NCI Hosts Food Barley & Sorghum Uses Course | June 16 - 18, 2026
Food barley trends and tasting demonstration in NCI’s Instructional Lab
The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) hosted a Food Barley & Sorghum Uses course from June 16 - 18, 2026. 9 participants from the United States, Mexico, and Malaysia attended this 3-day course, which combined presentations from industry experts with hands-on demonstrations exploring the processing, functionality, and applications of barley and sorghum.
The first day began with Michael McKay of Highland Specialty Grains, Inc., who provided an overview of barley breeding and production, followed by Jaclyn Knutson of DakotaMB, who discussed the quality characteristics of food barley. Participants then visited NCI's Stone Milling Room for a barley milling demonstration led by NCI Food Scientist Amrita Ray, Ph.D. Brett Despain of Highland Specialty Grains, Inc. shared insights on the future directions of food barley, and Sarah Tee of Inspire Nutrition highlighted the health and immunological benefits of barley. The day concluded with a food barley trends and tasting session led by NCI Food Technologist Edil Vidal Torres.
Barley stone milling demonstration in NCI’s Stone Mill Room
Day two focused on product development and applications. Jaclyn Knutson discussed opportunities and challenges in barley product development before participants moved to NCI's Bake Lab for a hands-on baking demonstration with NCI Food Scientist Rachel Carlson. Participants prepared tortillas, flatbreads, and crackers while comparing products made with a control flour blend, 50% barley flour, and 100% barley flour. In the afternoon, Sydney Anderson of the Idaho Barley Commission presented on sustainability and barley, followed by a discussion of barley markets with Brett Wilken of Scoular. The group then traveled to DakotaMB for a presentation and tour of the company's Fargo facilities.
Baking demonstration in NCI’s Bake Lab
The final day shifted the focus to sorghum. Lanier Dabruzzi from the United Sorghum Checkoff, provided an overview of sorghum markets before joining Chef Chase Obenchain to discuss culinary applications and the nutritional benefits of sorghum. Participants then observed a sorghum stone milling demonstration led by Amrita Ray and visited NCI's Extrusion Lab, where Processing Project Managers Rilie Morgan and Chris Cossette demonstrated the production of extruded products using sorghum. The afternoon concluded with a sorghum baking demonstration led by Rachel Carlson in the Bake Lab, showcasing additional food applications of the grain. The course concluded with a graduation ceremony and the presentation of certificates.
NCI would like to thank the U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council, North Dakota Barley Council, Idaho Barley Commission, and Bay State Milling for their support in making this course possible.
To view and register for upcoming courses, visit www.northern-crops.com/courses.