ABOUT

Wheat is sown in the autumn or early spring. When the shoots first appear it looks just like a field of grass. As it grows it produces side shoots which double or treble the size of each plant. Each shoot produces a stem which grows to a height of about 60cm. At the top of each stem a seed head emerges that is called an 'ear'. The ear contains about 40 grains or seeds which will yield flour when ripe.
Through the spring and summer the crop changes colour as it ripens, from green to yellow, and then to golden yellow. When the crop is fully ripe it is time to bring in the combine harvester. The combine cuts down the crop and separates the grain from rest of the plant. The grain is collected and the straw, the stem of the plant, passes through the machine and is dropped on the ground behind it.