Wheat Industry News
Speaking of Wheat
“Land is a resource that will go away if we don’t protect it correctly. With the ever-growing world population and the shrinking land base, the land we’re producing crops on must be managed in a sustainable way.” – Washington state wheat farmer Art Schultheis (above).
U.S. Sustainability Alliance Features Stories of Stewardship
In its Jan. 29 newsletter, the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA) featured Colton, Wash., wheat farmer Art Schultheis discussing the importance of sustaining soil health. He is one of the five U.S. wheat farmers profiled in the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) “Stories of Stewardship” video series in 2024. Read the USSA feature here.
Family Farms Dominate U.S. Agriculture
USSA also shared results of a USDA Economic Research Service report that of the 1.9 million farms in the contiguous United States, 96% are family farms that represent 83% of total production in 2023, like the Volk family, York, North Dakota, in the photo. Small family farms made up the majority of farms (86%) and operated 41% of the farmland, while large-scale family farms were responsible for the largest share of production value (48%). Read USSA’s summary of the report here.
Welcome New NCI Director
The Northern Crops Institute (NCI) has promoted David Boehm to the position of director. Boehm, who has served NCI as Technical Manager since 2019 and Co-Interim Director since February 2024, holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Crop and Weed Sciences and Mass Communications, and a master’s degree in Plant Sciences from North Dakota State University (NDSU). Boehm says he looks forward to driving NCI’s mission supporting regional agriculture through education, technical services, and innovation.
Plains Grains Inc. Releases 2024 HRW Regional Quality Report
Plains Grains Inc. distributed its 2024 Hard Red Winter Regional Quality Survey results in January. The report includes detailed quality data on the much improved 2024 HRW crop on regional and “grain shed” production areas. PGI is a valued partner in USW’s annual crop quality analysis with a focus to “provide quality data and facilitate the necessary wheat-quality tracking that millers need to purchase U.S. wheat.”
NDWC Revised Logo and Debuts New Website
The North Dakota Wheat Commission’s new logo (see photo) is more modern and colorful, but still recognizable by producers and customers, said Erica Olson, NDWC Market Development & Research Manager. The new website ([email protected]) provides pertinent information for customers, producers and consumers in a concise manner. A wider array of brand colors makes the website more vibrant and visually pleasing.
Kansas Wheat and K-State Team Up on Conservation Promotion
A $1 million dollar grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) – recently awarded to K-State and Kansas Wheat – provides dedicated resources to help farmers navigate Farm Bill programs and implement proven conservation practices that best fit their winter wheat acres. “This program is really about conservation programs and practices that include winter wheat as part of a sustainable crop rotation,” said Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations. “This is an opportunity that will benefit the farmer and bring attention to the role of winter wheat as a very important conservation tool in High Plains cropping systems.” Read more here.
Illinois Wheat Association Hosts Double Crop Forum, Celebrates 30th Year
Illinois Wheat Association (IWA) is marking 30 years as an organization in 2025. President and farmer John Howell recently told FarmWeek that the wheat industry in his state looks nothing like it did when the organization was founded. “Wheat has become such an important crop here in the southern third of the state and … wheat and double crop soybeans for a lot of folks is their most profitable acre,” Howell said following IWA’s annual Double Crop Farmers Forum on Jan. 21. Howell and outgoing IWA Board Member Dean Campbell both told FarmWeek that the success of IWA has been “a combination of everyone pitching in.” Howell noted that the IWA is in the process of collecting signatures to vote on the potential adoption of a wheat checkoff program in Illinois.
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