The Bread Doctor

Tom Foulke, left, receives a check from Ezdan Fluckiger, owner of The Bread Doctor in Torrington, for Neolithic Brand spelt. The Wyoming First-grains Project recently hit a milestone when it sold 200 pounds of Neolithic Brand spelt to The Bread Doctor in Torrington.

“It’s been a long road, but we are finally able to deliver the high-quality product we have been working toward,” said Tom Foulke, the project director.The Bread Doctor owner Ezdan Fluckiger said his customers like the rustic, nutty flavor of spelt loaves, and he sells out every time he makes them. When asked about what he likes about the Neolithic Brand grain, he said, “I like that it is local. And my customers appreciate it, too.

”Foulke, a research scientist in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, said the First-grains Project is a novel research and economic development project from the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The goal is to create a profitable niche industry around first-grains, sometimes called ancient grains, and in the process create jobs and enhance incomes in Wyoming’s agricultural sector, he said.Neolithic Brands will eventually be spun off as a standalone business.

The First-grains Project is targeting the wholesale market with 50-pound sacks of whole grain, or “berries” as they are called, said Foulke.

Artisanal bakers like The Bread Doctor have their own small mills and grind their own flour.More about the project is at www.uwagec.org/neolithicbrand.