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The SeedSpark Project is a program designed to resurrect lost grains that will economically benefit Pennsylvania grain farmers and introduce new value-added grains to Pennsylvania's grain supply chain.
Our work to secure a place for these grains to proliferate in Pennsylvania is ongoing. We strive to educate the public, the growers, the buyers, and the change makers that can secure a marketplace and create sustainability for these grains once they become available on a larger scale.

  1. Keystone Rosen Rye - Our first small grain chosen for the SeedSpark Project was Rosen rye. We will continue to select small grains that show exeptional flavor characteristics and contribute greater value to products made from them. Click HERE for history. 
  2. Dylan Rye - Though not a heritage varietal, it had not been used for distilling and could prove valuable for farmers. In 2020, Stoll & Wolfe Distillery ran test batches of Dylan rye to compare to their NVS rye and Keystone Rosen rye samples. 
  3. Sangaste Rye- This rye variety from Estonia is believed to have similar genetic characteristics to Rosen rye. Robert Sullivan of Copper Horse Farm, a friend of the SeedSpark Project, has been growing Sangaste since 2013, The Delaware Valley Fields Foundation helped connect Mr. Sullivan to a PA distillery looking for a unique rye varietal. The distillery and farm have formed a partnership and plan to work together to propagate this variety for distilling purposes.
  4. Egyptian White Rye (Mammoth Rye)-  This variety of rye is not from Egypt, but named "Egyptian White Rye" for promotional purposes during a time when the west was infatuated with all things Egyptian. Also known as Mammoth Rye, it was a "white rye" like Sangaste and Rosen, but was a precursor to both in the United States- prized by distillers for its flavor and loved by farmers for its winter hardiness and high yields. Though it was the most commonly used rye in the distilling industry during the 19th century, it has disappeared from America's farms entirely. The Delaware Valley Fields Foundation has been searching for signs of this rye varietal for the past few years and has finally found a lead! Stay tuned in the years to come...