video sessions. Designed as an innovative look at what is going on in the food barley industry, this course is a new opportunity for […]

There are tons of ways barley can help keep you healthy, but did you know it can keep you full and help prevent diabetes too? Barley has long been recognized as a healthy whole grain, and all of its nutritious attributes combined pack a punch. The fiber source that keeps you full, provides high nutrient […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Trying to bake or cook with a new type of flour can be both daunting and exciting. Barley flour is no exception. The creamy, high fiber flour requires some new techniques. But first, what is barley flour and how is it made? Barley flour is made by grinding […]

As a food grain, barley is often used in bread, beverages, and as a base or additive to other dishes. It has a long history as a filling, nutritious food. And it turns out that that history comes with some good reasons. When consumed as a whole grain, barley offers fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beta […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Barley goes through quite a long journey to end up as food. Through planting, growing, harvesting, and processing, this important grain takes time and energy to make into delicious food and beverage products. But there are still multiple types of barley you see in the store. What is […]

Have you ever walked through a barley field? It’s interesting to see how barley is grown across our region. This important grain also has some intriguing growth, uses, and history. Here are a few fun facts about barley to pique your curiosity.  Plant Facts: Barley is technically a tall grass. With a stem that reaches […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Have you ever wondered how barley goes from being in the field to on your plate? Previously this blog has covered barely processing, but what happens before that point? Harvesting barley is a multi-step process that comes with lots of decisions for farmers. From when to harvest to […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Since its domestication, barley has basically been used for the same three purposes. Even the earliest civilizations that grew the grain used it to make bread, beer, and animal feed. So, it is fair to say that barley has a longstanding tradition of being a staple grain. In […]

Barley is an healthy grain that can be beneficial for most diets, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to look for recipes that work. Have you been looking for a bunch of great barley recipes all in one place? If so, take a look at this collection below for barley recipes you […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Barley is an important crop for both animal and human food production, but this week we will dive into another common use of the grain. Barley is also used to create barley malt, which is used to make beer, whiskey, malted milk, and confections. Roughly 25% of barley […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Barley is a grain that is sometimes shied away from in the kitchen. Often times this is due to lack of familiarity or not knowing how to prep it. And although barley has some challenges to overcome before being even more widely used, there are many added benefits […]

Alena Petre, MSC, RD. Barley is one of the most widely consumed grains in the American diet (1Trusted Source). This versatile grain has a somewhat chewy consistency and a slightly nutty flavor that complements many dishes. It’s also rich in many nutrients and packs some impressive health benefits, ranging from improved digestion and weight loss […]

By Maddie PattersonCommunications & Marketing InternNorthern Crops Institute Barley, we know it is an amazing plant. From the various ways to use it, to all the benefits it provides, barley is a very useful grain. But how exactly can you use it? With all of its versatility sometimes comes confusion about what type barley to use […]

By Shane FrederickCommunications ManagerSpecialty Soya and Grains Alliance If you’ve heard the term “farm to table” or maybe even “farm to fork,” you know that it’s likely guided many people in their decision-making when it comes to making food choices. Consider reversing that notion. Trace it back. “Fork to farm.” As more and more consumers […]

By Billie LentzCommunications and Marketing AssistantNorthern Crops Institute Saying that you’ll make changes to your diet and actually making those changes are two completely different things. Making adjustments and additions to what you cook can not only be challenging, but also daunting. However, adding barley to your diet doesn’t have to be this way! Try […]

By Billie LentzCommunications & Marketing AssistantNorthern Crops Institute Barley, one of the oldest crops in the world dating back what some expect to be 10,000 years, is often praised for contributions to the beverage industry as a key ingredient to beer. However, its power and potential in the food industry is not something to let […]