The world asks a lot of our wheat farmers.

Their job description is long and their workweek is longer. They’re tasked with providing a reliable food supply on decreasing land and increasing input costs. Wheat farmers provide us with a bounty of healthy whole grains and work to conserve and improve the land they use to grow it. It’s not the easiest career path, but it’s one that they wouldn’t trade for the world. 

Washington’s wheat farmers have a passion for farming passed down for generations, and a mindset for innovation with eyes only on the future. We depend on our wheat farmers and here’s a list of 20 reasons you should show support to wheat farmers:

1. Community Involvement 

Without our wheat farmers, the jobs created to run equipment stores, grain elevators, grain transport, and flour mills wouldn’t exist. These jobs provide people with employees who in turn purchase goods and services in the area. All those businesses employ more people, profit, pay taxes for things like schools and roads and give back to their communities. In small towns, it’s not uncommon for farmers to donate directly to schools and nonprofit organizations. 

2. Farm-to-Table

A healthy option for your family and the planet, eating wheat grown from local Washington wheat farmers is a great way to #supportlocal and eat a healthy, balanced diet.

6. Food Production

One bushel of wheat can make 420 three-ounce cinnamon rolls. Or it can produce 72 pounds of tortillas. Fifty-two loaves of bread. Now, multiply that by 140 million and that’s roughly how many bushels of wheat are harvested in Washington state each year. 

7. Garlic Bread

It’s delicious and fights off vampires. Enough said.

8. Versatile Foods

In the US, wheat is primarily milled into flour. This flour then goes into the production of foods like bread, noodles, pasta, muffins, biscuits, cereal bars, cakes, pastries, both sweet and savory snack foods, and crackers. Semolina made from the durum variety of wheat is primarily made into pasta. It can also be used to make couscous which is an extremely versatile ingredient in salads, as a side, and even in desserts. 

9. Feed the World

All in all, wheat is just as versatile as it is nutritious, and the fact that it accounts for 20% of calories consumed worldwide is all the proof you need!

10. Homegrown

Most of Washington’s wheat farms are family-owned and operated. Many by families who helped build their local communities into what they are today.

11. 365 Days of Farming

The work of a farmer truly never stops. When you aren’t actively seeding, maintaining, or harvesting your crop, you are likely doing some accounting in your home office, fixing fences on your property’s edge, tending to the farm animals you own, or repairing farm machinery. Farmers are working through every season, rain or shine. Wheat farming is a year-round job.

12. Cookies

The world would be a worse place without cookies. 

13. #nodaysoff

There aren’t any days off for farmers. Working weekends, late nights, even holidays, the average us farmer works. 

14. Sustainable Practices

“Good farmers, who take seriously their duties as stewards of Creation and of their land's inheritors, contribute to the welfare of society in more ways than society usually acknowledges, or even knows. These farmers produce valuable goods, of course; but they also conserve soil, they conserve water, they conserve wildlife, they conserve open space, they conserve scenery.” — Wendell Berry, Author 

15. Made with Love

Every kernel of Washington wheat is grown with a passion inherited from generation to generation. Wheat farmers love what they do and you can taste it in the high-quality food products made with their grains.

16. Invest in the Future

Through organizations like Washington Wheat Foundation, farmers pay-per-bushel a certain portion of their profits to directly fund research, development, and education to better their communities and the world.

17. No farmers, No Food

It’s pretty straightforward—no farmers, no food.

18. Noodles

A vehicle for mouthwatering sauces and broths around the globe, noodles are the wiggly little strings that hold us all together. 

19. Stimulate the economy 

As mentioned earlier, wheat farming provides a lot of jobs and stimulates the economy. According to Washington Grain Commission, Washington wheat farmers annually contribute from $650 million to nearly $1 billion in production value to the state's economy. Adding indirect output has raised the total economic value of the wheat industry to nearly $2.3 billion in some years.

20. Healthy Community 

Without wheat farmers, eastern Washington’s lifeblood would run dry and rural communities would disappear. Our wheat farmers are roots that ground and hold this region together. Their efforts provide a healthy food source and more to their communities. 

Wheat farming is a herculean task performed by regular people. Their job is often thankless and their workday is never truly done. But they are eager to greet the day and get to work doing what they love; feeding the world. It’s their passion and drive that motivates us at Washington Wheat Foundation to be their biggest fans and constant support, and we hope it motivates you to do the same.