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((PLAYBOOK SLUG: TV US Nevada Teff - Tesfagabir
HEADLINE: Ancient Grain Teff Takes Root on US Plains
TEASER: East African grain delivers gluten-free profits for American farmers
PUBLISHED: 3/29/22 at 8:40am
BYLINE: Tewelde Tesfagabir
DATELINE: Winnemucca, Nevada
VIDEOGRAPHER: Trésor M. Matondo
SCRIPT EDITORS: KE(1st), MPage
TRT: 3:56
APPROVED BY: KE
((INTRO))
[[Teff, an ancient grain from the Horn of Africa, has found new enthusiasts in the United States. It’s being cultivated in the American West and Midwest, where growers note its appeal as a gluten-free “super food.” VOA’s Tewelde Tesfagabir reports from Nevada, narration by Vincent Makouri.]]
((NARRATOR))
Nevada is known for being the home of Las Vegas, the center of America’s gambling industry. But some farmers here are hoping to strike it rich by growing an ancient African grain.
((NARRATOR))
… more famers are moving to capitalize on growing demand for gluten-free foods by planting teff, a cereal grass native to the Horn of Africa.
((NARRATOR))
Tesfa Dirar grew up helping his parents raise teff in what is now Eritrea. When he came to the United States for university, he missed the staple, spongy injera bread that is made from teff.
((Tesfa Dirar, Farmer))
“So I decided to bring 20 pounds from home and I planted it at the University of Minnesota, where I was studying. From there, I gave it to different colleges and universities for research.”
((NARRATOR))
Now his Selam Foods markets the iron-rich grain online, with recipes for injera and a history of teff, one of the oldest domesticated plants.
((NARRATOR))
Down the road at Desert Oasis Teff and Grain, John Getto and his son Myles say they are selling teff by the truckload to wholesale customers in California and in one-pound bags to local consumers.
((Myles Getto, Farmer))
“Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Southern California – those are all places where teff is grown at just because I think it mimics the natural climate of Ethiopia – high altitude, high temperature – which teff likes.”
((NARRATOR))
At the University of Nevada-Reno, researchers are studying this drought tolerant grain as a way to help adapt to climate change.
((John Cushman, Professor, University of Nevada-Reno))
“As the western United States is getting drier and drier due to global climate change, we felt it important to make an investment in some alternate crops.”
((NARRATOR))
Bob Dexter used to grow wheat, barley and alfalfa for horse feed but has added teff to the land he farms along the Carson River.
((Bob Dexter, Farmer))
“The horses love the teff hay. It generally has a sweet flavor for them. And it's particularly good for horses as opposed to alfalfa because it's low in the carbohydrates that will cause horses to have health issues.”
((NARRATOR))
Professor Cushman says teff’s versatility adds value for Nevada farmers.
((John Cushman, Professor, University of Nevada-Reno))
“Teff not only provides a high-quality forage for livestock production, but it gives us this very highly nutritious, mineral-rich and gluten-free grain as an added benefit for human consumption.”
((NARRATOR))
Watching the market for teff expand from the East African diaspora to health-conscious consumers, Tesfa Dirar says the high-fiber “super food” has global appeal.
((Tesfa Dirar, Farmer))
“Teff can be used for making cookies, for making pancakes, porridge, and you can make it for pizza. … Now we are working with Pizza Hut to provide them gluten-free teff so they can make it for pizza.”
((NARRATOR))
With greater demand for grain, Dirar is expanding teff cultivation in the states of Kansas, Minnesota and Texas.
((For Tewelde Tesfagabir in Winnemucca, Nevada, Vincent Makouri, VOA News ))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateMarch 29, 2022 10:04 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
