Durum wheat was imported from Russia and first cultivated in North Dakota in the 1890s. The North Dakota Experimental Station recognized the benefits of durum and encouraged farmers to plant more of it. Durum wheat yields more bushels per acre and is more resistant to drought compared to other types. It’s also the hardest of all wheats, which means it has a high protein content and strong gluten, making it the preferred choice for premium pasta.
Initially, consumers were cautious about this new strain of wheat. The gluten composition made it less suitable for baking bread, and since more North Dakotans were baking bread than making pasta, durum was slow to gain popularity, but in June of 1909, a meeting of grain growers in Fargo passed a resolution requesting the establishment of an annual day to promote durum. Governor Burke agreed, citing as a model California’s Raisin Day, which encouraged citizens to use raisins to support the raisin industry. Burke was confident that North Dakotans would rise to the challenge and that “every patriotic citizen” would find ways to incorporate durum into their meals on Durum Wheat Day.
Newspapers across the state supported the promotion. Despite this, mills paid less for durum compared to other varieties due to the lack of public support. The Ward County Independent pointed out that people should not hesitate to include durum wheat in their diets, noting that they were already consuming more durum than they realized, as it was mixed with other types of wheat during milling.
On this date in 1909, the Bottineau Courant published the Governor’s proclamation urging people to give durum wheat a chance. He named October 7th “Durum Day” and encouraged North Dakotans to observe the day by hosting church socials and community suppers featuring dishes made with durum wheat. Today, durum remains an important part of North Dakota agriculture, with the state producing about eighty percent of the nation’s durum wheat.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Washburn Leader. “August 6 1909.” Washburn ND. 8/6/1909. Page 4. “Hot Weather Hints."
- Ward County Independent. “Editorial Comment.” Minot, ND. 8/12/1909. Page 2.
- Fargo Forum and Daily Republican. “Wheat Growers Plan Pool.” Fargo ND. 6/10/1909. Page 1.
- Fargo Forum and Daily Republican. “Wilson Wheat Called King of Wheats.” Fargo ND. 7/11/1913. Page 2.
- Elwyn B. Robinson. History of North Dakota. Lincoln: University of Nebraska, 1966. Page 248-249.
- North Dakota Wheat Commission. “U.S. Durum Wheat.” chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ndwheat.com/uploads/6/durum2017.pdf Accessed 7/31/2024.
- North Dakota Wheat Commission. “2019 Crop Outlook and International Durum Forum.” https://www.ndwheat.com/growers/progress/dakotagoldnewsletter/2019CropOutlookandInternationalDurumForumNovember1112GrandHotelMinotND/ Accessed 7/31/2024.
- U.S. Durum Wheat Growers. “About Us.” https://www.ndwheat.com/growers/progress/dakotagoldnewsletter/2019CropOutlookandInternationalDurumForumNovember1112GrandHotelMinotND/ Accessed 7/31/2024.
