Spelt grain availability in Aus?

[Russell]

Hi All,

Been looking through some recipes and I'm wondering where people get their Spelt grain from, especially in SE Qld? The one place I found in Melbourne was about $92 for 20Kg - yikes!

Russell.

[Ceejay]

Our local health food store has it in bulk bins so I'd check there... otherwise I wonder if Trumps (Brisbane) sell it? 

http://www.trumps.com.au

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

You can buy spelt grain from most bulk health food stores around the place.  I buy mine from http://www.biodistributors.com.au/ and it is $25.70 for 5kg and a little over $90 for 20kg. 

[meganjane]

It's ridiculously expensive. I would love to see if we can grow it. I must do some research into spelt growing conditions. It may be because it's a wild wheat it can't be grown anywhere near regular wheat.

Wheat in health food stores is also overpriced. We're only getting paid $220 a tonne (1000kg) and all input costs (freight, fuel, machinery, labour) have to come out of that too. It's barely worth putting a crop in.

[Russell]

You can buy spelt grain from most bulk health food stores around the place.  I buy mine from http://www.biodistributors.com.au/ and it is $25.70 for 5kg and a little over $90 for 20kg. 

Yeah, that's the one I saw. Add on postage and it's a big hole in the wallet. What's the world coming to when the more natural a product is, the more it costs? Seems all back to front to me. Guess I'll have to stop comparing against "home brand" product prices. I'm not sure we even have a health food shop in Warwick?

Russell.

[Russell]

It's ridiculously expensive. I would love to see if we can grow it. I must do some research into spelt growing conditions. It may be because it's a wild wheat it can't be grown anywhere near regular wheat.

Wheat in health food stores is also overpriced. We're only getting paid $220 a tonne (1000kg) and all input costs (freight, fuel, machinery, labour) have to come out of that too. It's barely worth putting a crop in.

Yeah, $5,000 a tonne to the consumers *sigh*

Russell.

[cathy79]

Russell, you can definitely get it in Toowoomba as I've seen it, but haven't really noticed the prices as I don't use it.  Defintely don't have to buy from Melbourne.

[Russell]

Russell, you can definitely get it in Toowoomba as I've seen it, but haven't really noticed the prices as I don't use it.  Defintely don't have to buy from Melbourne.

Thanks Cathy,

Will have to keep en eye out. I can possibly pick up stuff in Brisbane too, if there's somewhere open late.

Russell.

[Ceejay]

Would Mick's Nuts in West End have spelt grain? 

[cathy79]

We just got back from a weekend in Maleny, Montville and Eumundi area - lots and lots and lots of organic produce, coop shops etc so there should be options within Qld.  Actually it would have been a challenge to find something to eat that wasn't organic and that had gluten in it.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Yeah, that's the one I saw. Add on postage and it's a big hole in the wallet. What's the world coming to when the more natural a product is, the more it costs? Seems all back to front to me. Guess I'll have to stop comparing against "home brand" product prices. I'm not sure we even have a health food shop in Warwick?

Russell.

I do know how you feel Russell.  I used to find it hard not to compare health food prices to supermaket prices. I would have once had heart-palpatations at the though of paying almost $15kg for shredded coconut.  I am lucky in that I live near two organic farms though (one has vegies and beef and the other has mainly grains) and have got to see a little of how they operate.  I know how much extra time and energy goes into these farms.  I know how many crops fail and how much of the produce never gets sold.  I can really see why prices are higher.

Something else I often think of when I am buying organic health food is that I save money because the food is so much more filling.  For example, I can only eat two slices of homemade spelt bread in one sitting, but would be able to eat 6 or more slices of bought white bread.  My husband can eat a full Pizza Hut pizza, but only 3 medium size slices of my homemade pizzas with spelt grain crust.

[meganjane]

Too true Chelsea!

[Ceejay]

We just got back from a weekend in Maleny, Montville and Eumundi area - lots and lots and lots of organic produce, coop shops etc so there should be options within Qld.  Actually it would have been a challenge to find something to eat that wasn't organic and that had gluten in it.

You should have dropped in for a visit! 

[Russell]

Something else I often think of when I am buying organic health food is that I save money because the food is so much more filling.  For example, I can only eat two slices of homemade spelt bread in one sitting, but would be able to eat 6 or more slices of bought white bread.  My husband can eat a full Pizza Hut pizza, but only 3 medium size slices of my homemade pizzas with spelt grain crust.

Ahh never considered that. Does it mean the foods are "heavier" and harder to eat, or just more filling? Without having experienced it, I find it hard to be full from just 3 slices of pizza We make our own homemade pizzas currently,with the breadmaker making the dough, using whitewings bakers flours. I make two pizzas, one large for the wife and boys (as they only like boring hawiian) and one slightly smaller fo rme. Half of mine usually fills me up.

Russell.

[cathy79]

Just more filling and denser in nutrients etc.  It's an adjustment - at first I didn't realise how much more filling homemade breads are, and it would be half hour later that I'd realise I'd overeaten.