Growing wheatgrass during shemitah for juice
Question
Is it possible to grow wheatgrass during the shemitah year to juice it? The way it is grown is as follows: Wheat grains are sprouted by placing them on a piece of material in a barrel, and they are watered. The grass sprouts and also takes root.
Answer
If the barrel is outdoors, it is permissible to do so but it needs to sprout before the shemitah year begins. Then it should be declared ownerless. However, juicing wheatgrass does not constitute conventional use, so it is problematic.
The wheat kernels are generally grown for wheat and not for grass, so juicing wheatgrass does not constitute a conventional use.
If you grow the wheatgrass on a detached surface indoors, the grass does not have kedushat shevi'it and there are no limitations on processing or otherwise using it.