Traditionally, people building a career in whole grains have studied nutrition, agriculture, culinary arts, or food science, among other disciplines. Today however, aspiring grain professionals have an even more specialized option available to them: Grain School. This University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) program can be taken for credit by college students or can also be taken as an adult education program by farmers, millers, bakers, and other professionals. To learn more about the Grain School, we caught up with Nanna Meyer, PhD, RD, CSSD, an associate professor at UCCS who helped get the program off the ground.
Can you briefly describe the Grain School and where the inspiration for this course came about?
Meyer: In 2014, UCCS transitioned its food service away from a corporate to a self-operated system, started a farm on campus, and tied in academic programs into the campus food experience. We started a local food establishment as part of the retail/residential dining operations called Food Next Door. We were looking for local and regional food, including more diverse and regionally grown grains. We found Colorado quinoa, organic millet, and some wheat and rye but we wanted more diversity, including culinary barleys, pseudo-cereals like amaranth and buckwheat, and heritage/ancient wheats.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Whole Grains Council
