8 Places To Find Wheat Berries for Your Stockpile

Making your own flour is a great way to control the quality of your ingredients and ensure that you’re getting the freshest possible product. However, finding wheat berries can be a challenge if you don’t know where to look.

holding harvested red winter wheat berries in hands
holding harvested red winter wheat berries in hands

In this blog post, we’ll tell you where to find wheat berries (and exactly what they are) so you can start making your own flour at home.

What Are Wheat Berries?

Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed kernels of wheat that contain the bran, germ, and endosperm. Because they are minimally processed, they retain all of the nutrients found in wheat grain.

Wheat berry kernels can be hard or soft, red or white, and spring or winter varieties depending on the type of wheat from which they came.

Hard wheat berries have a high protein content and are best for making bread while soft wheat berries have a lower protein content and are best for making pastry.

Red wheat berries get their color from anthocyanin pigments in the bran layer; whole white wheat berries do not contain these pigments. Spring wheat berries are planted in the spring and harvested in the fall while winter wheat berries are planted in the fall and harvested the following summer.

Why You Need Wheat Berries

The germ, endosperm, and bran are intact in wheat berries. This means that wheatberries have more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than refined grains.

Here are some specific benefits of wheat berries:

1. A Good Source of Fiber

Fiber is important for digestive health. It helps to keep us regular and can also help to lower cholesterol levels. Wheat Berries are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and can help to slow digestion.

This type of fiber is good for regulating blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water. It helps to add bulk to stool and can also help with digestion by keeping things moving along the digestive tract.

2. A Good Source of Minerals

Wheat Berries are a good source of minerals, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Iron is important for carrying oxygen in the blood.

Magnesium is involved in energy production and protein synthesis. Phosphorus is necessary for the structure of our bones and teeth. Potassium is an electrolyte that helps to maintain fluid balance in the body.

3. A Good Source of Vitamins

Wheat Berries are also a good source of vitamins, including folate, niacin, thiamin, and vitamin E. Folate is important for pregnant women because it helps to prevent birth defects. Niacin is involved in energy production and cell metabolism.

Thiamin helps the body to use carbohydrates for energy production. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant in the body and protects cells from damage caused by free radicals.

wheat berries
wheat berries

4. May Improve Blood Sugar Control

Whole grains like wheat berries can help to improve blood sugar control by slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.

5. Most Importantly, They Make the Best Bread

Whole wheat berries are one of the simplest—and tastiest—ingredients around. Not only are they packed with nutrients and health benefits, but they also make deliciously moist and flavorful breads. So next time you’re at the store, be sure to pick up some whole wheat flour to bake with at home!

How to Store Wheat Berries

Buy your wheat berries in small quantities so that you will use them up before they have a chance to go bad. In many cases, though, it makes more sense to buy in bulk. If that’s the case, storing wheat berries properly is key.

wheat berries in plastic bucket with pack of oxygen absorber on top
wheat berries in plastic bucket with pack of oxygen absorbers on top

Keep wheat berries in an airtight container. Glass jars with tight-fitting lids work well. Place the container of wheat berries in a cool, dark place. A pantry or cupboard away from any heat sources is ideal.

Check on your wheatberries every few weeks and give them a smell test. If they smell musty or off, it’s time to toss them and start over.

How to Grind Wheat Berries into Flour

When choosing wheat berries, look for ones that are a light brown color and have a hard texture. Avoid any that are discolored or have a soft texture, as these may be rancid.

Clean your wheat berries. Place the wheat berries in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Make sure to remove any debris or foreign objects that may be mixed in with the berries.

Dry your wheat berries. Spread the rinsed berries out on a clean towel and allow them to air dry completely. This step is important, as any moisture left on the berries will make it more difficult to grind them into flour later on.

Place the berries in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This step is optional, but it will make grinding the wheat berries much easier.

Add the wheat berries to your grinder and start slowly at first. If you’re using a blender, pulse the berries in short bursts until they’re evenly ground into a fine powder.

If you’re using a coffee grinder, start by pulsing the berries 5-10 times before blending continuously until they’re ground up.

Enjoy! Your whole wheat flour is now ready to use in any recipe that calls for flour – happy baking!

Where to Find Wheat Berries

So, now that I’ve told you what wheat berries are and how to store them, how to grind them into flour, and why you should have them, I should probably backtrack a little and talk about where you can find wheat for sale.

