@wavesculptor @jblue @pvonhellermannn @DarkOptimism
You think it will be problematic to send seeds or root cuttings? Maybe pack it together with other non-suspicious items that show up on X-ray and match the contents description 😜

btw I/we are active food growers and interested in looking for more climate resilient stuff. For example, looking into growing millet because it's easy to harvest the seeds and an (part) alternative for other starchy grains.

@Otis_Scops @jblue @pvonhellermannn @DarkOptimism

I'll respond in instalments to you.

#Millet to my surprise, is a relatively active tag here, just followed it, and something to follow-up. I get on well with it, culinarily, digestively and metabolically. It's also available in bio = organic in supermarkets here. I will normally germinate it before cooking, so growing some on would not be a big leap, apart from preparing a bed. Need to look into what it likes. Only issue I have with it here is, it's ridiculously overpriced as a foodstuff - like about €4 for a plastic 500g packet, meaning I tend to buy better value things. But as crop seed, price would not be an issue. A similar plant I have been part of an experimental project to grow, back in the '80s - '90s in SW UK was #amaranth. I'm tagging that as encouragement to others to do so, not because it's active, /yet/. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth_grain

#buckwheat is another.

@Otis_Scops @wavesculptor @pvonhellermannn @DarkOptimism cut the heads off when they start to dry, let the heads dry out completely in a cool dry place, then crunch, shake in a bowl and the seeds fall out. When all the seeds fall out, take outside and gently blow and the flower parts will flow away.

Alternatively, before they dry and still red, soak heads overnight, chop/pound and mix into batters. It’ll turn the dough red.

@Otis_Scops @jblue @pvonhellermannn @DarkOptimism

The Cornwall UK crop in the 1980's that I referred to, we winnowed with 4 people, each at the corner of a large bed-sheet, tossing the seed high, during a light breeze. Mentioned mainly as a "grain" that can be harvested and processed without specialised machinery. The decorative flowers were also an incentive to try it. The downside is mainly that it is hard on delicate digestions - see the WP article. Lots of soaking, changing the water was our work-around; when the water no longer froths, the saponins are mostly leached out.

See #Quinoa, which is closely related. Both of the "Dock" family. As Q. is locally available as food and actually a bit cheaper than millet and I'm not so far from a region where it's commercially cultivated, I'll probably try that before amaranth, tho I've never grown it before.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa#Saponins_and_oxalic_acid

@wavesculptor @Otis_Scops @pvonhellermannn @DarkOptimism this is a video of removing huazontle seeds from husks in water with an espresso frother. The husks will rise to the top and can be poured out (along with saponins). It takes around three changes of water to leave just the seeds at the bottom.

Quinoa is pretty heat sensitive and won’t form seeds above 90F. I’ve had a lot of luck with huazontle though.