The Origin Of Wheat And Rust

Wheat And Rust

Two Things That Don't Seem To Go Together

My first post!!!  I bake practically all day every day and I use flour in almost everything.  Lately I've been wondering about where flour actually comes from.  It turns out that almost all the flours I use are made from wheat.  So where does wheat come from?  The origin of wheat is a seed.  Wheat is grown from disease-free seeds in dry, mild climates.  It's planted in a particular pattern of narrow channels called furrows.  While growing, farmers must protect the wheat crop from any serious problems.  Most people would guess that insects are the most damaging problem for any plant.  There are over one hundred different insects that like to attack wheat, but insects only damage less than 10% of wheat in the U.S.  Interestingly enough, the biggest disease that hits wheat crops is rust.  Who would've thought?  Seriously though, rust is a fungus that will infect and grow on the wheat and even results in rust-colored spots.  So if you're growing wheat, watch out for rust!  If you want to read more about the origin of wheat, read How To Use Flour a great guide that explains the different types of flour, how flour is made and substitutions for various flours.