It has only been a few months since I myself learned about wheat berries. Before then, I’d never even heard of such a thing. I had no idea how we got our flour, or that I could grind my own at home for that matter.

And if I hadn’t had friends to point me in the right direction, I would not have known where to find wheat to stock my cabinets with.

Rest assured. Even though you may have never noticed,  you probably have a  source of wheat nearby. If not, the internet will be your best friend.

You have a few options to get you on your way. Here are some places to scout out for wheat:

Your Local Health Food Store or Co-Op

One of the best places to find wheat berries is your local health food store. Many health food stores carry a wide variety of bulk grains and flours, including wheat berries.

Bulk prices are usually very reasonable, making this a great option if you plan on doing a lot of baking with your freshly milled flour.

Local Bakeries

It is not uncommon for local bakeries to have wheat berries, either.

If you live in the Seattle area, The Good Egg is an excellent place to find wheat berries. This locally owned and operated bakery carries a wide variety of specialty flours, including wheat berries that are perfect for milling at home.

The Good Egg also offers classes on baking with freshly milled flour, so you can learn from the experts how to get the best results with your homemade flour.

This is the case with many other bakeries, too, so be sure to look around for options near you.

Feed Mills

If you live in a rural area, chances are there may be an old mill somewhere nearby. If you don’t have any farm animals, you may have never even noticed it before, though it’s been there for a century.

Finding wheat at a mill is going to be one of the cheapest options, though selection will be very limited. They will probably only carry whatever type of wheat grows locally.

Our mill only carries soft white wheat (pastry wheat). I cannot make a loaf of bread with only this type of wheat, so I had to find a source of hard wheat as well.

If you find a mill to buy wheat from, you’ll need buckets with lids to store the berries in so that bugs do not spoil your purchase.

Before you buy wheat from a mill, be sure to read my article on knowing the difference between feed and seed wheat!

An Amish or Mennonite Store

Amish and Mennonite communities are nestled all over the US countryside. You may have one in your own town and not even know it if you’ve never looked. These stores will most likely have wheat berries for sale, and the kind people will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

A Mormon or LDS Cannery

If you have a cannery in your area, you’ll be able to find wheat at a good price. You may have to be a church member, or know somebody who is in order to get in.

I think they all work differently. We found a cannery about half an hour from our house, and they were happy to let us shop at their warehouse at wholesale prices.

Whole Foods or other Natural Foods Stores

Although these stores will carry wheat berries, they will be the most expensive option. Not a practical choice for large purchases of wheat.

Costco

If you have a membership, Costco.com has cans of wheat available for purchase, though they are quite pricey compared with local and other online resources.

Purchasing Online

This may be your best option! After searching everywhere in my area for wheat berries, I finally decided upon ordering my hard white and hard red wheat from an online source. The local mill carries the soft white wheat I wanted, but the only place locally I could find hard wheat was in the Amish community.

After calculating the driving expense, the buckets and oxygen packets I’d need for storage, plus the cost of the wheat, I came to the conclusion that ordering off of the internet was my best option.

The two places I have ordered wheat from and have been extremely happy with are Shelf Reliance and Emergency Essentials. What I love about ordering from both of these retailers is that the wheat comes already packed in food-grade buckets, sealed in a mylar bag with oxygen absorbers for long-term storage.

The buckets from Shelf Reliance actually come with a gamma seal lid as well- LOVE THEM- super easy to open and close.

Buckets of wheat from Shelf Reliance are a little more expensive than Emergency Essentials, but they do come with the gamma lid (which EE sells for an additional $7.50), and the wheat from Shelf Reliance is non-GMO!

After shipping expenses, the full 6-gallon SuperPails of wheat only cost a couple more dollars per bucket than what I could find locally. The time and effort saved was worth the extra little bit of money to me.

Final Thoughts

There are many places to find wheat berries, so get out there and start looking! Grinding your own flour is healthier, cheaper, and just plain tastier!

Do you have a favorite place for purchasing wheat? Let us know where you find wheat berries for a great deal!

FAQ

Are farro and wheat berries the same thing?

Farro and wheat berries are both whole grains that are relatively high in fiber and protein. They also have a similar nutty flavor and chewy texture. However, there are some important differences between these two grains. Farro is an ancient grain that was first cultivated in the Middle East. It is made up of three types of wheat: emmer, einkorn, and spelt.

