WAVE OF GRAINS

Fallon farmers focus on ancient varieties.

Written by Christina Nellemann

The world’s smallest grain is gaining big footing in Fallon and beyond. 

Ancient grains have been grown around the world for thousands of years but have largely been ignored by most Americans. Now it’s going to be difficult to ignore a grain that can be used in both gluten-free brownies and meatless burgers. 

Teff is originally from Africa and primarily used to make the spongy flatbread, injera. Injera is the national dish of both Ethiopia and Eritrea and is used as a vessel or kind of spoon for eating meat and other items such as stews or vegetables.

Teff grains grow on tall, feathery grasses that start out luminescent green and then turn brown and topple over just before harvest. Desert Oasis Teff & Grain has been growing teff since 2009 and started growing sorghum a few years ago. Located in Fallon, the company is run by John Getto; his business partner, David Eckert; John’s son, Myles Getto; and administrative aide Kristy Hoffmann. The grains are grown on about 600 acres.

From left, co-owners John Getto and Dave Eckert examine their teff in their processing plant at Desert Oasis in Fallon. Photo by Candice Vivien

Tiny crop, big advantages

John was raised on a farm in Fallon that grew alfalfa and corn. Teff was purely a rotation crop fed to animals, but during the recent drought and the rise of gluten-free products, teff became a tiny superstar.

“Teff doesn’t need a lot of water and does well in our dry heat,” John says. “It’s a crop that takes only 90 to 100 days to mature.”

Desert Oasis also owns a 6,000-square-foot food-cleaning facility in Fallon. The immaculate plant separates the grain from the chaff and filters out any soil. The bulk grain is then poured into bags and shipped to mills such as Bob’s Red Mill in Oregon and Bay State Milling Co. in California.

Sorghum at Desert Oasis. Photo courtesy of Kristy Hoffmann

During trips to national food shows, Desert Oasis team members realized that the public was not familiar with teff, and many didn’t know that the crop is grown in our country.

“For quite a few years, we were selling to Bob’s Red Mill, and we were happy,” John says. “But now we feel we should educate the public about the grain, how to use it, and where it’s grown in the United States.”

“For a while, all we had was the Ethiopian market. Then when gluten-free products became popular, that’s when we saw an opening in a bigger market,” Eckert says. “However, we can’t call anybody for advice because there’s not much advice out there.”

The benefits of teff help to rank it as a superfood. Teff is a whole grain that’s gluten free and high in calcium. Desert Oasis teff also is a non-GMO and kosher product — in fact, the Fallon crops were inspected by a rabbi from the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America to make sure the grains meet Jewish dietary law. The products also are approved by the Whole Grain Council for containing 100 percent of the whole grain.

Teff can be used as you would any other flour or grain in foods such as polenta, porridge, breads, and other baked goods. Desert Oasis offers several teff recipes to consumers, including Getto Teff Brownies, created by John’s 18-year-old son, Myles.

“My husband eats cream of teff almost every day,” Hoffmann says. “He just boils the grain like cream of wheat and pours maple syrup over it.”

Teff comes in two colors: ivory and brown. In Ethiopia, ivory teff was traditionally grown for wealthier people and brown for the lower caste. In the U.S., it’s the opposite. Consumers want the brown version since it’s easier for some companies to cut the ivory teff flour with plain white flour made from wheat. The ivory and brown flours taste exactly the same.

“Companies say, ‘the browner the better,’ but I’d rather have ivory teff myself,” John says. “I like white pancakes rather than brown pancakes.”

Teff field at Desert Oasis. Photo courtesy of Kristy Hoffmann

Sweet sorghum

Desert Oasis also grows gluten-free sorghum, a cereal grain that is high in fiber and antioxidants. Sorghum also is drought resistant and can be used in soups, salads, risottos, and even as a movie-night snack.

“You can pop it like popcorn, and you don’t have to add butter to it,” Hoffmann adds. She also fries pork chops in sorghum flour.

Additional knowledge of whole grains and the growth of gluten-free eating has allowed Desert Oasis to expand its brand to national and international companies, despite its small and streamlined business model.

“The hard thing is that we are a little fish in a big pond,” Hoffmann says. “When company officials come out here to talk with us, they realize it’s just the four of us in a little town in Nevada. 

“What we do have here is 100 percent control of the grain,” she adds. “From start to finish, we are local, and the one thing that sets us apart from anyone else is the traceability. I can tell you what field a particular grain came from. In fact, I can take you right to it.”

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Christina Nellemann recently made pancakes from Desert Oasis teff. The crispy cakes barely needed any syrup.

To purchase teff and/or sorghum visit
Desert Oasis Teff & Grain
Desertoasisteff.com

Great Basin Community Food Co-op
240 Court St., Reno • 775-324-6133 • Greatbasinfood.coop 

Just Country Friends
727 W. Williams Ave., Fallon • 775-423-3315 • Find Just Country Friends & Better Than Yesterday on Facebook

Getto Teff Brownies
(courtesy of Desert Oasis Teff & Grain in Fallon. Makes 9 to 12 brownies)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided into 10 pieces
6 ounces 60-percent chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup Desert Oasis Teff & Grain teff flour
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1¼ cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
¾ cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Melt butter chunks with chocolate over a double boiler. Stir often until smooth and free of lumps. 

Combine all dry ingredients in a stand mixer, or bowl if doing by hand. Pour butter/chocolate mix into dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Mix in eggs, oil, and nuts (if using), and pour into lightly buttered 9-by-9-inch pan. 

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork comes out clean.

Creamy Maple Breakfast at Teff-any’s
(courtesy of Desert Oasis Teff & Grain in Fallon. Serves 4)
1 cup Desert Oasis whole grain teff
3 cups water
Pure maple syrup (or real maple syrup)
Fresh orange slices

Add teff to boiling water. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stir often. Serve in bowls with fresh orange and drizzle of syrup.

Zesty White Bean Soup with Sorghum
(courtesy of Desert Oasis Teff & Grain. Serves 6)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ cups fennel bulb, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1½ cups celery, sliced
1 cup tomatoes, diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 to 2 cups kale, chopped
2 cans (15-ounce) cannellini beans, drained
3 cups cooked Desert Oasis sorghum
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil (optional)
Croutons (optional)

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat down to medium, then add garlic, fennel, carrots, celery, and tomatoes, and sauté for another 7 to 8 minutes. Add chicken stock and herbs, bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Add kale, beans, and cooked sorghum, and simmer until kale is wilted and tender. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve in bowls, and, if you wish, drizzle a little olive oil over the soup and top with croutons for crunch.