The farming community of Steptoe, surrounded by an undulating sea of winter wheat in the Palouse Hills of Eastern Washington. Built upon a foundation of 15 million year old flood basalt, the wind blown dust called ‘loess’ subsequently blew in from the southwest to create the characteristic hills of the Palouse. Today Whitman County ranks amongst the highest wheat producer in the United States, with an average of 93.8 bushels per acre having been produced in 2018. In 2021, the region is now in a prolonged state of drought, with precipitation levels not seen since the 1920’s. In many areas east of the Cascades, Washington’s wheat farmers are looking at the certainty of reduced yields and stunted crops. Whitman County, Eastern Washington.
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Agriculture, Palouse Hills, Washington State, Wheat, Whitman County
