AIM BarleyLife® production:

A year-round process at Sepallo

As this article is being written, it is the middle of January. It has been a mild winter in Alberta, Canada, so far this year. However, night-time temperatures still drop well below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees F). Although there is no harvesting or manufacturing of AIM BarleyLife® right now, there is still a great deal of work being done: It is part of the commitment to Sepallo’s motto of “Continuous Improvement.”

To understand what changes and improvements may need to be undertaken for 2006, we must have a very good understanding of what occurred in 2005.  Sepallo keeps a tremendous amount of data on the seeding, growing, harvesting, and manufacturing of AIM BarleyLife®. January is the time of year to sit down and evaluate all of the data in relation to the quantity and quality of the barley produced in 2005.This is a large task as Sepallo seeded more than 1,000 acres of barley in 2005.

The total acres are divided into “fields” that are micromanaged for soil type, soil fertility, and physical characteristics. This profile of each field helps us to determine where the field will place in the seeding schedule. In order to harvest the barley at exactly the right stage to maximize nutrient density, seeding occurs continually from May 1 to Aug. 1.

Each field is then assigned an identification number that is tracked all the way through to the finished AIM BarleyLife® powder that is produced from it. Taking into consideration the rigorous testing that is performed on every single day’s production of barley powder, from protein to microbials and everything in between, the powder characteristics can be evaluated in terms of the exact field profile that produced it. Add to this that we record precipitation (Did you know that as rainfall increases, protein levels typically decrease?), time of day harvest occurs, a record of specific physical characteristics of the plant at harvest, and you have a very comprehensive picture of what occurred.

We have taken more than 100 soil samples from our fields at the conclusion of harvest. These samples are being analyzed for macro and micronutrient levels as well as organic matter. The soil test results serve two functions: We look at the powder characteristics overlaid onto the field soil profile to explain variations we may see and we use the soil test results to develop our soil fertility strategies for the upcoming crop year. 

This is also the time of year that seed selection is made. The agricultural industry continues to develop barley cultivars that have “tailored” features. This is not achieved through genetic modification, as barley is not a GMO crop, rather it is accomplished through old-fashioned plant breeding. For example, new cultivars that have built-in resistance to drought and certain “rusts” that come with wet weather offer advantages.  Moreover, cultivars that maximize leaf surface and have higher proteins are also attractive when we view barley as a whole food.

There is a real science to the growing of AIM BarleyLife® and certainly Mother Nature plays a large role. But by building upon what we learn each year and believing in continuous improvement, AIM BarleyLife® is positioned as the best in its class.

Sepallo is The AIM Companies™ agricultural partner in Canada. Sepallo is responsible for the planting, harvesting, and processing of AIM BarleyLife®.

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