Wheat in Washington ............. Did You Know?

Did you know that Washington helps feed the entire United States and the world? Wheat has been grown in Eastern Washington since the late 1800s when the first settlers arrived here.

According to Washington Wheat Facts, "about half of the U.S. wheat crop is exported, with 85-90 percent of Washington's wheat crop purchased by overseas buyers. (Japan is our #1 market.)  The U.S. ranks fourth among the world's wheat producing countries."   (We're after the EU-27, China and India..... bet you would have never guessed.)

Would you have guessed that one bushel of wheat would make:  (1) 42 pounds of white flour;  (2) 60 pounds of whole wheat flour;  (3) 90 one-pound loaves of whole wheat bread;  (4) could fill 53 boxes of cereal;  (5) could make 72 pounds of flour tortillas;  (6)  could roll into 420 three-ounce cinnamon buns;  (7) could make 5000 four-inch cookies???

And would you have known that Washington ranks fourth in the Top Ten Wheat Producing States (after Kansas, North Dakota and Montana)?

Our Washington history is closely entwined with the production of wheat. If you want to learn more about this heritage, click to www.washingtonruralheritage.org . This website has so much good stuff and so many wonderful pictures! Here is "Hauling Wheat Lincoln County." (In the smaller size it was in focus.)

Betcha you could find photos on the Washington Rural Heritage website that would be great additions to your family history stories.