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Straw, the dried stems of grain-bearing grasses, is harvested as a by-product of cereal grain farming. The nutritious seed head is cut — threshed — from the top of the plant once it is fully mature.With the seed head gone, the stalks are dried and baled.

The most common types of straw are wheat, oats, barely, flax, and rice. All of these are commercially farmed in most parts of the world. But any kind of straw can work, including hemp, spelt, rye, and other specialty grain and seed plants. It is possible to bale and build with almost any fibrous plant stems. As long as the majority of seed heads are removed and the stems are thoroughly dry before baling, anything growing nearby can be baled and used.

Farmers may use their straw as bedding for livestock, and gardeners use straw to mulch crops. But grain production outstrips our current minimal usage of straw; it is largely considered a waste by-product of grain production. In some places, excess straw is burned in the field, contributing seriously to air pollution.