Weatherbury Farm Grain Tracker
From Planting to Harvest, Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Winter Wheat (Whole & Sifted Rouge de Bordeaux Bread Flour) in the field:
Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat is a facultative high protein heritage wheat, which means that it can be planted either in the fall or in the spring. By choosing to plant it in the fall, it gets a running start ahead of the weeds in the spring.
Before planting Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat, the fields are plowed and harrowed. The harrow (to the left) smooths the field after plowing.
Planting Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat
The Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat is planted using an air drill planter. At the front of the planter is a harrow, which smooths the soil in the field to give the Rouge de Bordeaux wheat seed the best possible seedbed.
Frost seeding clover into the Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat.
The clover suppresses weeds, aids in holding up the grain and, eventually provides nitrogen to the next crop.
Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat in the spring. A close-up of the wheat on the day when the farmers spun clover seed on the crop.
The wheat grows over the winter, giving it a head start on spring weeds.
In 2 1/2 months the Rouge de Bordeaux has grown from a tiny plant to a plant with the grain heads. The wheat grains that are milled into flour are in the wheat heads.
Rouge de Bordeaux Bread Flour in the field!
The Rouge de Bordeaux has dried down and is almost ready for harvest.
Harvesting the Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat
When we harvest the Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat, the wheat grain is stored in the body of the combine. Straw comes out the back of the combine and is deposited back into field. The straw is used either to bed animals or left in the field to increase the organic matter of the soil.
The white building visible over the top of the combine is where our flour mill is. Pretty short supply chain.
Nigel oversees the unloading the Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat into a gravity wagon to take the grain back down the road to our home farm.
At the farm, we place aerators in the wagon to bring down the moisture of the grain further. The grain is stored in the wagon until it is cleaned in order that it can be milled into flour.
Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Spring Wheat Facts 2025
2025 Rouge de Bordeaux Fields
In 2025, Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Winter Wheat was grown in Independence Township on our home farm. The farm is part of a 436 acre grant (known as Extravagance) surveyed to John Doddridge on April 6,1786. According to the Caldwell Atlas , the farm was established by M.T. Murdock in 1825. Murdock is listed as a farmer, grain, stock and wool grower (with 150 sheep). The farm was later a dairy operation (the Patterson family: 1945-1966) and a cattle operation (the Eastham family: 1966-1986). In 2008, we began raising historical grains on both the home farm and neighboring farms. The grains were certified organic in 2009 . In April 2014 Weatherbury Farm began stone-grinding flour. Weatherbury Farm also raised grass fed beef.
The wheat was planted on 2 fields totaling 3.2 acres on October 1, 2024.
Clover was frost seeded into the wheat on March 14, 2025. (The clover suppresses weeds, aids in holding up the grain, increases soil organic matter, and eventually provides nitrogen to the next crop.)
The Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Winter Wheat was harvested on July 3, 2025.
At the 2025 Washington County Fair, the Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat sheaf won 2nd place and the jar of Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat grains won 3rd place.
For an illustrated explanation of how Weatherbury grains become flour, visit the from seed to flour page.
About Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Winter Wheat
Whole and Sifted Rouge de Bourdeaux Wheat
Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Winter Wheat is a facultative wheat which was planted in the fall. As such, it is able to get ahead of spring weeds, while having the higher protein normally associated with spring-planted wheat.
RBD is a heritage high protein hard red wheat dates back to the mid-1800s in the southwest of France. This may have been the wheat that gave French bakers their reputation for making superb artisan bread!
It was quite popular until World War II when farmers shifted to modern high yield wheats. Now, Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat is having a comeback with farmer seed sharing in the U.S. (In fact, our seed comes from a farmer that Nigel met at the 2023 Hudson Valley Grain School.)
Products Milled from Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Spring Wheat
Rouge de Bordeaux is milled into organic unbleached whole and sifted Rouge de Bordeaux bread flour.
Health benefits of Wheat
Wheat is an excellent source of protein, dietary fibers, manganese and selenium. Wheat’s fiber boosts the digestive process and improves overall metabolism. The vitamin B content of wheat provides you with energy. Additionally, the complex carbohydrates in wheat keeps you feeling fuller longer and give you energy over a longer period.
Managanese, which wheat is rich in, acts as a co-factor for greater than 300 enzymes involved in the production of insulin and glucose secretion. Wheat’s betaine content prevents chronic inflammation, which is a key constituent in rheumatic pains and diseases. Additionally, its anti-inflammatory property reduces the risk of ailments like osteoporosis, heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, and type-2 diabetes.
More Information
Rouge de Bordeaux bread flour can be ordered from our online farm shop either for our monthly on-farm pickup or to have your order sent to you .
To read more about Rouge de Bordeaux bread flour, please visit our Rouge de Bordeaux flour product page.
More information on Rouge de Bordeaux Hard Red Winter Wheat and other grains grown at Weatherbury Farm are on the grains we grow page.