Kansas Wheat Blog

Cindy's Test Kitchen: Help is an E-mail Away!

Posted Jan 12, 2012 at 11:00am by Bill Spiegel

One of the great things about our work here at the Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas Association of Wheat Growers is the unique opportunity to help others.

Men and women who have baking questions about what they're doing oftentimes ask Kansas Wheat Nutrition Educator Cindy Falk for some help. We've all been there before…you get in a jam and just need a little guidance.

Marsha C. was the same way. In an e-mail, she asked,"…Hi, I recently found a recipe for a bread machine bread mix. I made the mix up and completely lost the recipe on how to use it in the bread machine.

"Now, I have a canister of mix and cannot make a loaf of bread without guessing. If we like it I also can not duplicate it! HELP!!! Please, is there a recipe for a mix and recipe for use you might locate for me? This all happened before the holidays so I did not think about it for couple months. My thoughts are GONE. I do not remember where I found it or anything else. I believe I was to use only yeast, butter and water but am afraid to try it. There was no egg. That is the only thing I do remember!"

Marsha, we're glad to help. In fact one of the Kansas Wheat Commission's top goals is to help take the anxiety out of home baking. So, here's the response from Cindy Falk, home economist and nutrition educator:

Thanks for asking me to assist you with this bread machine question and I hope my information will help you make an nice and tasty loaf of bread.

First, does your machine make a 1 1/2 or 2 lb. loaf?

I would experiment with these amounts for a 1 1/2 lb. loaf:

3 cups mix

2 teaspoons yeast (bread machine or active dry)

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

3/4 - 1 cup plus extra tablespoons water (80 degrees) (I assume that salt and sugar were in the mix)

I don't know how the mix will absorb the water, so start with about 3/4 cup water and gradually add additional water until a soft ball of dough forms around the kneading blade. Let the machine mix the dough for about 5 minutes, then open the lid and touch the dough. It should feel moist, not dry. If it feels dry add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time.

If you can recall or look at the owner's manual, add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer. Recommended cycle: was it basic/white; whole wheat/whole grain??

This is how I would tackle this problem. Hope it helps you.

Cindy

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Warm Weather Has Yet to Awaken Wheat

Posted Jan 9, 2012 at 02:30pm by Bill Spiegel

If we didn't know better, we would think it is spring here in Kansas. The first week of January, daytime temperatures soared past 50 degrees, and as we head into the second week of the New Year, forecasters are calling for daytime temperatures to reach at least 45 degrees for the next 10 days.

In Kansas, the normal high for January is 37 degrees.

Wheat farmers throughout the state have expressed concern about these mild temperatures. Winter wheat is supposed to lie dormant during the winter, and warm weather can cause the crop to “break dormancy,” begin growing and lose its winterhardiness. And we all know that winter weather – cold temperatures and snow – will come sometime this winter.

Jim Shroyer, Research and Extension agronomist at Kansas State University, says that despite these temperatures, winter wheat still has winterhardiness and can withstand colder weather.

"As long as nighttime temperatures are below freezing for the most part, wheat will retain its winterhardiness – although not quite the level of winterhardiness it would have in a 'normal' winter," Shroyer says.

An occasional period of 1 to 3 days where nighttime temperatures do not get below freezing will not cause any significant loss of winterhardiness. If nighttime temperatures consistently stay above freezing for a week or so, however, there will be some loss of winterhardiness, he says.

In winter wheat, the process of gaining and losing winterhardiness is gradual. Temperatures fluctuate most years as winter begins and ends, and the winterhardiness level of wheat tends to ratchet up and down with the temperatures. After a warm spell in winter, wheat will lose some winterhardiness – but wheat will regain its winterhardiness as temperatures get cold again. Every time this happens, however, the wheat will lose some winterhardiness. The peak level of winterhardiness in wheat occurs when temperatures get cold and stay cold all winter. Wheat that greens up and then goes back into dormancy will not have quite the same level of winterhardiness as wheat that remains dormant all winter.

So the bottom line is that wheat in Kansas should still have an acceptable level of winterhardiness at this point. Nighttime temperatures have been cold enough to that wheat to retain its winterhardiness.

