Kamut, Gluten, and Sourdough: Bob Quinn on Ancient Grains

📍 Unsifted Freshly Milled Flour: Enjoy $10 off your first purchase of $100 or more (Code: MAM10) https://unsifted.com

In this conversation with Bob Quinn, a plant biochemist, organic farmer, and founder of the Quinn Institute in Big Sandy, Montana, we get the farmer’s side of the grain story. Bob grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch, earned his PhD at UC Davis, and came home to turn his farm into a laboratory. After a trade show visitor thanked him for growing food for her family, he stopped growing commodities and started growing food. That shift led him to Kamut, the ancient grain he brought to market and spent decades researching.

This is the “farmer” episode in our new grain series, where we look at wheat through the eyes of the farmers, the millers, and the bakers. Bob shares why so many people struggle with modern wheat, how breeding for yield changed the grain, what the difference is between ancient, heirloom, and modern grains, and why he believes the whole system, from seed to soil to processing to the bread aisle, shapes what ends up in our bodies. We also talk about sourdough, glyphosate, fresh milling, the true cost of cheap food, and what it takes for farmers to transition to regenerative organic practices.

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

📍 Unsifted (freshly milled flour): $10 off your first purchase of $100 or more https://unsifted.com

📍 The Quinn Institute: https://quinninstitute.org/

📍 Bob’s book, Grain by Grain (co-authored with Liz Carlisle): available at bookstores and online

📍 Kamut brand grain, pasta, cereal, and flour: Bob’s Red Mill https://www.bobsredmill.com

📍 The Food Nanny (Kamut flour and grain): https://thefoodnanny.com

📍 Montana Flour & Grains (bulk orders): Fort Benton, Montana

📍 Our first grain series: episodes with Unsifted, Sue Becker of Bread Beckers, Courtney Queen of Butter for All, and Bill Schindler of the Modern Stone Age Kitchen

📍 Join our Patreon Community (extended episode with more of this conversation): https://patreon.com/modernancestralmamas