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Spelt is a robust ancient wheat grain which has not been hybridised over the years and remains as simple and hardy as it was many centuries ago.
The grain is protected from the elements by a hull which is firmly attached to it and which must be removed prior to milling in a process known as de-hulling. This is a very expensive process and results in lower yields – the main reason why spelt was nearly forgotten. In the recent past however, spelt has made a remarkable comeback.
Spelt can be exchanged 1:1 for standard wheat flour in almost any recipe and lends baked goods a compelling nutty flavour and light sweetness. It is perfectly suited for bread, cakes, cookies, waffles, pastries and pasta. You can use it for hand-crafting breads or in a bread machine.
Ballybrado Ltd. was established in 1983 as one of Ireland’s first commercial organic farms, focused on the idea of living and working in harmony with nature. It all began when Josef and Marianne Finke, Richard and Sylvia Auler, and Helmut Borchers moved to Ireland with their families in search of a greener life. What started out as the idea of self-sufficiency quickly turned into a driving force for the development of the organic movement in Ireland.
People from all walks of life flocked to Ballybrado to see organic farming in action, share thoughts and experiences, go on farm walks together, and actively shape organic farming in Ireland. Interviews in radio and national television helped spread the word of organic farming – farming for the future.
Growing organic grain was the first farming activity at Ballybrado. Due to the near-complete absence of an Irish market for organic food, most grain was exported to mainland Europe. As the interest in organics in Ireland started to grow, a mill was purchased to grind the organic grain into flour. This flour was sold all over Ireland, mainly through health food stores. Organic bread was baked in the ovens of Cahir Bakeries and distributed around Tipperary.
As the interest in organic food increased year-on-year, so too did the organic activities at Ballybrado. Ballybrado Ltd was the first company to export organic produce from Ireland, demonstrating that consumers are actively interested in organic food from a clean environment. Baked goods (who still dreams of the hazelnut-chocolate chip cookies?) were added to the range of flours and grains, knitting wool was spun from the organic sheep flock.
Josef collaborated with several organic farmers, growers and consumers across Ireland in order to develop organic standards and certification and inspection systems for organic production in the Republic. Josef was chairman of the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association and later director of the Organic Trust. He worked in several committees of the government, representing the voice of organic sector.
In 1989, Josef and Marianne founded Good Herdsmen Ltd., today the largest dedicated organic meat processor in Ireland and the UK. In 1994, as Director of Organic Trust Ltd, Josef’s input was sought by the Irish government for its “Committee for the Development of the Organic Sector”.
