Wheat

Wheat was once grown in the northeast in great quantities, and is a strong part of our heritage.  With an increase in demand for local foods (including flour, bread, and other baked goods), there has been a recent and exciting resurgence of wheat production.  There are a few different types of wheat grown in the northeast: soft wheat, which is high in starch and good for pastry flour, can be either white or red winter wheat; hard wheat, which can be spring-seeded or fall-seeded but is usually red, is high in protein and gluten and makes good bread flour. Winter wheats, planted in late summer or fall and harvested the next summer, generally produce more grain and straw than spring wheats, and control spring weeds more efficiently because of their relative height advantage.  Spring wheats are planted in spring and harvested in the fall, and often produce higher quality grain with a lower yield.  A few growers in the northeast also dabble in durum or semolina wheat, primarily for pasta, but it is difficult to grow and the plants’ height makes the crop susceptible to mycotoxins like Fusarium.  There is a wide range of information available on growing wheat, both on a small scale and for commercial production.

More Information

• Forage Planting Guide