Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a cool-season cereal grain with one of the shortest growing seasons of any major grain crop. It is grown for animal feed, malt production, and human consumption. Barley's wide adaptation to varied climates and soils, including saline and alkaline conditions, makes it one of the most versatile grains for homestead production. The crop exists in both hulled and hull-less varieties and in two-row and six-row head types.
Barley was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent approximately 10,000 years ago, making it one of the earliest domesticated crops alongside wheat and emmer. Wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) is still found in the Middle East and is the direct ancestor of cultivated barley. The crop spread rapidly across Europe, North Africa, and Asia and was a staple grain of ancient civilizations from Egypt to China.
Barley was the primary grain used in bread-making in Europe before wheat became the preferred bread grain in the early Middle Ages. It remained a significant food grain in cooler, wetter regions where wheat did not thrive. Barley was brought to the Americas by European colonists and was grown primarily for brewing and animal feed. The United States is one of the world's largest barley producers, with the crop concentrated in the Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest.
Barley grows 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) tall with a compact head containing 15 to 30 kernels per head. The awns (beards) are long, barbed, and can cause eye irritation in animals and humans when handling the ripe crop. Two-row barley has a single row of fertile spikelets on each side of the head, producing larger, more uniform kernels preferred for malting. Six-row barley has three fertile spikelets per node, producing smaller but more numerous kernels and higher protein content suitable for animal feed.
Barley matures in 60 to 90 days for spring varieties, faster than wheat or oats. The crop tolerates drought, saline soil, and alkaline conditions better than other cereal grains but does not tolerate wet, poorly drained soils. Hulled barley requires pearling or dehulling before human consumption. Hull-less varieties thresh free of the husk.
On a homestead, barley is grown for animal feed, malt production for home brewing, and as a food grain. The grain is fed whole, rolled, or sprouted to livestock. Barley sprouted as fodder is a traditional feed for dairy cattle and horses, providing fresh green feed in winter.
Malt barley is germinated under controlled conditions and kiln-dried to produce malt for brewing and distilling. The two-row varieties are preferred for malting. The crop's short maturity makes it practical for northern climates with short growing seasons.