Population YQ

The move to re-localise and de-commodify grain production started around 2010 with pioneer Professor Martin Wolfe working with the Organic Research Centre.

Martin crossed 30 varieties of modern varieties of wheat to create a population wheat, that was more suitable to organic low input system and one that would adapt to local soil and climate. He saved seed and trialled this for many years and in 2016 it was named Population YQ ( or Yield and Quality) wheat and was granted a seed patent by the EU. It is now allowed to be sold as seed wheat. The Apricot Centre obtained 500kg of seed wheat from Martin and planted back in 2016 to grow at Huxhams Cross Farm in Devon. Ever since it has been growing wheat, retaining a portion for re-sowing in the following year (planted in the Sutumn as 'winter wheat'). The remainign crop has been processed, initially by Grown in Totnes and now by Dartington Mill CIC for sales as white and whoilemeal flour.