Bundled wheat stocks hang in the work place Linda Bisnett set up for her wheat art business.

Three years ago, Linda Bisnett had to make a choice: continue working with her husband, Roger, at Bisnett Insurance or take her passion for art made with wheat to the next level.

Lindas business, Wheat Designs by Linda Bisnett, started in 1989 as a fun side project she hoped might earn a little extra spending money for Christmas. But by 2007 Bisnett was so busy she could no longer work both jobs and decided to go all-in with?Wheat Designs.

I was a flower show judge at the time and I was inspired to use wheat in my arrangements, Bisnett said of her business humble beginnings. I thought Id do an event or two and see where it went from there. Its grown significantly since then.

She started out making wreaths, which use more than 1,000 heads of wheat. Since then, Bisnett has branched out into a variety of table centerpieces and smaller designs and now uses around two acres of wheat each year.

A lot of the demand comes from her relationship with national cafe chain Panera Bread, which started six years ago thanks to the Oregon Wheat Growers League introducing her to Panera. By 2007, Panera had doubled its purchase orders and Bisnetts business was soaring.

Theyre kind of rivaling Starbucks in a lot of ways, Bisnett said. Theyre growing fast and steady across the U.S. and Canada.?Im part of their art package.

Her three-car garage now a workshop features a sturdy looking basketball hoop inside, but theres enough wheat under it to make even the most diminutive hoops enthusiast dream of slam dunking a ball.

It is my busiest time (during the holidays), but its pretty constant throughout the year, Bisnett said. Youd think it would be harvest time, throughout the fall.

One of the reasons that Bisnett gets so busy is the sheer amount of time it takes to make one of her creations. For every wheat stalk she uses, she must sort through 10 more that dont make the cut. 

So what is the perfect wheat stalk? Bisnett looks for ones that arent too plump or too long, and shes got her sorting method down; after 21 years of using wheat for art, shes gotten pretty efficient at eyeballing the perfect wheat heads.

I reject the big fat ones theyre growing now, so the farmers and I?have totally different thoughts on the ideal wheat, she said, adding that her perfect wheat head is about three inches long.

Bisnett grew up in Colorado and the Willamette Valley, graduating from Hillsboro High School before moving 34 years ago to a ranch homesteaded by her great-grandfather, Jasper OHara, in 1886.

In addition to fields of wheat, Bisnett also has more than 100 rose bushes and a wide-ranging variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

I have no regrets.?I love it here, the wide open spaces, Bisnett said.?Itd be hard to go anywhere different now.