03/24/2026
When North Carolinians drive past a field of golden wheat in late spring or early summer, they may not think much about where that crop is headed next. In fact, many people may not realize just how much wheat is grown in North Carolina — or how it’s used once it leaves the farm.
According to Cameron Simpson, a third-generation row crop farmer in Union County and president of the North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association, the answer may surprise some people. “Right now, about 80 percent of the wheat grown in North Carolina goes into what we refer to as feed wheat,” Simpson said. “So, it’s going to go feed turkeys, hogs — mostly hogs — and some poultry rations also.” That means most wheat grown in the state ultimately helps support North Carolina’s large livestock and poultry industries. The grain becomes an ingredient in feed rations for animals that are raised across the state.
From wheat fields to flour
While most wheat becomes animal feed, a smaller but important share of North Carolina wheat heads in a different direction. “The other 20 percent of the wheat grown goes into the milling channel,” Simpson said. “It goes in for flour.”
Much of that wheat is grown in the Piedmont region, where conditions tend to produce grain that meets the quality standards required by flour mills. Simpson said several mills process North Carolina wheat into flour, including facilities operated by ADM in Charlotte, Mennel Milling Company in Newton and Bartlett Milling Company in Statesville. “They will take our wheat, grind it into flour, and ultimately it’ll end up in things like Lance crackers,” Simpson said.
Some North Carolina wheat also becomes an ingredient in the popular snack cracker Cheez-It thanks to the company’s bakery operation in Cary, which uses flour produced from North Carolina-grown wheat. (You can read more about that in a story shared by WUNC News (NC Public Radio): https://www.wunc.org/term/news/2025-04-02/north-carolina-wheat-cheez-its) “I’m really proud of our flour market. We are very dependent on the flour market, and I’m proud to say that really any Lance cracker on the east coast is made from North Carolina wheat. So very proud of that,” Simpson said.”
Why most wheat becomes feed
So why does most North Carolina wheat go into the feed stream rather than the milling market? The answer largely comes down to grain quality and growing conditions. For wheat to be suitable for flour, it must meet several strict standards. Mills look for grain with the right test weight, low levels of foreign material, minimal disease issues and other quality characteristics. “There’s a lot of characteristics that wheat needs to have to go into that milling channel,” Simpson explained.
One particularly important measurement is known as the falling number, which helps determine whether wheat kernels have begun to sprout before harvest. “In layman’s terms, it’s measuring if the wheat has started to sprout,” Simpson said. “You want that rod to drop very slowly in the test tube. That tells you the grain hasn’t begun to sprout.”
Weather during the growing season can strongly influence this measurement. Excessive rain late in the season can cause wheat kernels to absorb moisture and begin sprouting before they’re harvested — making them unsuitable for milling. Simpson said that happened on his own farm during a particularly rainy season. “I grew about 1,800 acres of wheat, and not one single bushel went for milling because of falling number,” he said. “We had those May rains. The wheat was pretty much mature, it rained on it, and essentially it started to sprout.” When wheat doesn’t meet the milling standards, it still has an important destination, which is the feed market.
Supporting North Carolina animal agriculture
That feed market plays a major role in North Carolina agriculture. The state is home to large poultry and hog industries that require a steady supply of grain. In fact, Simpson said North Carolina still doesn’t produce enough grain to meet the demand from livestock and poultry producers. “We’re a net importer of wheat and corn,” he said. “All the corn we grow here in the state and all the wheat we grow is not enough to sustain the animal market we have here.” Because of that demand, North Carolina-grown wheat provides an important local supply for feed mills and livestock operations.
A staple of N.C. agriculture
Whether it becomes flour for crackers or feed for livestock, wheat remains a dependable crop for many North Carolina farmers. Simpson grows wheat every year as part of his row crop rotation alongside corn, soybeans and cotton. “Wheat is a mainstay out here,” he said. “It’s grown every year. It just usually provides a good return for the operation.”
While many consumers may not immediately connect a field of wheat with the food on their table, that connection exists in more ways than one. From snack crackers made with North Carolina flour to the animals raised on feed made from the state’s grain, North Carolina wheat is part of feeding people. The path from field to mouth just may not be as direct as many people think. “We need these markets,” Simpson said. “As growers and producers here, we rely heavily on them, and they rely on us.”
