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There’s a poem called
“Silos,” by former U.S. poet
laureate Rita Dove. It ends:
“They were masculine toys.
They were tall wishes. They
were the ribs of the modern
world.”
When talking about silos in
agriculture, we are generally
thinking of grain storage.
But silos of the mind can sep-
arate us from our colleagues in
agriculture, as well as from other
industries, the general public—and
sometimes our own friends and families.
In agriculture, we can be proponents
of an individual crop, or proponents of
a cropping, marketing or organizational
system, and this can sometimes be polar-
izing. Yet, when we unite, when we come
together with one voice, we are much
stronger—and much more able to affect
change.
The gluten-free movement is one area
the cereals industry has the ability to
come together and make a difference. It
seems that every time we turn around—
every time we’re in a restaurant or at an
event or listening to the radio or watch-
ing a talk show—someone’s talking about
the importance of “going gluten-free.”
As a culture, we are being told to
limit gluten because self-styled experts
continue to opine that gluten is bad for
us. And when they’re taking on gluten,
they’re really targeting wheat.
Consumers—including our friends,
neighbours and family members—are
consciously choosing to eat foods that
are often more expensive and come from
further away in order to fit a self-imposed
dietary restriction that is not necessarily
nutrition-focused, but is fast becoming a
middle-class norm.
Yet we are doing a disservice to our-
selves by not redefining the argument
and pushing back. Let’s not be intimi-
dated by the slogan-centric “gluten-free”
language. Instead, let’s start talking
about balance.
We have a unique opportunity to start
redefining and refining our own mes-
sage around cereals crops: whole grains,
including wheat, are good for us. Wheat
is an excellent source of fibre, and it has
a place in a healthy, balanced diet. Like
barley, it’s a local grain with a strong
nutrient profile.
So let’s redefine the debate. Let’s not
let the language cloud the issue, because
it is not about “wheat belly,” it’s about
wheat balance. In order to be healthier,
we need to talk about wheat balance and
carb balance to ensure we are eating
fewer processed foods overall, because
whole grains are part of a nutritious and
healthy diet.
Granted, we all know (or know of)
people who have true health issues relat-
ed to Celiac disease and allergies. These
people deserve our concern. But for the
other people in our lives—the ones who
are self-limiting their diets because some-
one on TV told them to—let’s push back
a little and suggest they get tested by a
doctor if they have health concerns. They
need to do some research, and find out
what’s really going on.
Let’s move out of our silos, work
together and encourage balance and real
wellness—and let’s find the language to
inspire this new movement.
Lisa Skierka is the general manager of
Alberta Barley.
Balance,NotBelly
By Lisa Skierka
TALL
WISHES
IT'S TIME TOREFINEOUR VOCABULARY AND REDEFINE
THE CONVERSATIONAROUNDGRAINS
The gluten-free movement is
one area the cereals industry has
the ability to come together and
make a difference.
Winter
2014
Grains
West
10