Wheat
HISTORY
History shows that the first people to eat wheat probably did so 17,000 years ago by chewing wild grain kernels.
The beginning of agriculture and many civilizations was when primitive people discovered that they could grow wheat during the summer, store it for winter food and use the leftover wheat to plant the next year. It is widely accepted by anthropologists that cultivation is directly linked to civilization.
Wheat was originally a wild grass. Evidence suggests that it first grew in Mesopotamia and the Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys in the Middle East nearly 10,000 years ago. It has been grown in Egypt since about 4,000 B.C. and in China since 2,800 B.C.
It was the ancient Egyptians who discovered how to grind the wheat into flour and make bread. In addition to using wheat for food, the stems were used to make baskets and other items. Wheat weaving became a necessity.
Wheat is not native to the Americas. The seeds were brought to America by Columbus, Cortez and other Spanish settlers. It is believed to have first been planted in 1602 on the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts.
As early as 1786, George Washington sowed 580 acres of wheat. By the 1860s and 1870s, the westward shift of wheat acreage in the United States had moved into the middle and upper Mississippi Valley, which is its major area of production today.
Through centuries of seed selection and modern wheat breeding, wheat can be grown in every temperate climate in the world. Wheat is such a versatile crop that it is being harvested in some part of the world in every month of the year. It is grown on more land area worldwide than any other crop.
PRODUCTION
The first step in planting wheat is preparing the soil by using a disc harrow. This type of equipment is pulled behind a tractor and has a set of metal plates that dig into the soil—breaking it up. This process loosens the soil and kills any young weeds.
Then, seeds are planted using a grain drill in rows 5-16 inches apart. A grain drill first uses a shovel or disc that cuts a trench into the ground. Then, one seed at a time is released from the grain drill. Once the seed has been placed, a loose layer of soil is placed over the seed.
Wheat is seeded anywhere from sea level to elevations of 10,000 feet. A 90-day growing season is needed for wheat growth, and a period of dry, sunny weather is preferred for the ripening period. Rainfall between 10-30 inches annually is required, and soils that range from sandy loam to clay are used to grow wheat. The plant averages between 2-3 feet in height, and some varieties reach 5-6 feet.
The exact timing of planting and harvesting depends on the variety planted and weather conditions. After planting, the wheat plant will grow about 6 inches before the first frost. Each plant will grow by producing more leaves and new stalks from the base of the plant. These new stalks are called tillers.
Plants become dormant over the winter, but begin growing again in the warm, moist days of spring. As the wheat comes out of dormancy, more tillers will grow. Each tiller can form another head of wheat.
Wheat is ready to harvest when the plants fade from dark green to tan, then golden brown. When the wheat is ripe, the farmer must harvest the crop quickly. Wheat is harvested with a combine. It cuts, separates and cleans the grain all at the same time. The wheat is then stored in bins or elevators until the grain or wheat is needed for food processing.
Wheat is measured in bushels. A bushel of wheat is about 60 pounds and will yield about 42 pounds of white flour or 60 pounds of wheat flour.
VARIETIES
There are three main types of wheat grown in the United States: hard red winter wheat, durum wheat and soft red winter wheat.
Hard red winter wheat is grown in the Great Plains region of the U.S. and California. It is used in pan breads, Asian noodles, flat breads and general-purpose flour.
Durum wheat is grown in north central and desert southwest regions of the U.S. It is used to make pastas.
Soft red winter wheat is grown in the eastern third of the U.S. and used to make pastries, cakes, cookies, crackers and pretzels.
Louisiana grows winter wheat. It is planted in the fall from mid-October through mid-November and harvested in the spring from May through June.
Six Classes of Wheat / Photo credit National Agriculture in the Classroom.
Classes of Wheat / Photo credit Farm Flavor.
PRODUCTS
Many products are produced using wheat as an ingredient. The primary use of wheat is for edible products like breads and cereals, ice cream and root beer.
Some non-edible products are facial products, body washes, pet foods, medical products and parts of some shoes.
Every day, new products and many new uses for wheat are discovered.
Here are a few products produced from wheat:
wheat flakes
wheat, all-purpose, bread, cake, gluten, pastry, self-rising and graham flours
farina (primary ingredient in many breakfast cereals)
semolina (used to make high quality pasta products)
wheat bulgur
wheat bran
cracked wheat
wheat germ
ANATOMY
Wheat Anatomy / Photo credit Lizzie Harper.
TERMS TO KNOW
Combine - a machine that separates the soybeans from their pods and stems
Disc Harrow - a piece of equipment with cutting edges consisting of a row of concave disks set at an angle
Dormant - alive but not actively growing
Grain Drill - a device that sows seeds into the ground and covers the seeds with a loose layer of soil
Header - a piece of equipment on a combine that cuts and collects the soybean plants
Sandy Loam - a type of soil used for gardening; normally made up of sand, silt and clay
Tillers - new stalks that grow from the base of the plant
RECIPE
Old-Time Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups self-rising flour
¼ teaspoon soda
¾ cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
butter
Directions:
In large bowl, mix flour and soda.
Add milk and oil; mix until well blended.
Flour hands and roll out each biscuit.
Place on greased pan.
Mash down each biscuit gently with fingertips.
Place a dab of butter on top of each biscuit.
Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Foods à la Louisiane—a cookbook by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Women
Submitted by Beth Hart of Ouachita Parish
COLORING PAGE
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MAKE & TAKES
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Tortilla in a Bag
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP
360 Video: Wheat Harvest (2:53)