Flour is made from wheat...it is grown everywhere. The various types and species are usually grown in different areas. Hard wheat used for bread is usually grown up north and pastry flour is grown down South.
Wheat is usually grown in cycles of a field. Spelt, soybeans, and corn are also grown in those fields. It just depends on what the previous crop was as to what is grown in the current year. Also fertilizers and pesticides are ordered in the fall for spring delivery along with seed.
Most crops are contract grown....meaning that the crops are sold before they get planted. The seed and fertilizers are provided by the contractor...you provide labor and equipment and are paid on yield. Which covers the cost of diesel and equipment costs and provides a salary.
ConAgra, Monsanto and others (like fast food chains and snack food and cereal producers and etc) usually contract for the grains or whatever is grown long before the season starts.
So when you buy a bag of Gold Medal, King Arthur, pilsbury or store brand flour it was contracted for last year.
This year's crops aren't in yet but the forecast is in for how the fields are producing and how much is contracted for....and how much volume by comparison of annual consumption and costs of transportation.
Grains are a global commodity....meaning that the price of grain in America is based in part of how much grain is produced in Africa and Brazil.
Currently there's a shortage of rye. I'm expecting a bumper crop of pastry flour. (So long as we can avoid late summer storms)
I'm not sure how bread flour is doing up north yet.
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