Einkorn Wheat, Heirloom Spring Wheat, Humanity's First Wheat Crop

Einkorn is widely considered the "Mother of all Wheat."

• The First Domesticated Grain: Originating in the Fertile Crescent, Einkorn was the first wheat ever domesticated by early humans.
• Pure Genetics: Unlike modern bread wheats, which have complex, hybridized DNA, Einkorn is a "diploid" wheat, meaning it has the simplest genetic structure possible (only 14 chromosomes).
• The Name: "Ein korn" is German for "single grain," so named because each spikelet on the slender grain head contains only one solitary kernel.

Einkorn is a favorite for those who value nutrition and deep, complex flavors that modern wheats simply cannot replicate.

• The "Golden" Flour: Einkorn is exceptionally high in lutein, an antioxidant that gives the flour a beautiful, subtle yellow tint.
• Flavor & Texture: It has a rich, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor. Because its gluten structure is much weaker than modern wheat, it produces a "softer" dough—perfect for sourdough, flatbreads, muffins, and pancakes.
• Digestibility: Many people who find modern wheat difficult to digest find that they can tolerate the simpler gluten structure of heirloom Einkorn (though it still contains gluten).

Einkorn is a hardy, "low-input" grain, making it an excellent choice for the home gardener who wants a reliable harvest without chemical fertilizers.

• Tough as Nails: Einkorn thrives in marginal or poor soils where other grains would fail. It is naturally resistant to many pests and fungal diseases.
• Weed Competitor: It grows into a thick, lush stand that is excellent at shading out weeds, making it one of the easiest grains to manage in a small bed.
• The Visuals: It is a "bearded" wheat with long, elegant awns that look stunning in the garden and can even be used in dried floral arrangements.

Garden Bed Coverage: One packet from Firefly Farm & Mercantile is designed to perfectly seed a 20 square foot bed (roughly an 8' to 10' long by 2.5' wide garden bed).

"Growing Einkorn feels like a form of time travel. There is something deeply grounding about harvesting the same grain that fed the first farmers of the Tigris-Euphrates valley. It’s a beautiful, tall, and incredibly hardy plant that rewards you with the most nutritious and flavorful flour you’ve ever tasted."

• Sowing: For your 20 sq. ft. bed, broadcast seeds evenly and rake in to a depth of 1 inch.
• The "Hulled" Factor: Like Emmer, Einkorn is a hulled wheat. This means the husk does not fall off during threshing. To get to the kernel for milling, you will need to "de-hull" the grain, or you can sprout the whole seed for added nutrition!
• Spring vs. Winter: While most Einkorn is sown in the spring, it is incredibly frost-hardy and can be sown in late winter in many climates.