Casa Retaggio and the Heritage Grains Foundation

Visit them on the patio at Terra Breads, 53 West 5th Ave, for more information and to sample some Emmer grains & Emmer flatbread with fresh herbs(baked by Terra Breads).

Over the last few thousand years, a lot has changed in the way we grow & process our food. The question is, have our bodies adapted to those changes?  The name Casa Retaggio©accurately reflects the philosophy behind the brand: to rediscover the agricultural legacy that our ancestors left us, whether it was 5,000 years ago or only 50.  Casa of course means “house” and Retaggio is the Italian word for “heritage” or “legacy”.

The brand was created to honour Heritage Crops, those wonderful foods from our past, some ancient in origin and others merely a few hundred years old. These crops almost died out in favour of higher yielding ones that eventually fell prey to modern farming techniques. However, thanks in large part to the conscientious farmers who have relit the torch of Nature’s Legacy, these crops are once again being cultivated as they originally were: by sensible and sustainable methods.  By reconnecting with our past, we can ensure a sustainable future!  The Casa Retaggio brand will endeavour to stay within the framework of “legacy crops” that are GMO free and organically grown.

The Heritage Grains Foundation is a membership based, nonprofit society whose mission is to provide education, networking and support for Heritage Grains.
The Heritage Grains Foundation hopes to support the propagation of heritage grains, maintain a seed bank of heritage grain varieties, gather, develop and provide research pertinent to heritage grains and work cooperatively with organizations, both public and private, in the development and preservation of heritage grains.  These are just some of the foundation’s mandates.

What is a Heritage Grain?

Typically, any grain that is open pollinated (seed can be saved and grown from generation to generation), is not genetically engineered, and was existing prior to the mid 20th century can be said to be a heritage grain. Red Fife Wheat is a good example. Other examples in the wheat family are: Einkorn, Emmer, Spelt, Ladoga and Hard Red Calcutta.
For more information them:
For more information on Casa Retaggio.