In 1611, English colonists planted wheat at Jamestown, Virginia. The first colonists did not have much luck with growing wheat and soon changed to other crops such as corn, tobacco, and cotton. George Washington, our first President, was one of the first Americans to abandon the growing of tobacco in favor of wheat. In fact, he grew wheat as an income crop (a money-making crop). For many years, tobacco had been his main cash crop, but by the mid 1760's he decided to grow wheat. His wheat could be sold in England, West Indies, Virginia, and Maryland. A major advantage in growing wheat was that if the market was bad, Washington could always use it to feed his family, slaves, and livestock. Washington even built a gristmill on his estate to process the Mount Vernon wheat into flour. Wheat took less human labor to produce and allowed the slaves to be employed elsewhere on the plantation.

George Washington devised a method of crop rotation designed to improve the long-term productivity of his land. Crop rotation revolved around the idea of planting a different crop each year so as not to wear out the nutrients and minerals in the soil. Washington used his seven year crop rotation plan in addition to fertilizers and new planting methods to increase his wheat yield.

George Washington is mainly known for his Revolutionary War efforts and for being our first President; however, he should also be remembered for wanting to make America a "granary" to the world. He emphasized the production of wheat and other grains rather than the production of tobacco.

History of Wheat The Wheat Plant George Washington Kinds of Wheat How Wheat is Grown Where Wheat is Grown Marketing Wheat

Uses of Wheat