Sorghum: From the Garden to the Table

Whole grain sorghum flour is a wholesome, hearty, gluten-free grain that provides important fiber and has a mild flavor. Fluctuating grain prices, along with a demand for gluten-free products, have sparked a renewed interest in homegrown grains, and gardeners may find it easier to grow and process than they originally thought.

From experience, homegrown grain users find grain sorghum flour, with some tweaking to recipes, makes pastries equal to, if not better than, whole wheat flour, and it’s easier to thresh than wheat.

Americans find it strange to see grains growing in small areas or rows in gardens. They also don’t see grains as food derived directly from plants in the same way they view fruits and vegetables. They often think of grain as factory manufactured. A good ten-speed blender or kitchen mill can turn homegrown grain into flour easily.

Grain sorghum flour should be stored in moisture-vapor-proof, air-tight glass or metal containers or plastic freezer bags and kept in a cool, dry, dark place if it will be used within a few months. If not, store it in a refrigerator or freezer so it will last longer.

Below is a recipe provided courtesy of Twin Valley Mills, LLC.

Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced apples
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Slice apples into an 8 x 8 inch greased pan.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Crumble topping:
1 stick (½ cup) margarine
¾ cup of sugar
¾ cup sorghum flour
Bake at 350°F for approximately 1 hour or until topping turns light brown.

Mexican grain buyers spend the week in Kansas and Texas

Shelee Padgett, our Member Services Director, spent the last week with 10 agri-businessmen and women from Mexico with hopes of strengthening export markets of the U.S. sorghum industry. The United Sorghum Checkoff Program and U.S. Grains Council sponsored the trip as part of the education and market development function of the national sorghum checkoff.



Tours and visits included:

• DeBruce Grain elevator in Abilene, Kansas


• Cargill Ag Horizons with Clayton Short, a sorghum producer, in Assaria, Kansas


• AgMark, a grain marketing organization, in Concordia, Kansas


• Scoular, an agriculture marketing company, in Downs, Kansas


• ADM at the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas


• Planter's Grain Coop's facility in Taft

Kansas and Texas are the two top sorghum-producing states in the U.S., which make them the primary focus for sorghum exports to Mexico. The cattle and poultry producers in Mexico have a high interest in U.S. sorghum as an alternative feed source. While on their visit, members from Mexico also learned about how grain is stored, merchandised, transported and prepared to be shipped to their country.