In the local language, ‘Yanget’ is a type of bulrush, and
by 2012 the family was delighted to witness the return
of these water-loving plants as they popped up in spots
where water was beginning to be retained in the soil
through the drier months.
Bill, ever the stockman and a practical man, responded
with an emphatic ‘No!’ to the idea of growing spelt, and
laughed when he saw an actual spelt grain. He thought
it was miserable-looking stuff that would be rejected
as seconds in any wheat quota, and was singularly
unimpressed with my arguments about ‘nutritional values’
and ‘ancient grains’, etc.
Rod, however, had a different reaction and was prepared
to entertain the idea. Over the course of an afternoon,
a loose plan developed that allowed for the planting of
a modest amount of acres, depending on my ability to
source the spelt seed.
My self-imposed role would be to jump on board with Bill
for a few months over the summer and autumn, and learn
what I could about the workings of a farm.