Nearly 17,000, or 87 percent, grow spring wheat. Hard red spring wheat grows best in the northern areas of the United States, where summers are mild and not too hot for young, tender plants. One bushel of wheat weighs 60 pounds and yields about 42 pounds of flour after milling and sifting. Breads are an important part of a healthy diet. They are high in carbohydrates, low in fat and low in calories.
Enriched breads are good sources of iron and some B-vitamins.
Besides making food, hard red spring wheat can be used in food thickener, sweetener or laundry detergent. It can also be used in paper manufacturing and ethyl alcohol production. Approximately 55 percent of the U.S. hard red spring wheat crop is exported to foreign countries as a superior wheat for blending and specialty breads. Hard red spring wheat is exported to about 70 countries each year.