“There is just so much to learn about grain, and the Grain School is a place where you can learn it all, or at least gain foundational knowledge,” says Nanna Meyer, clinical associate and professor emerita from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Human Physiology and Nutrition Department.

Meyer and colleague Sean Svette started Grain School at UCCS in 2016 in pursuit of a more regional food system and in response to a lack of diverse Colorado-grown grain. The first year, there were 30 participants. Five years later, there were 300. The connections made between farmers, bakers, malters, brewers, and home-cooking enthusiasts helped create the network that would become the Colorado Grain Chain (CGC) in 2019.

For the past five years, the school has been held online, offering self-paced modules that cover everything grain: from the field to plate to the community it involves. The 2026 online session begins on February 2, 2026. Meyer will host an orientation session on February 3, from 4:30 to 6 pm.

When the school started in 2016, UCCS was supporting coursework that aimed to change the food system, and Meyer had challenged her dietitian students to create climate-friendly, plant-forward meals that could still provide sufficient protein. To do so, “they had to use grains and beans,” Meyer explains. And while they were able to source some local grain and bean varieties, “when it came to diverse wheats, including ancient and heritage wheats, there was not much,” she adds.

So Meyer began to search for diverse, open-pollinated Colorado grain while simultaneously hosting an annual three-day, in-person course. The school created a sense of community, and through the community, Meyer and friends, such as Mona Esposito, known as “The Grain Lady,” and Eric Skokan, chef/owner of Black Cat Farm, began to sow, share, and experiment with different varieties of wheat in the Colorado climate.   

Grain School has always fostered a learning environment that invites students to learn from each other regardless of whether they are beginning their grain journey or are already an expert in their respective specialization, reflects Meyer. “A lot of students said it became the grain school family.”

That connection, in the classroom and into the field, still remains core to Grain School coursework. Although the program is no longer held in person, the online school builds upon ten years of input and experience from the grain community in Colorado and beyond.

The modules are structured around three core segments: farming and processing, nutrition and health, and community.

“Grain School always starts with farming,” the organization states in its flyer. In partnership with Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, the initial four-week course highlights grain production, breeding and crop science, processing, milling, malting, as well as cooperative structures in the grain space.

In addition to written content, videos, and web resources, the course includes a hand-on section that centers on making breakfasts with heritage grains. “This is where the Colorado Grain Chain is particularly helpful,” says Meyer. The member map hosted on the website can help students find different locally grown grains around the state. In addition, this year, the Colorado Grain Chain supports UCCS Grain School Online with whole grain flours so students can work at home on recipes with flours from Colorado-Grown Grains!

Part of the coursework dives into how heritage grain supports nutritional health and can lessen the chance of chronic disease — the area Meyer considers her expertise. Several experts, including Meyer, have designed lessons about fermentation and cereal science, the gut microbiome, the science of nixtamalization, and aspects of grain literacy and plant-forward eating. Washington State University Bread Lab supports month two of Grain School by adding content on breeding for flavor and nutrition, diverse rye, and approachable loaves.

During the last four weeks of coursework, students focus on the grain value chain in Colorado, food sovereignty, and how the history of trade routes and colonialism shape grain consumption today. CGC members play a strong role in this course, sharing insights into the state’s growing grain ecosystem and offering cooking courses on artisan pizzas, pastas, tortillas, and dishes with millets.

“The curriculum is really full and diverse,” Meyer explains. “It can be highly scientific, but there’s always a practical application.”

Alongside the development of UCCS Grain School, Meyer herself has expanded her role from teacher to grain farmer, baker, business owner, and food hub manager. In 2021, Meyer and her husband, Dan Hobbs, started Pueblo Seed & Food Co., in Cortez, CO, an heirloom grain bakehouse. And in the coming year, she is supporting the launch of Pueblo Seed & Grain Hub, a nonprofit offering training, education, and seed cleaning services for farmers and building a resilient grain seed repository.

“I love learning more about these crops, and there’s so much to learn,” she shares. “We still really don’t know enough about these different grains, and in the face of climate change, we need to.”

“It’s a world that’s critically important for how we need to eat going forward,” she adds. “And it opens your senses.”

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UCCS Grain School Online 2026 begins February 2, 2026, and offers a flexible, yearlong learning experience about grains, from farming and processing to nutrition, health, and community.

Designed for farmers, bakers, makers, educators, and grain-curious community members, the online course includes a live kickoff orientation on February 3 (4:30 to 6 pm) and self-paced content through April with self-paced access until the end of the year. 

Scholarships are available for producers and makers. 

Register here.