Wheat to bread in 14 steps
Seeding
Wheat is generally seeded in Canada in early spring. Wheat is a hardy plant. Over the years, plant researchers have created new varieties of wheat in order to produce high-quality, high-yielding wheat that adapts well to Canada's growing season.
Emergence
The wheat seed is called the "kernel". That's what gets planted and grows to become the wheat plant. "Emergence" refers to the sprouting of the plant through the soil. Most wheat plants grow to be two to four feet high.
Pest control
Wheat plants are susceptible to a number of pests, including midge and grasshoppers. Plant diseases may also threaten wheat. Crop damage can be reduced by the application of various pesticides, which are chemicals designed to kill particular insects or fight disease
Heading
"Heading" refers to the emergence and lengthening of the head of the wheat plant. The wheat head contains the grain and is the part of the plant harvested for food production. It can yield 50 to 75 seeds. The seeds, or kernels, are small and dry and well suited for storage and transport.
Harvesting
Wheat is harvested when it reaches maturity, often referred to as the "golden ripe" stage. Wheat is harvested using a combine. This high-tech machine is called a "combine" because it combines several separate tasks. It cuts the wheat stalk from the ground, collects the grain in a hopper and deposits the rest of the plant on the ground as straw. In Canada, the harvest generally occurs between August and October.
Storage on farm
Western Canadian agriculture relies heavily on on-farm grain storage, since there is no room in elevators and port terminals to hold the massive volume of grain produced on the Prairies. Grain bins are used in agriculture to store grain. Farms have many of these bins to store the harvested grain. The Canadian Wheat Board calls in wheat from the farms to the elevators when an ocean vessel is on its way to accept it at port for overseas customers.
Delivery to elevator
Grain elevators are a common sight on the Canadian Prairies. Farmers truck their grain to the elevators, which then load it into rail cars, which take it ports or to North American customers. Larger terminal elevators are found at shipping ports, where grain is sent to be loaded onto vessels for transport. Canadian grain ports include Vancouver and Prince Rupert on the west coast; Churchill, Manitoba; Thunder Bay (for transport through the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway); Quebec, Montreal, Bay Comeau, Port Cartier, Trois Riviere and Sorel on the east coast.
Shipped to mill
Grain intended for milling is sent by truck or rail car directly from the receiving port or from storage bins to flour mills.
Milling
Milling is a process of grinding and separating. A wheat kernel has three components: the endosperm, bran and germ. White flour is created from the endosperm alone. Whole wheat flour uses the endosperm and bran, while whole grain flour is made from the entire kernel. Different separations may be combined to produce many different types of flour, including household flour, bakers' flour and noodle flour. .
Packaging
After the flour is ready, it is sent to bakeries in bags or by bulk delivery trucks. Enough flour is sent in one large bulk truck to make about 45,000 loaves of bread.
Mixing/Leavening
Bakers mix flour, water and other ingredients to form dough. Leavening is the process of adding gas to dough to produce lighter, more easily chewed bread. Leavening can be achieved through the addition of chemicals, steam, certain gases or, more commonly, yeast. Yeast ferments carbohydrates in the flour, including any sugar, producing carbon dioxide, which causes the dough to expand.
Baking
Baking transforms dough into bread. In the oven, the dough continues to expand, takes on a stable shape, develops the desired flavour and forms a crust. After baking, the bread is cooled and may be sliced and packaged.
Marketing
After bread has been baked, sliced and packaged, it is shipped to local markets, convenience stores or supermarkets for purchase by consumers.
Consumption
Wheat is one of the staple foods of the world alongside rice and corn. It is used in a huge variety of foods and is the main ingredient in bread, pasta and noodles. Wheat is also used to create treats, including many types of cookies, cakes and muffins. Snacks such as pretzels are also made from wheat. Grains are one the four essential food groups identified in the Canada Food Guide.