Wheat

60,000 acres ecompass the Columbia Plateau from eastern Oregon and Washington to western Idaho. The rich soil was left behind thousands of years ago when glaciers cut volcanic rock into fine silt and the winds swiftly blew it around the surrounding areas. This soil is called loess, and it makes the region one of the most prosperous wheat producing regions in the world. However, the area receives only an average of 20 inches of rain which is making harvesting more and more difficult. Additionally weeds fight for water and can cut yields by up to 20%. It's amazing to drive across this vast farmland and realize what goes behind making our daily lives and things we often take for granted possible. Here, tractors are parked in the later afternoon near Pendleton, Oregon.