We know that wheatgrass has been around for a few thousand years. In the 20^th century it regained popularity due to the work of Ann Wigmore our raw food guru. Lately wheatgrass has been marketed as a superfood due to its high levels of concentrated vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids and the belief in its ability to detox the body. Now even the conventional medical doctors are realizing the merits of this little green plant, using it to combat the effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

Only recently however, did wheatgrass arrive in the Spanish market, popping up in various eco-restaurants, juice bars and in people’s kitchens using home cultivating kits.

This week we spoke with our friend Andreu Garasa from Clorofeeling. His small company here in Catalunya cultivates and delivers freshly extracted wheatgrass to Studio Australia Barcelona and other suppliers throughout Spain and we wanted to know how he became a farmer of wheatgrass?

• How did you first become interested in wheatgrass and when did you start growing it?

I first heard of wheatgrass when I was part of a “Ecovillage” in Girona. Some friends of mine who had been living in Australia told me about this amazing product and we started growing small batches for our own personal consumption 3 years ago.

 Later on, we started bringing it to some small fairs and I was surprised to see how well people received it. Everyone loved it! We noticed that there were no companies in Spain growing and selling wheatgrass and decided that it would be a good business to start here….selling something that helps people!

•  What types of wheatgrass do you grow and what are the differences between them?

 We grow a variety including Kamut, Xeixa (a Catalan wheatgrass) and Egyptian (the oldest form of wheatgrass).

 Each varies in grain size, color and slightly differ in taste. Egyptian, for example, is a bigger grain and a little bit sweeter than the others. Each also varies slightly in the way they are cultivated.

• What type of wheatgrass do you prefer to drink?

My preference is the Egyptian wheatgrass.

•  What does the growing and harvesting of wheatgrass entail? 

Normally it takes between 15-20 days for the stems to reach their ideal length before cutting, depending on the temperature. 

The crops need to be cut when they reach around this height, no more than that or else they start to lose their nutrients and can grow fungi. In the winter, we usually cut at 20cm and in the summer 25cm. Even though the wheatgrass will grow again after it´s cut, I recommend just a one-time cut per batch. The first leaves hold the most nutrients and are less susceptible to fungi. 

The process of growing wheatgrass is fairly easy, starting with washing the seed, leaving it in water for 10 hours to germinate, and then planting it in soil. I cover the seeds for one day after planting to allow the roots to come out. We only water the wheatgrass once after its initial soak pre-planting when it has reached around 10cm in length, and then a final time before cutting. 

The best time of year to grow wheatgrass is in the Spring, however we grow it year-round.  For those growing it at home, I recommend avoiding putting the seeds and stems in direct sunlight. The ideal temperature for optimal growth is between 15-20 degrees C and then it can be grown throughout the year. 

•  Can you tell us a little about the history of wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass has been around for centuries, dating back to 5,000 years ago. The first recordings of wheatgrass consumption come from the ancient Egyptians who used it in all of its forms, and the Essenian-Evangelists chewed on wheatgrass for its health properties.

 For years, farmers observed the improvement in their animals’ health and performance when feeding them wheatgrass and this led to scientific interest at the beginning of the 20th century.

The commercialization of dehydrated wheatgrass started by Dr. Charles Schnable, an agricultural chemist, after performing experiments using wheatgrass on hens. He discovered how the high content of vitamins and antioxidants in wheatgrass could help sick hens recover and improve their overall fertility. By the 1940’s his powdered wheatgrass was available in shops in the US and Canada.

 The true revolution of wheatgrass started in the 1960’s when Lithuanian-born Ann Wigmore introduced it in its liquid form. Wigmore believed that many illnesses present in Western society were caused by unhealthy habits and by the chemical products humans are in contact with daily. She actively promoted the health benefits of wheatgrass and its ability to prevent disease after using it herself to overcome various illnesses.

 Nowadays, the consumption of wheatgrass has grown throughout the world among health-conscious individuals who drink it for all its numerous beneficial properties.

• What are the benefits of drinking wheatgrass? Do you consider it a “super food”?

 I believe wheatgrass is a superfood and also a medicine. It contains lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, essential fatty acids, energy, vitality….if you drink a shot in the morning it wakes you up like having a coffee!

 It helps detox and clean the whole body, its organs and its cells. We explain to people that 60 grams of wheatgrass juice is equivalent to 1,800 grams of vegetables. People take it as maintenance once a day. It naturally helps the body to prevent illness, or to recover the body’s natural healthy state if you are already sick.

 Wheatgrass juice is considered to be one of the most concentrated liquid forms with more than 1,000 different elements.

•  Are there other ways of consuming it or do you only recommend taking it as a shot in liquid form?

 Just 3 minutes after extracting wheatgrass, it starts losing its properties and health benefits, so I recommend drinking it in liquid form right away.

 You can also consume it in its dehydrated form or freeze wheatgrass however you do start removing the vitamins, enzymes and overall nutritional value.

 Best drink it as a fresh shot!

•  Wheatgrass is commonly used frequently in other parts of the world. Is its popularity growing now in Spain?

 Little by little, but slowly. However people who have traveled or lived in other parts of the world are more familiar with wheatgrass and are still our biggest consumers here.

 But, more bio and organic restaurants are starting to carry it so people are starting to familiarize themselves with this superfood!

•  It must require a lot of skill to grow large amounts of wheatgrass, especially as the demand grows. How do you manage it? 

We do harvest a lot of wheatgrass and it’s a year-round process. However it really only requires planting the new seeds once a week and leaving them to grow from there, plus the weekly cut.

Now that I have practiced for many years it isn´t very difficult, but it did initially take me a lot of time and practice to get the right technique when I first started growing! 

To learn more about how Andreu and his team cultivate Wheatgrass, check out their website and Facebook page!

If you would like to try growing your own wheatgrass at home or making a daily shot part of your health regime you can order the kits, freshly cut already packaged grass and the manual or electric juicers from the Studio Australia Barcelona.

Our orders from Clorofeeling arrive every Wednesday.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more details.

Swap the caffeine for the chlorophyll!

References for this blog post:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/wheatgrass?page=2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocrates_Health_Institute

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Schnabel

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