Reimagining Wheat: From Homogeneous Fields to a Flourishing Future

Wheat Breeding & Cultivation Is Changing & This Has Implications For Veg Production. What Can We Learn From Population Wheat & Cereal Farmers?

Most of my articles are about fruit and veg growing. But we need to rethink our crops if we are to cope with climate change. Farmers are already doing this as illustrated by the way a few pioneers are growing “population wheat”.

I’m not suggesting all farmers need to do this yet, but a few gaining experience that they can share makes perfect sense. It also makes perfect sense to try this with the fruit and veg that will be affected by climate change. And I look forward to seeing commercial growers putting a percentage of their crop down to “population crops”, so that they can also gain the experience the future is going to demand of us. I say “us” but it isn’t yet the time for amateur growers and gardeners to do more than to grow the heritage crops that are available and already have a certain amount of genetic diversity.

For now, let’s look at what a few pioneering farmers are doing and why.

The Limits of Industrial Wheat

Currently the dominant milling wheats in the UK have been bred for a specific, high-input industrial system. These genetically uniform varieties deliver high yields suited to roller-milling and industrialized bread production, but they are dependent on synthetic herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Crucially, these wheats fail to thrive in organic or low-input farming systems, and their flour is often ill-suited to traditional stoneground milling and sourdough baking. This reality prompts two vital questions: how do we transition to wheat varieties better adapted to sustainable farming, and what systemic changes are needed to support a market for these grains?

Breeding in Diversity: Two Paths Forward

One innovative solution is the development of ‘population wheat’ – a genetically diverse crop created by cross-breeding multiple varieties. The most prominent example is the ORC Wakelyns Population (YQ – Yield & Quality), pioneered by the late agroforestry expert Martin Wolfe. By crossing 20 modern varieties selected for yield or quality, Wolfe created a resilient, genetically diverse population. His work faced significant legal hurdles, as EU seed regulations require commercial seeds to be distinct and uniform. After extensive advocacy, a landmark dispensation was granted in 2017, setting a legal precedent that now allows farmers to trade these diverse seeds outside the rigid uniformity laws.

Plant breeder Ed Dickin has taken a different route, looking to the past to build resilience for the future. His Oak Farm Population involves crossing traditional landrace wheats with modern varieties. “Can we get the flavour and resilience of the landraces with the stronger straw and better yield, and stronger gluten of the modern wheats?” he asks. His 14-cross population aims to capture the best of both worlds: the robust flavour and low-input needs of heritage grains, combined with the yield and baking characteristics of modern wheat.

The Return to Heritage: Rediscovering Lost Grains

Beyond breeding new populations, a parallel movement seeks to directly revive historical wheat varieties that once thrived across the UK’s diverse landscapes. Leading this effort is Andy Forbes of Brockwell Bake, inspired by heritage grain pioneer John Letts. Forbes sources tiny samples from international genebanks, grows them on his allotment, and partners with farmers to cultivate them at scale.

One key project is the reintroduction of Hen Gymro (‘Old Welshman’), a traditional Welsh landrace grown until the 1920s. After collecting seeds from multiple genebanks, Forbes is now collaborating with the Welsh Grain Forum to restore these lines and bring the grain back to Wales. “We’re trying to decide how to put the lines back together to try and get as close to the original landrace as possible,” he explains.

This work has already borne fruit in the marketplace with Scotland The Bread. Forbes identified and sourced lost Scottish varieties like Rouge d’Ecosse, Golden Drop, and Hunter’s from genebanks in New Zealand, France, and Russia—countries that preserved grains abandoned in the UK. After being grown, saved, and multiplied on four Scottish farms, these heritage flours are now commercially available.

The Rise of the Baker: Driving Demand and Adaptation

The commodity wheat market, with its focus on volume and price, cannot support the typically lower yields of heritage and population wheats. Instead, a new market is emerging through the artisan baking sector. Bakers like Kimberley Bell of Small Food Bakery in Nottingham are actively seeking out these grains, driven by a philosophy of food sovereignty and care. “I bake for people because I care…and the global grain economy and the way that farmers and farms have been commodified is so incongruous to that,” she states.

These flours offer superior flavour but demand flexibility. Bakers must adapt their processes to varying technical properties. “This means building flexibility into our processes at the bakery – not just the mixing of the dough, but the design of our products, the structure of our teams, the way we sell our products, our relationships to customers and…the way we act when buying our ingredients,” Bell explains.

Rebuilding the System: Collaboration and New Networks

Meeting rising demand requires rebuilding a localised grain infrastructure that has been largely lost. This is a central goal of the UK Grain Lab, an annual gathering connecting farmers, bakers, millers, breeders, and scientists to share knowledge and forge shorter, better supply chains.

Kimberley Bell, also a key organiser of the Lab, emphasises the scale of the challenge: “Trying to work differently and deal direct with smaller farms and mills makes you realise how much knowledge, skill and small-scale equipment we have lost in just a couple of generations.” She advocates for new, community-owned regional mills to facilitate storage and processing.

Emerging models like the South West Grain Network demonstrate a collaborative solution. Formed by connections made at the Grain Lab, the network brings together local farmers, a miller, and bakers committed to buying the flour. They collectively analyse supply chain costs, select suitable wheat varieties, and build a transparent, human-scale system. “It’s about putting all the people…having these conversations together, looking at what the problems are and thinking about the solutions as a group,” says farmer Fred Price, a central figure in the network.

The Future of Wheat: Equity and Care

Currently, this transformation is driven by a dedicated group of pioneers. While the movement is gaining momentum, advocates stress the importance of deliberate, equitable growth. “It’s important that we take care to do things right, not to rush, and to make sure that the power in these new economies is equitable,” cautions Kimberley Bell. “There is always the danger of re-building the old system and re-commodifying these precious seeds.”

Many readers might think that lower yields equate with lower profits. This isn’t so. Lower yields often require lower inputs but command higher price per ton. Profit margins can equal or exceed traditional approaches.

The future of wheat hinges on this careful reconstruction—one that values genetic diversity, agricultural resilience, flavour, and fair relationships from seed to loaf. It is a future being sown, milled, and baked today. And horticulture needs to emulate this approach.

Tag: Population wheat