In your opinion, is harvesting Amaranth a pain in the butt?
I ask because it looks very labor intensive.
It grows in ditches here in Houston.
I’ve figured out an easier way:
1: Bring a bedsheet, one that you don’t mind getting dirty. Lay it across a large tub, making sure there’s enough extra to hang over the edges.
2: Use pruning shears to cut the stalks into lengths that fit into said tub. Wear gloves, those things are prickly! Lay the stalks parallel to each other as much as you can, they’ll fit better that way.
3: When the tub is full, tie the edges of the sheet to form a bag. Hang this in a dry place until the stalks are crispy. (Depending on your climate, that might not take long. Autumns are usually damp out here.)
4: To thresh, you can either tap the stalks vigorously over a bucket or tub. Or, cut the stalks to shorter lengths and use a bucket thresher: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/bucket-thresher-pic-heavy.554524/#post-7719842
5: Winnow by pouring the grain from one bucket to another, in front of a fan.
Amaranth hulls come off easily on their own with the threshing. Lambsquarters needs dehulled, which adds an extra step. I will admit, I prefer amaranth largely for that reason.