Wheat is a type of grain. It is useful as a livestock feed, but most wheat is used as human food. It is nutritious, easily stored and transported, and easily processed into a variety of foods. Unlike any other plant-derived food, wheat contains gluten protein that causes leavened dough to rise, forming very small gas cells that hold carbon dioxide during fermentation. This gluten and fermentation process produces light-textured bread. Bread and other wheat products are high in carbohydrates and contain valuable protein, minerals, and vitamins.
Types of wheat are grouped based on the season in which they are planted and whether their grain is hard or soft, red or white.The five major types of wheat grown in the United States are: hard red winter, hard red spring, soft red winter, white, and durum. Hard-red winter wheat and hard-red spring wheat are the most popular types of wheat in the United States. This wheat is ground into flour that is used for making bread. Another class of wheat, durum wheat, is used in macaroni, spaghetti, and other pasta products. Soft-red winter and soft-white wheats are grown in the eastern part of the United States. These types of wheat have less protein. They are used to make flour for cakes, biscuits, pastries, and other breakfast foods.
To prepare the soil for planting wheat, a farmer drives a tractor that pulls a plow through the fields. The plow turns the soil over and kills the weeds. A disk harrow is then connected to the tractor. The disk harrow breaks the soil down into smaller pieces. When the soil is ready for planting, the farmer uses a grain drill to plant the wheat seeds.
Spring wheat is planted in April or May and harvested in August or September. Winter wheat is planted in August, September, or October. It begins to grow, goes dormant in the winter, and then continues to grow once the snow melts and the soil warms in the spring. Winter wheat is harvested in May, June, and July.
The wheat we eat comes from the seeds of the wheat plant. To harvest the seeds, the wheat must be cut, threshed, and winnowed. A large machine, called a combine, is used to cut the wheat plant and separate the seeds (the grain) from the stem and the protective outer hull. The action of shaking the seeds loose is called threshing. Winnowing separates the seeds from the rest of the plant. The grain is collected, and the rest of the plant, referred to as the chaff, is used for animal bedding or forage. A combine is a very expensive piece of equipment, so many wheat farmers hire a custom harvester. Custom harvesters take their combines across the country during the wheat harvest, going from farm to farm cutting wheat.
Once the wheat seeds are harvested, they are loaded into trucks and driven to grain elevators where they are weighed, tested, and stored. The wheat seeds are then transported to a mill to be ground into flour.
permanent markers, a container of potting soil with small gardening trowels or spoons for scooping, and wheat seeds. Instruct them to write their name on a cup and add potting soil until the cup is 3/4 full. They should put about 15 wheat seeds on top of the soil. Encourage the students to place about 5 seeds around the sides of the cup to allow for observation of the germination process and root growth. Add a thin layer of soil on top of the seeds.