Shroyer says a bigger concern for wheat in general is the problem of dry subsoils.

"Topsoil moisture is generally good to adequate in most of Kansas right now, and this has producers optimistic about the prospects for this year's wheat crop. But subsoils began the fall in very dry conditions, and this has not yet changed," he says.

In the August 26, 2011 issue of the Agronomy e-Update (No. 314), an article explained that about 12 inches of rain would typically be needed to truly replenish soil moisture in the driest areas of the state. We are a long way from having those soils replenished.

"There is definitely more reason for optimism about this year's wheat crop than there was at planting time," he explains. "But the dry subsoils could be a problem later this spring if we don't get more rainfall. Also, if nighttime temperatures in January and February are consistently above freezing for several days in a row, the wheat could lose much of its winterhardiness and be susceptible to cold injury from a sudden drop in temperatures. At the moment, this is not a concern, however."

http://www.agronomy.ksu.edu/extension/p.aspx?tabid=58

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Winter Weather Prompts Wheat Price Volatility

Posted Jan 4, 2012 at 10:33am by Justin Gilpin

The wheat crop in Kansas is rated 46% good and 7% excellent, according to the Kansas Ag Statistics January Crop Report, released Jan. 3. Compared to this time last year, this is a dramatic improvement.

But this crop still has a long ways to go.

Grain traders will watch weather very closely. In the short-term, near-record high temperatures and very little precipitation is in the forecast, which is a concern. Still, the crop is in dormancy and timely spring rains and good finishing temperatures will determine yields at harvest.

Current market movement has wheat following directions of corn and soybeans. Much is being made of lack of moisture in Argentina and the effect that has on having on corn and bean production in the southern hemisphere. Last year, the feed grain stocks-to-use ratio tightened, so production shortfalls will cause market uneasiness and volatility. Conversely, the world wheat crop rebounded in production this past year. How much of that wheat will be used as livestock feed will be determined by the futures market relationships between the price of wheat and corn which are currently trading near equal value in Chicago.

The recent trend up in the wheat market has created some opportunities for wheat farmers who missed selling at harvest prices. While there is still potential for market moves higher, picking tops in markets has proved a risky strategy. With the extreme volatility and uncertainties appearing to continue, knowing cost of production and selling at levels that can lock in a profit in increments is one option for farmers in trying to manage risk in these uncertain times.

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Plenty of Wheat in the World for Now

Posted Dec 27, 2011 at 10:45am by Bill Spiegel

• Global wheat production up to a record 689 million metric tons (MMT) due to higher production in Australia, Argentina and Canada.
• Global wheat supplies up 9.3 MMT to 889 MMT with improving production estimates in the southern hemisphere.
• Global wheat ending stocks up 5.9 MMT to 209 MMT, the largest in 12 years.

Larger world supplies of wheat and competitive prices relative to corn boosted prospects for 2011/2012 world wheat trade, USDA said. Its trade forecast is up 1.4 MMT, anticipating that Asian countries and Mexico will import more wheat for feed. ABARES, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, recently reported it expects relatively low wheat protein levels this year. While USDA did not cite that specifically, it did increase its Australian and Argentine export forecast based on increased feed wheat demand.

It also lowered U.S. export forecasts for hard red winter (HRW), soft red winter (SRW) and white wheat by 1.36 MMT. U.S. grain handlers told U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) the white wheat export reduction surprised them because the soft white (SW) sales pace remains strong.

Export forecasts for U.S. hard red spring (HRS) and durum did not change this month. In fact, MGEX HRS futures prices for December, March and May closed up a bit along with March and May KCBOT HRW futures on the day USDA issued the December WASDE.

The fact remains that the United States is still the world's main supplier of high quality milling wheat. Protein levels in the 2011/12 HRW and HRS crop are much higher than last year, with a significant portion of U.S. HRS supply still in storage on the farm or in the local elevators (reflected in current FOB prices).

USW Vice President for Overseas Operations Vince Peterson recently told buyers in Latin America that falling prices create an opportunity for buyers to lock in the best value for higher quality U.S. wheat classes they have seen in a long time. Speaking to Reuters this week, USW Regional Vice President for the Middle East, North and East Africa Dick Prior noted that U.S. wheat prices are becoming more competitive with other origins.

