Kamut, Gluten, and Sourdough: Bob Quinn on Ancient Grains
📍 Unsifted Freshly Milled Flour: Enjoy $10 off your first purchase of $100 or more (Code: MAM10) https://unsifted.com In this conversation with Bob Quinn, a plant biochemist, organic farmer, and founder of the Quinn Institute in Big Sandy, Montana, we get the farmer’s side of the grain story. Bob grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch, earned his PhD at UC Davis, and came home to turn his farm into a laboratory. After a trade show visitor thanked him for growing food for her family, he stopped growing commodities and started growing food. That shift led him to Kamut, the ancient grain he brought to market and spent decades researching. This is the “farmer” episode in our new grain series, where we look at wheat through the eyes of the farmers, the millers, and the bakers. Bob shares why so many people struggle with modern wheat, how breeding for yield changed the grain, what the difference is between ancient, heirloom, and modern grains, and why he believes the whole system, from seed to soil to processing to the bread aisle, shapes what ends up in our bodies. We also talk about sourdough, glyphosate, fresh milling, the true cost of cheap food, and what it takes for farmers to transition to regenerative organic practices. 📚 Resources & Links Mentioned: 📍 Unsifted (freshly milled flour): $10 off your first purchase of $100 or more https://unsifted.com 📍 The Quinn Institute: https://quinninstitute.org/ 📍 Bob’s book, Grain by Grain (co-authored with Liz Carlisle): available at bookstores and online 📍 Kamut brand grain, pasta, cereal, and flour: Bob’s Red Mill https://www.bobsredmill.com 📍 The Food Nanny (Kamut flour and grain): https://thefoodnanny.com 📍 Montana Flour & Grains (bulk orders): Fort Benton, Montana 📍 Our first grain series: episodes with Unsifted, Sue Becker of Bread Beckers, Courtney Queen of Butter for All, and Bill Schindler of the Modern Stone Age Kitchen 📍 Join our Patreon Community (extended episode with more of this conversation): https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas 📍 Website: https://www.modernancestralmamas.com ✨ Topics Covered in This Episode: ✔️ Bob’s path from Montana wheat ranch to PhD scientist to organic farmer ✔️ The “rainbow trail” to good health: seed, soil, harvest timing, minimal processing, and honest labeling ✔️ The story of Kamut, from a county fair handful of giant grain to a 100,000 acre crop ✔️ Ancient grains vs. heirloom grains vs. modern wheat ✔️ What changed in modern wheat after World War II, and why nutrition was never part of the breeding goal ✔️ Why flavor and aroma are clues to nutrient density ✔️ Why Kamut contains gluten but is often tolerated better, and the role of glyphosate, processing, and fast-rise yeast ✔️ How long fermentation with sourdough breaks down gluten ✔️ What Bob’s research found, including the rat study on inflammation and the human clinical trials ✔️ Fresh milling and how quickly flour loses nutrients after grinding ✔️ The high price of cheap food for farmers, rural communities, the environment, and our health ✔️ Whether regenerative organic farming can feed America ✔️ Advice for new and transitioning farmers ✔️ How a large bread manufacturer could make better bread, from hard white wheat to golden whole grain flour ✔️ The Noah’s Ark legend behind “the prophet wheat” 📲 Stay Connected: Patreon Community | https://www.patreon.com/c/ModernAncestralMamas @fornutrientssake | https://www.instagram.com/fornutrientssake/ @nourishthelittles | https://www.instagram.com/nourishthelittles/ @modernancestralmamas | https://www.instagram.com/modernancestralmamas/ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ModernAncestralMamas
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