Farm Life Farm Wife - Our Trial Plot of Wheat

Homestead Happenings

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Our Trial Plot of Wheat

Join Mary over at CANADAGIRL for more great Show and Tells!
Bet you guys didn't know I have ANOTHER blog over here on HSB2. If you scroll down, you'll see I don't blog here very often--mostly because I'm not at our homestead very often. However, all of that is soon to change. My DH retired June 30 (school district, so he got early retirement. We're really not very old. Honest).

Anyway, in the spring, DH planted a trial plot of wheat. Our 14 acres is at about 3,000', but we figured if they can grow wheat in Montana (the Prairie Gold White Wheat), surely we can grow wheat 2,000' lower and in the same climate (dry land farming). The "big guys" get like 50(?) bushels (about a 50# sack) per ACRE. Whoa! Even if we got only a quarter of that production, that is a lot of wheat.

But first! Does wheat grow in the Okanogan Highlands of Eastern Washington? Answer: See for yourselves. It's beautiful and I can't wait to see it turn golden and ready to whack at. It is a very small trial, because we had to keep the deer away. Pictures below....

The trial plot--not very large, but very deer resistant.

A close-up of our (not quite) golden grain!

Look at those heads!

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Comments

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by morningsunshine

cool trial - I cannot wait to see how it does.

we have a lot of dry-farming wheat around here. I have looked to see where we could do it if we needed to. Please continue to post updates and pictures, and how you harvest this.

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - How totally awesome

Posted by Anonymous

I love your mini-wheat field! It will be exciting to see what developes next year! And ofcourse the bread the Little Red Hen gets out of these grains as well!

Because of Jesus, bobbie

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Congrats to hubby!!! How exciting these times must be!!!

I hope it is a great success for you!!

Thanks for sharing,
Robyn

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Maisie

How exciting with how your trial wheat crop is growing. It looks beautiful. A farm near us, in Northern Maine, grows buckwheat for their Ployes mix. It grows well for them even thought we have very mild, short, and even wet summers. I was really surprised that buckwheat grows here.
http://maisieinmaine.blogspot.com/

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Very Cool. I was born and raised on both sides of Washington! I love the rain and miss the pacific northwest the most. My parents have a farm near Tonasket. Thanks for stopping by today! ( solidrock at HSB)

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - hi

Posted by Anonymous

Wow! It looks like your doing a great job with these, your right I didn't know you had a homestead blog, I would love to be more of a homesteader, sadly I'm not!

You know I have always been a non-fiction reader, its very rare I read fiction. I do agree with you, it would let me escape if I did read more of it, thats for sure!

Angela

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Awesome!

Posted by Anonymous

I would love to grow wheat but I live in the suburbs of D.C. so it isn't going to happen any time soon! Yours looks so good!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. The camper you mentioned in your comment was borrowed to help house the 30 plus people that came for the reunion. My girls loved to play house in it during the day! I would love to get a camper one day, it would make traveling with 8 people a bit easier.
Blessings~
Toni
http://thehappyhousewife.com

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by JoAnn

Wow, that looks great. So are you going to plant the wheat for yourselves or to sell it? I'm sure it will do great up there. Up here in our high altitude mountains they grow wheat. I'm sure your's will turn out great.
Retired, huh? So are you going to move permanently to your homestead soon? If you do, you'll be able to blog from there right? :)
JoAnn

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - So cool

Posted by Jenn4him

This is so cool! Do you have the machinery to grow wheat? To answer your question, I love back to school time. I have my books just waiting. I am eager to get back to the routine and more structure. The kids on the other hand could wait!
Jenn

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 11, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

What a neat little crop! I hope it works out for you!
I put a link in my post about French rolling pins.
Sandpiper
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Sandpiper/

• Permanent Link

Saturday, July 12, 2008 - :)

Posted by CelticMom (atHSB)

Wow - that is a beautiful sight to these desert-worn eyes! I grew up in Northern Michigan, and we lived there most of the time up until four years ago when we moved to the Sonoran Desert. I sorely miss the seasons and the connection to the earth - be very grateful indeed for your homestead.

I'm trying to talk hubby into homesteading; he's a city boy who married a country girl, so we'll see how it goes, lol! We have both decided to leave the desert, however, and are looking in the PNW. How I long for steady rain, lol!

Thanks so much for sharing this; it touched me and made me more determined than ever. Have a lovely weekend, and I look forward to poking through your site a little more. :)

Blessings,
Shani

• Permanent Link

Sunday, July 13, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

Wow !!! Should I start calling you Farmer Suzy ? You guys are doing a GREAT job on the trial. You will have to keep us updated if you do plant a lot more. That is soooooo neat !!

Blessings and ((HUGS)) my SSiC
In Him<><
-Mary

• Permanent Link

Friday, July 25, 2008 - interesting project

Posted by Anonymous

will be fun to see what you can do with the wheat you've grown!!

Blessings,
Kym
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kympossible

• Permanent Link

Last Page | Next Page