However, the downward price trend may not be sustainable for long. USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service Director of Policy Analysis Michael Dwyer's current analysis of longer-term market factors point to continued historically high agricultural commodity prices. Dwyer recently discussed his analysis with online publication Agri-Pulse. To hear the interview, visit http://www.agri-pulse.com/Audio-Open-Mic.asp.

The full December WASDE is available at http://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/.

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Nitrogen in Wheat Can Help Manage Profitability

Posted Dec 21, 2011 at 11:53am by Bill Spiegel

The 2011 Kansas wheat harvest featured unusually high protein levels. On average, the crop yielded at least 11.5% protein; in some areas, protein values were as high as 19%.

Protein is an important component when selling wheat on a global market. Wheat is one of the world's most widely grown (and consumed) grains; yet, Hard Red Winter wheat featuring good quality - that of 11% and above - is more difficult to procure. In the global marketplace right now, there is real concern that while wheat stocks are high, stocks of high-quality wheat are quite short.

Mike Stewart, southern and central Great Plains director of the International Plant Nutrition Institute, and Kim Anderson, professor and extension economist at Oklahoma State University, wrote an Insights paper for the IPNI called, "Pay Close Attention to Nitrogen Fertility of Winter Wheat This Season," which descripes the value of high-protein wheat to wheat farmers.

Grain protein content is influenced by the fertilizer practices on the crop, Stewart writes. Wheat requires about 2.0 to 2.5 pounds of available N per bushel of grain produced. (Where wheat is grazed, about one pound of N is required for each three pounds of animal gain per acre).

Besides its effect on protein content, shortages of N may cause reduced tillering, reduction in head size and poor grain fill. Stewart says a combination of preplant and topdress application is preferred on wheat, in order to improve use efficiency, minimize investment risk and safeguard the environment. Stewart advises topdress applications be made early, prior to jointing.

Meanwhile, Anderson writes that there is money to be made by managing N, and by proxy, protein content. The practice of price premiums paid for protein is routine for Hard Red Spring producers, but not so common in the Hard Red Winter wheat producing areas of the central and southern Great Plains. That could change in 2011-2012, the economist says.

Anderson says the difference between wheat contract prices is often based upon the value of protein. In November, the basis for 11% protein was about 35 cents at the Kansas City Board of Trade, for HRW. The basis for 12% protein was about $1.05; for 13%, $1.33. At the same time in 2010, the basis for 11% protein wheat was minus 35 cents; 12% was 10 cents. The current HRW winter wheat basis for protein is about 70 cents higher than in 2010.

The economist cautions that protein basis doesn't suggest that wheat prices will remain at current levels. Here's why: world wheat stocks are above average, yet protein wheat stocks are tight. Prices for wheat less than 11% protein may decline while prices for wheat with relatively high protein may maintain current levels. The odds are that protein premiums will remain into the 2012 U.S. winter wheat harvest.

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Lexion Combine Reaps 19,500 Bushels in 8 Hours

Posted Dec 13, 2011 at 12:13pm by Bill Spiegel

The LEXION was sent on its way at 12:02 pm. By the halfway mark, at 4:02 pm, the high-tech combine harvester had already harvested 9,921 bushels (270 metric tons) of wheat. The old record of 16,571 bushels (451 metric tons), established only weeks previously, was surpassed after 6 hours 45 minutes. After exactly eight hours, at 8:02 pm, the scale registered 19,553 bushels (532.14 metric tons).

The parameters – grain moisture content, grain quality, loss ratio and stubble height – were constantly monitored throughout in accordance with the rules of the Guinness World Records. The harvested straw was chopped and spread over the full cutting width of the combine harvester.

The average hourly yield was 2,444 bushels (66.51 metric tons), and only .36 gallons (1.35 l) of diesel was consumed per ton. An average grain moisture content of 16.2% made harvesting more difficult, but it also proves the capability of the HYBRID system combining the APS threshing system paired with the RotoPlus dual rotor separation system. In North America, the LEXION combine harvester is available in class 6, 7, 8 and leads the industry with the first class 9 machine.