Wheatberries, on the other hand, are the whole kernels of common Wheat. They can be found in a variety of colors, including white, red, and black.

What is the difference between hard and soft wheat berries?

Hard wheat berries have a higher protein content than soft wheat berries and are typically used for bread flour, while soft wheat berries are used for pastry flour. The protein in hard wheat creates gluten, which gives bread its chewy texture. The starch in soft wheat is more easily broken down, making it more tender and ideal for light pastries.

Hard wheat berries also have a longer shelf life than soft wheat berries. Because they contain more protein, they are less likely to go rancid. For this reason, hard wheat berries are often used in commercial baking. However, both types of wheat berries can be found in natural food stores.

Is there another name for wheat berries?

Sometimes wheat berries are also called wheat kernels or wheat berries. Most wheat berries sold commercially are hard red winter wheat, but you can also find them made from hard white winter wheat.

Is wheat berry the same as wheat?

Wheat berry is actually a whole grain that includes the brain, germ, and endosperm, whole wheat is a refined grain that only includes the endosperm.

This means that wheat berry is more nutrient-dense than wheat, as it contains more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It also has a lower glycemic index.

26 thoughts on “8 Places To Find Wheat Berries for Your Stockpile”

  1. I’ve done quite a bit of searching online and found that Pleasant Hill Grain has a good variety and sells in 6-gallon Mylar-lined gasket sealed buckets with oxygen obsorbers for long-term storage.
    I’ve been baking sourdough bread on the weekends. The fermentation process breaks down the wheat so it’s easier to digest and you get more nutrition out of it. You don’t need commercial yeast to bake sourdough bread. I make mine with just 3 ingredients: flour, water, and salt. And it’s the most delicious bread ever! My kids often eat it for breakfast. My 8-yr-old likes to help with the baking sometimes. I’m looking forward to getting a hand-crank mill so I can make fresh flour at home. Even if there’s a power outage or some natural disaster which forces you out of your home, you can still have fresh flour and bake bread in a Dutch oven over hot coals from a fire. There are some good videos online. I want to try it out this summer.

    Reply
  2. My husband and I grow wheat and other grains organically and GMO-free on the Colorado Prairie. We sell directly to the consumer at http://www.GrainsFromThePlains.com.
    We ship nationwide as economically as we can and will also arrange a free meetup or delivery to parts of the Front Range of Colorado.
    I hope you don’t mind the self-promotion here, but we do strive to be the best.
    Laura

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    • Hey I just ordered and am excited! Google changed all their settings and direct all traffic to Amazon and other corporations! Thanks for posting! It took me days to find a local farm on google!

      Reply
  3. I need to buy wheat with best price to start the chakki fresh atta..Could you coordinate where the best ratere could be taken.
    Thanks for coordination.
    Arul N
    9591998727

    Reply
  4. Sams Club has excellent pricing on the big buckets of various foods for long term storage. Brand name is Augason. I compared to the pricing I was getting from Shelf Reliance and found that they were considerably cheaper. Also cheaper than Costco. I will be loading up on 40-50 buckets to complete my preps.

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  5. It depends on where you live but the wheat berries wouldn’t have to be stored in buckets, again, depending on the humidity. We live in Colorado and leave our wheat berries out in the open for months and they are perfectly fine and still make delicious, nutritious bread.

    There is a family farm in Colorado, Dodsworth Farms, that sells hard red winter wheat berries directly off their website. It’s reasonably priced and it comes already vacuum sealed in like 2.5 pound bags. It’s not organic but it is Non-GMO, all natural and chemical free. You can check them out at their website, http://www.dodsworthfarms.com

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  6. What a great resource – thanks!
    A word about buckets for storing wheat – I have gotten several food grade bucket, for free, from supermarket bakeries. Their frosting comies in them. I just wash them really well, using a little vinegar to cut any greasiness and they are good to go.

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  7. Oh, I ordered buckets initially, but one can only collect so many! Once you have a lot of buckets to re-fill, you can order 50 # bags for less money. I re-fill the empty buckets with wheat and oxygen absorbers. I haven’t had any trouble with rodents or bugs.

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  8. Hi Kendra,

    I order my wheat from Wheat Montana. I’ve been ordering from them for the past 13 years and have never been disappointed.

