A Timeline and Overview of Wheat in the U.S. and Washington

1. Wheat’s American Roots – 1777
Wheat was first planted in the United States in 1777 by American farmers looking to celebrate independence. What started as a hobby crop has grown into a vital food source—today, U.S. farmers produce nearly 2 billion bushels of wheat annually.

2. Nobel Peace Prize in Agriculture – 1970
In 1970, agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in wheat research. His innovations sparked the Green Revolution, drastically increasing global food production and preventing billions of people from dying of starvation.

3. Modern Acreage – 2020
In 2020, over 44 million acres of land in the United States were planted with wheat. For comparison, that’s 10 times the acreage used for all vegetables in the U.S.

Wheat in Washington State

4. Major Producer
Washington is the 4th largest wheat-producing state in the U.S. Thirteen counties, led by Whitman, Lincoln, and Adams, account for over 90% of the state's wheat production.

5. Wheat Types Grown
Washington farmers grow six types of wheat: soft white, club, western white, hard red spring, hard red winter, and hard white. Soft white is the most widely grown—88% of winter wheat and 54% of spring wheat in the state.

6. 2017 Harvest
In 2017 alone, Washington farmers harvested 142.5 million bushels of wheat—contributing significantly to both national and global food supplies.

From the Field to the World

7. Export Powerhouse
Roughly 54% of all U.S. wheat exports are shipped through seven ports in Washington and Oregon via the Columbia/Snake River system—one of the cleanest and most efficient grain transport systems in the world.

What One Bushel Can Do

8. Inside a Bushel
Each bushel of wheat contains about 1 million kernels and weighs roughly 60 pounds.

9. Food from a Bushel

  • One bushel can be turned into 72 lbs of tortillas.

  • It can also yield 420 cinnamon buns (3 oz. each).

  • Or, it can provide enough flour for 42 lbs of pasta or 73 loaves of bread.

Technology on the Farm

10. Combines at Work
A modern combine can harvest 1,000 bushels per hour, which equals over 1 billion wheat kernels every hour. That’s the power of innovation in agriculture.