World Grain - July 2018 - 40
FEATURE: BAY STATE FOCUSING ON HEALTH, WELLNESS portunities in health and wellness, Levangie said Bay State is looking at what the company does as millers at the most fundamental level. "We express the intrinsic value of a seed," he said. "That's what we do. We process it so that it becomes more functional, more edible. But the real magic always starts in that seed, and so we have become much more interested in taking more responsibility for the seeds that are actually producing the grain that we mill." 2015 launched a small seed business, Fifth Generation Seed, based in Yuma, Arizona, U.S. (about 175 miles VRXWKZHVWRI7ROOHVRQZKHUH%D\6WDWHRSHUDWHVDÀRXU mill). Fifth Generation focuses on the development of JUDLQV QRW RQO\ ZKHDW ZLWK EHQH¿FLDO FXVWRPHU DQG consumer-centric output traits such as baking perforPDQFH QXWULWLRQ FRORU DQG ÀDYRU IRU GLIIHUHQWLDWHG grain-based foods. "We're learning a lot about wheat breeding - what's LATEST INITIATIVES possible, what's not possible," Levangie said. "We're (IIRUWVRYHUWKHODVW\HDUVDURXQGLQQRYDWLRQLQÀRXU trying to use that to address all sorts of issues, better milling have centered on two new initiatives, begin- milling quality wheat, wheat with better rheologining with increased collaboration with wheat breeders. FDOFKDUDFWHULVWLFVHQKDQFHGÀDYRUEHWWHUEDNLQJDQG Acknowledging the milling industry has a long history then arguably more nutritious wheat. We have used a of working with breeders, Levangie said Bay State has few varieties internally for wheat blending to improve become "more intentional" in seeking desirable attri- best-cost quality, but it will be years before we see big butes in wheat varieties. impacts." "The industry is much more focused on that, too, A more recent wheat milling initiative, also highly which is great," he said. innovative, appears to promise a shorter timeline to Bay State has acquired germplasm it hopes will lead commercialization. to the development of promising wheat varieties and in The company in 2017 said it was joining forces 40 July 2018 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com