    If you order a minimum of 5000 pounds you receive a GREATLY reduced price. A LOT less than what you’re paying at Honeyville.

    That includes the shipping which ends up being approximately $7.00 dollars each.

    It isn’t that hard to get together a group order of 5000 pounds, and you can order by the 50 pound bag or in buckets.

    Our group tends to order once or twice per year.

    The wheat is delivered in a semi-truck. You’re responsible to meet the truck at delivery time.

    Reply
  9. Walton Feeds is a wonderful site for all kinds of grains.They also have storage techniques and other storage foods. Also some yummy recipes.
    Thenewsurvivalist.com is a good site for survival suggestions.Dr. weed also has videos on cooking rice and other healthy grains.
    The LDS canneries are run by the LDS church. You can go with a member you know when they go. It’s a good way to buy case lots of what they are canning that day. There are canners avaiable that you can purchase to can things it bags and cans for storage. If you belong to a coop group they might want to invest in one and rent it out to the members or have a canning day.
    Whole grains are fun to work with. There is always a period of learning what is right for you and where and how you live.

    Reply
    • No need to go with or know a member – the church canneries or food storage facilities are all open to the community. They do have food pantries to help people and those are limited- maybe that is where the confusion comes from.

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  10. I was able to find a local cannery in my state of MA through LDS. If you go to providnetliving.org, you will be able to select on your state and it will tell you if you have one near you. I went there about a month ago and it was my second time and I have to tell you that it is awesome. I know you mentioned in your blog that you were not sure if they will let you in if you are not a church member but we had no problem making an appointment to use their facilities. They have a ton of stuff you can purchase and they did have the hard white and the hard red wheat as well as flour. My plan is to go back every couple of months or so to stock up. Hope this helps some of you.

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  11. I have been intending to buy wheat but accelerated the timetable due to the news. Like you, I found Emergency Essentials to be the best buy for me. We just don’t have any place local to buy that sort of thing.

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  12. I LOVE our local Dutch foods store!!! Where would I be without them!?

    They used to carry Wheat Montana Prairie Gold in flour, but now they only sell it in berries. So, I am praying for a mill (seriously!). I like Wheat Montana because they do not spray and they are non-GMO. But, to order directly from them costs more.

    Thanks for such practical posts! I am sure that many people are being helped.

    Bethany

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  13. Don’t forget your co-op! Check to see if you have one in your area. Ours carries all kids of wheat berries at great prices! We use Azure Standard.

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  14. I just made a purchase of 5 superpails of hard white wheat from Emergency Essentials myself. the challenge will be finding a place to store them! Our two bedroom trailer can only hold so much. LOL. But with the direction things are heading, I wish I had the money and storage space to fill up a whole room with buckets of wheat and other long-term food storage items. It’s scary to me how few people realize how unstable our food system is and how little it would take for compelete chaos to start. I wish everyone would realize the benefit of at least having a well-stocked pantry and at least planting a small kitchen garden.

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  15. This is a particularly timely post as it has just been reported in the last week that the Russian wheat crop has failed due to drought. This is expected to lead to higher wheat prices worldwide as the Russians will be forced to go to the open market to buy wheat. I think I will be stocking up on a 50 lb. bag or hard wheat this month and possibly a 25 lb. bag of soft wheat next month. Thanks for the reminder and the incentive to check my local price vs. online pricing. I can still get in cheaper locally in PA from a local wholesaler.

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  16. I’ve ordered my wheat from Honeyville Grain. They have flat shipping – i think it’s less than $6 no matter what you order. I did order gamma seal lids from Emergency Essentials and was happy with their service. I wondered about their buckets – its nice to hear you had a good experience! Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Heh, I live near the breadbasket of the NW – my uncles now run the wheat farm my grandfather started way back in the day (he used to own about half the county I’ve heard?). So, I can either wheedle some from them, or trip across their county to a particular mill/feed store where some second cousins live and get some goodies.
    And fwiw, we’ve stored wheat berries the low-tech way (um, in old school giant Schwan’s ice cream containers in pantries) and they do fine. I have some that have got to be a good decade old by now. My grandpa back in the day actually had to bury his wheat seed so the bank couldn’t come after it as collateral (this was before Monsanto got a stranglehold on things) – and apparently it kept fine in those burlap bags in the ground until planting time. 😀

    Reply

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