We have had our Eye on Rye for a long time! Last month, the Glynwood Grains & Staples program hosted Eye on Rye—a two-day event in New York City. The event was the culmination of a three-year project, Capturing Value with Cereal Rye, led by June Russell, Glynwood's Director of Regional Food Programs, and Dr. Heather Darby of the University of Vermont Extension. The project studied rye agronomics, grain quality, and market opportunities for food and beverages in the Northeast.
Rye is a cold-hardy grain crop well-suited to growing in our region, often performing better with fewer inputs than other small grains such as wheat, barley, or oats. This project evaluated rye varieties and farm management practices in field trials and conducted quality analysis at UVM. Glynwood led market research and outreach to understand opportunities for rye planted and harvested in the Northeast region.
Multiple components of the project came to fruition in 2024. University of Vermont Extension produced a report (and report summary) presenting the results of a 2023 survey of supply chain actors. The purpose of the survey was to better understand the attributes most desired by the various sectors within the supply chain. The survey was followed by focus groups and targeted interviews to gather more information and context for survey responses.
In September, Glynwood and UVM participated in the 10th Annual Variety Showcase in Portland, OR (previously hosted at Glynwood in October 2023). The project team partnered with renowned baker Sarah Owens to bake 100% rye loaves using two rye varieties from the UVM field trials — Akusti, an heirloom open-pollinated rye from Denmark, and Tayo, a modern hybrid variety developed by the German seed company KWS. Consistent with the previous year, the open-pollinated variety was again the fan favorite. The Variety Showcase included other collaborators on Glynwood’s grain projects, including those studying oats, various kinds of wheat, barley, and buckwheat.
Glynwood collaborated with Rye Revival, a small non-profit focused on increasing rye acreage in the Northeast and Upper Midwest as a resilience strategy, to create Rye Resource Room — a collection of academic journal articles, books, podcasts, webinars, and other media that highlight the six characteristics of rye: History & Culture, Agronomy & Climate, Human Health & Nutrition, Malting, Spirits & Brewing, Cooking & Baking, and Livestock Feed. The resource aims to highlight the varied benefits of rye and spark interest in rye's versatility among farmers, distillers, and chefs.
For the Eye on Rye workshop series in October, Glynwood partnered with New Amsterdam Market, run by long-time regional grains ally Robert LaValva. A baking workshop (The Place of Rye) was held at Essex Market in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and a whiskey sensory workshop (The Taste of Rye) was held at NY Distilling Company in Brooklyn.
The baking workshop was led by Dr. Laura Valli, who recently completed her PhD on rye at Washington State University Bread Lab. Dr. Valli presented her research on rye and, with the support of baker Kathryn Phelan (Hartwick College Grain Innovation Center), conducted baking demonstrations and served rye baked goods to attendees to showcase the versatility of rye in the kitchen. Rye was used to bake 100% rye sourdough loaves as well as coffee cake, olive oil honey cake, chocolate chip cookies, and crackers. These baked goods can be made entirely or partially with rye, contributing to flavor, texture, and nutrition. Dr. Valli encouraged (perhaps challenged) bakers and chefs to become more curious and creative with this grain that is so well-suited to our growing region. At this workshop and the Variety Showcase, when people tasted rye bread and baked goods, a common refrain was, ‘I had no idea rye tasted so good, can I have some more?!’ Glynwood’s Grains & Staples program plans to follow up with regional bakers and chefs to see that Dr. Valli’s challenge is accepted.
The Taste of Rye was headlined by UVM Sensory Practice Leader Roy Desrochers, who led participants through a sensory analysis exercise to better understand how to taste and evaluate rye whiskeys. Desrochers guided participants through various control samples to calibrate their palates, learn the difference between taste and flavor, and distinguish levels of intensity and balance to become better equipped to develop whiskeys that meet customer preferences. The event also included a panel discussion, led by Dr. Darby, between farmers Thor Oechsner (Oechsner Farms) and Stuart Farr (Hudson Valley Hops & Grains) and distillers Josh Pitts (Caladonia Spirits) and Bill Potter (New York Distilling Company) to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and considerations for growing and distilling rye in the Northeast. The evening closed with a keynote address from Dr. Valli with r(y)eminders of the versatility of rye and why we love it.
Capturing Value with Cereal Rye ends in April 2025. Though the Eye on Rye event was the capstone for the project, the winter will offer opportunities to conduct outreach on the findings and see the results of this year’s field trials at the University of Vermont. Glynwood’s Grains & Staples program will continue building on this foundation of rye development in the region. There is growing interest in the marketplace for various rye products, though more product experimentation and market development are needed to further establish rye in the minds of makers and consumers.
