Wheat

Types of Washington Wheat

Washington grows 4 of the 6 U.S. wheat classes – in addition to Club Wheat (a Soft White Wheat subclass).

When milled into flour, each class offers unique quality and texture characteristics – perfect for making a wide array of wheat-food products.

Where WASHINGTON Wheat Grows

Eastern Washington has numerous unique micro-climates. Wheat in the region is grown under precipitation regimes from eight inches (20.32 cm) of annual moisture to over 25 inches (63.5 cm). The bulk of Washington’s precipitation comes during the winter.

Growing Regions

Production in Washington has three main growing regions based on precipitation: low, intermediate and high. Whitman County, which is situated within the rolling hills of the Palouse, produces the most wheat of any county in the U.S. and receives more than 20 inches of precipitation annually. Walla Walla County, near the Oregon border also receives nearly as much precipitation and is very productive

The vast majority of wheat acreage in Eastern Washington, however, is in the low and intermediate precipitation zones, receiving annually from 8 to 15 inches of moisture in the form of snow and rain. Much of this land is summer fallowed, that is, the land is only cropped every other year to allow the ground to rest a year between crops to accumulate moisture.

Where Wheat Grows in Washington

Washington wheat is produced across 20 of Washington State’s 39 counties, represented in gold on the map below.

Production, Quality & Exports

WASHINGTON Wheat Production

Get the most recent annual reporting on Washington wheat production volumes.

WASHINGTON Wheat QuaLity

Discover more about Washington’s Preferred Wheat Variety quality rankings and find the current quality reports.

Partnerships & Exports

Get information on bulk wheat purchasing from and exports from Washington’s wheat suppliers and their national partners.

History of Wheat

Wheat is the result of millions of years of natural evolution. Its nutritional value, versatility, and flavor were discovered gradually—starting around 20,000 years ago when early humans first ate its seeds.

In 2019, archaeologists in Jordan found evidence of wheat being ground and baked into flatbread 14,000 years ago. Farming began 10,000–12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, across what is now Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey. This shift marked the end of hunting and gathering and the beginning of civilization. Whether we eat it or not, wheat is part of our shared human story.

Wheat is the world’s most vital crop, supplying 20% of the calories needed to feed over seven billion people—a number expected to reach nine billion by 2050. Mechanization began in the early 1900s, with major advances in fertilization and herbicide use following World War II. For decades, tillage and plowing led to severe soil erosion. Today, conservation programs have reduced soil loss by up to 85%, marking a significant step forward in sustainable agriculture.

Eastern Washington is known for producing some of the world’s highest-quality wheat. Most of the crop is winter wheat, planted in the fall; spring wheat follows in early spring.
Harvest kicks off in July for winter wheat, with spring wheat starting about a month later. Depending on location, harvest can extend into September.
In 2024, Washington farmers harvested 2.24 million acres of wheat for a total wheat production of 143.5 million bushels. Average winter wheat yield of 70 bushels an acre. Average spring wheat yield was 43 bushels an acre.
In 2025, Washington State is ranked fourth in the nation's top wheat producing states.