By Scott Yates

Scott Yates is the director of communications and producer relations for the Washington Grain Commission

Eastern Washington's warm days and cool nights allow farmers to grow five of the six classes of wheat raised in the United States: Soft white, hard red winter, hard red spring, hard white and durum.

The only class not grown in Washington is soft red winter, a type of wheat mainly found east of the Mississippi River. The predominant wheat class grown in Washington – about 77% of the state's acreage – is soft white. A subclass of soft white is club wheat, which is used...