5 Wheat Facts You Might Not Know

Did you know that wheat is one of the oldest farmed crops in the world? First sown and harvested in the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BCE, this crop has withstood the test of time to become the world’s most commonly grown food crop. Keep reading for more fun wheat facts!

 

1 – Raw wheat has many uses. It can be ground into flour, germinated and dried to create malt and crushed or cut into cracked wheat. From pizzas, to crackers, to beer and beyond, wheat is found in many of the world’s favourite food and beverages.

 

2 – Wheat crops need 110 to 130 days to grow from planting to harvest. Weather and overall climate can have an effect on how fast the crop grows. Winter wheat varieties differ because they lie dormant during freezing winter conditions, extending the time it takes to grow from the time it is planted until harvested.

 

3 – You can make particleboard from wheat straw. Similar to wood particle board like you would see in kitchen cabinets or DIY shelving, pieces of wheat straw can be compressed and glued together to create “wooden” boards.

 

4 – Dr. William Saunders is responsible for improving wheat in Canada. Beginning in 1886, Dr. Saunders travelled the country in search of wheat that would grow faster and better than the commonly grown Red Fife. Ultimately, he bred a new variety of wheat, which he named Marquis, that was better suited to the Canadian climate.

 

5 – One bushel of wheat typically contains around 100,000,000 individual kernels. That’s enough wheat for 27.2 kilograms of whole-wheat flour, or 90 one-pound loaves of whole wheat bread!