Over 60 Online Sources of Wheat Berries

This blog post was written to help you discover the many U.S. based websites that sell wheat berries.

I. Why this PDF list of online wheat berry sources?

Several years ago, when I became interested in milling my own wheat into flour, I found it very difficult to locate affordable online sources of wheat berries. 

• Living in Florida, I didn’t have a local farmer I could easily purchase wheat berries from. 

• Online Google searches were incomplete and often outdated. 

• Likewise, hobby baking community forums had only a few names of wheat berry providers scattered over many threads. 

As I became more curious about wheat varieties, over time, I did find some online vendors of wheat berries.

• For instance,  Amy Holloran, author of The New Bread Basket, has on her website a list of fresh flour resources provided by artisan stone millers who in some cases sell wheat berries as well. 

• Another writer, Sarah Owens, also includes on her website a list of wheat berry vendors though not all provide online shipping options.

The PDF list was finalized in early 2022 and focuses on online wheat berry vendors that ship throughout the United States. 

The focus of the list was specifically on vendors that ship directly to your home.

As I was researching and double checking my sources, I was pleasantly surprised to discover new online vendors of wheat berries. 

Therefore, while I have compiled over 60 different online vendors, this list is by no means comprehensive as new vendors are likely to appear at any time. 

Please be aware that some websites will offer both an organic and a conventional option – so be careful when ordering to make sure you are getting the option you prefer. 

It is my understanding that some conventional farmers (vs organic farmers) spray their wheat crops with the herbicide glyphosate at least two weeks prior to harvesting them so that they dry better.

A conventional option does not automatically mean that glyphosate has been applied. 

If this is important to you – as it is to me – when in doubt, it is worth double checking directly with the vendor as their spraying practices can change.

In general, the conventional option will be cheaper than the organic option.

In terms of price, generally speaking, with shipping, conventional wheat berries purchased in bulk (usually 25 pounds or more) will cost between $1 to $2 per pound while organic wheat berries will cost between $2 to $3 per pound. 

II. Sign up to receive FREE PDF list

III. How to best use the FREE PDF list

Below is a screenshot from a sample online vendor included in the PDF list. This happens to be the vendor I purchase most of my heirloom wheat berries from:

A. Listing by U.S. state

You will notice that vendors in the file are listed by U.S. State.

• While all vendors sell their wheat berries online, the reality of purchasing wheat berries, particularly in bulk, is that typically a significant part of the cost of the purchase is from shipping charges. 

• As a result, someone who lives in Texas is usually better off buying from an online vendor closest to his/her state than from say, a vendor out of Washington State.

In order for you, the consumer, to find the most affordable options for bulk purchases of wheat berries, it is therefore best that you first seek out vendors located in the state closest to where you live.

B. Listing by wheat variety

Below is an overview of wheat varieties as they are classified in the United States.

1. Wheat is first classified by hardness of the bran and by protein/gluten content.

The harder the wheat is and the higher the gluten content, the longer it will take to process the wheat (i.e. sprouting, sourdough fermentation) for maximum digestibility.

There is a class of wheat called Durum which is considered to have the hardest exterior with high protein (around 13%). It is often amber in color. 

• Durum wheat is typically used for pasta making and not bread baking because it is lower in elasticity.

• Kamut, shown in image below, is a heirloom wheat that has grown in popularity in recent years and it is closely related to Durum wheat.

Among the wheat varieties used for baking:

• Hard wheat has a protein/gluten content that typically ranges from 11% to 16%.

-> Hard wheat is preferred for bread making because of its higher elasticity.

• Soft wheat has a protein/gluten content in the range of 6% to 11%.

-> Soft wheat is more commonly used for baking cakes and cookies.

2. Wheat is further broken down by color: Red or White. 

• Red wheats include all the dark colored wheats which have a higher level of tannins and typically have a stronger flavor.

• White wheats are milder in flavor because they lack the tannins found in red wheats.

3. Finally, wheat is classified as either Spring or Winter

• Spring wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in late summer. 

-> Hard Spring Wheat is typically preferred for baking breads made with commercial fast rising yeast.

• Winter wheat is planted in the fall season. 

-> The wheat has time to germinate before going dormant in the winter and then continuing to grow in the spring through summer when it is harvested.

-> Hard Winter wheat is typically preferred for baking sourdough bread made with slower rising wild yeast.

• Fun fact: Some older varieties (also called “landrace”) are adaptable enough to be planted in either spring or winter.

Based on the above, when purchasing wheat berries and/or wheat flour, the wheat will be classified as shown below by usage and in decreasing order of hardness and protein content:

C. Listing by named heirloom variety

A distinction can be made between the industrial “modern” commodity grains sold for blending into commercial flours and the “heirloom” grains whose history can be traced back to before the 1950’s.

The heirloom varieties were bred with an emphasis on flavor as well as yield. 

For example, there is a world of difference between the buttery flavor of heirloom Sonora Soft White Winter Wheat and the spicy, hearty flavor of heirloom Warthog Hard Red Winter Wheat.

There are some other ancestors of wheat that are now more commonly available. 

These are: Einkorn, Emmer and Spelt. 

Sometimes the term Farro is used to refer to these older wheat varieties. 

In the PDF list, these ancient wheat varieties are included under the general “heirloom” grouping.

The PDF list also includes generic, unnamed wheat varieties such as “Hard Red Winter Wheat” when no other information is provided by the vendor.

IV. Regarding gluten intolerance

As you can see from the previous section, the term “wheat” covers a wide variety of berries with large differences in protein/gluten content.

Over the years, Hard Red Spring Wheats have been bred to have an increasingly higher gluten percentage – in some cases almost double the percentage of Soft Wheats.

It is not uncommon for milling companies to use around 20% Hard Spring Wheat in their all purpose flour blends to improve the elasticity of the flour made with softer, lower protein wheat. 

American and Canadian wheat berries are commonly exported overseas for that very purpose.

If you believe you have issues digesting gluten, it may help you to start with softer, lower protein varieties and to try out winter or heirloom wheat berries for bread baking.

You may want to consider sourdough bread baking using a long fermentation period (i.e. overnight) to help make the gluten and bran more digestible.

Most people who are not gluten intolerant will be fine consuming any type of wheat berry.  Others may find that they tolerate better the heirloom grains. 

The founders of Sunrise Flour Mills (referenced in the PDF list) share how using heirloom wheat eliminated their gluten intolerance issue – their story might be a helpful guide if you would like to have another try at baking with wheat.

V. My experience with wheat berries

Personally, I no longer tolerate breads made entirely with Hard Red Spring Wheat.

I have found that I digest better bread made from lower protein (12% or less) hard winter wheat.

I can make a decent whole wheat sourdough loaf from most organic Hard Winter Wheat berries sold. 

After purchasing and taste testing many different varieties of wheat over the past several years, my favorite bread wheat for sourdough bread baking is Marquis Hard Red Winter Wheat. 

Marquis wheat is considered a heirloom variety because it was first bred in Canada in the early 1900s.

My favorite soft wheat variety for making flat breads and pie crusts is Sonora Soft White Winter Wheat. 

In addition, I have discovered and enjoy pasta making with either Durum or Kamut wheat. 

It is my sincere hope that the PDF list provided will help you discover and enjoy the delicious flavors and health benefits of whole wheat for yourself and your loved ones!

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