Grain shipment depots on the bank of the Snake River at Central Ferry, Washington, where some 30 million bushels of wheat are sent downriver annually for export to Asia. The large outdoor pile seen here at McCoy Grain contains only half of 1.3M bushels that will be held here by the end of the harvest season.
The Palouse has the most productive wheat-growing conditions in the USA, with non-irrigated harvests averaging over 70 (this year over 100) bushels/acre in the area between Pullman, WA, and Moscow, ID. The dry mild climate with warm days and cool nights combine well with rich loess soil, good drainage to form the ideal wheat-growing conditions. The wheat is planted perpendicular to slope on steep inclines, up to 45° slopes, with specially-rigged combines to harvest at an angle, with some combines having outriggers to keep their 30ft. wide cutting heads from tipping over. 80-90% of Palouse soft white wheat is exported, primarily to Asia, where buyers will pay a premium for its use in noodles, sponge cakes, and other light foods. The US and Canada are the biggest wheat exporters in the world.
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- ©2016 George Steinmetz
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- www.GeorgeSteinmetz.com
- Contained in galleries
- 21st Century Agriculture