Conversion Chart
1 metric ton = 2,204.6 pounds
1 bushel of wheat = 60 pounds
1 metric ton = 36.74 bushels of wheat

Click here for a video of the record-setting performance.

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Have an iPad, or Droid? Here is an App for You...

Posted Dec 9, 2011 at 03:43pm by

You can get answers to these questions with a free application (often called an “app”) that can be downloaded and used on Droid phones or iPhones. The iPhone app can also be used with the iPad, though you'll have to have cellular service or be standing close enough to a wireless network, i.e., within 30 feet of your wireless router or hotspot. The application uses your device's global positioning system (GPS) location. If you've never activated your device's GPS receiver, you'll be prompted to do so when you open this app for the first time.

Installation: From your phone's Marketplace or Apps store, simply search for Soil Web. Once installed, tap on the icon called “Soil Web.” Once the Soil Web application loads, click on “Get my location.”

This will show the name of the soil series and a diagram of the soil horizons and depths. The Smolan series is mapped beneath Throckmorton Plant Sciences Center at K-State.

If you tap on the name of the series, it will take you to another screen which has several options for obtaining more information about that soil series.

For example, if you tap on “Link to OSD,” you'll see the Official Series Description, where you can read about the soil horizons and their properties, as well as information on the parent materials, slope, etc. If you click on SSL data, you can access the National Soil Survey Laboratory's database for additional information such as particle size (texture) data, pH, cation exchange capacity, etc.

If you need more help or directions, a help guide can be found online at:http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/drupal/node/886

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4-H Congress Share the Wealth Baking Workshop Hosts Great American Bake Sale

Posted Dec 6, 2011 at 10:54am by Bill Spiegel

The art of baking is an important skill for young people to learn. The lessons learned are many: the importance of following directions; the math and science involved, and the ability to share skills with others.

These were the goals of a Kansas Wheat Commission-sponsored workshop at the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta last month. "Share the Wealth," led by Home Baking Association educator and program developer Sharon Davis, empowered more than 200 young people to eat healthy, save money and learn life skills by home baking. In addition, the skills learned in baking can be used to benefit those less fortunate.

Kansas Wheat Commission Nutrition Educator Cindy Falk was a presenter in the 90-minute workshops, which were held four times over two days.

Working in teams of two, each member washed their hands, donned aprons, measured ingredients and prepared the recipe, "Quick Raisin Granola Breakfast Rolls," the champion recipe from the 2011 National Festival of Breads amateur baking contest.

Baking can be a great way to "give back" to a community. Participants were able to eat a few of the rolls they baked, but many were bagged up and sold at a bake sale inside the conference hotel; the rest were donated to a food pantry in Atlanta. The youth learned about another recipe from Chef Della Gosset from the French Pastry School, Chicago, who demonstrated, "California Raisin Pumpkin Spice Bread," an easy, tasty treat that would be a hit at any bake sale.

In keeping with the "Share the Wealth" theme, completed rolls were either sold at the Great American Bake Sale at the 4-H Congress, or donated to a food pantry in Atlanta. Amy Crowell, representing the national hunger awareness group Share Our Strength, says nearly one in five children in America deal with hunger. Last year, Share Our Strength's "Great American Bake Sales," like the one held during the National Festival of Breads in Wichita, raised more than $1 million to help fight childhood hunger.

Falk shared the impact home baking can have in a community. During the 2011 National Festival of Breads, a "Great American Bake Sale" raised $2,000 or (20,000 meals) for at-risk children in the Wichita community. Falk also encouraged 4-H participants to hone their baking skills and enter the Youth Category in the 2013 National Festival of Breads.

"You can share your food and nutrition knowledge to all ages," Falk said. "Teach your baking and cooking skills locally."

Incidentally, the theme, "Share the Wealth" will be a new component for the Kansas Wheat Commission's Speak for Wheat Spokespersons program in 2012.

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See What is Out There: Soil Test This Spring

Posted Dec 2, 2011 at 08:05am by Bill Spiegel

Farmers concerned about managing fertility after last year's dramatic drought conditions should take a deep profile soil test to know more about the nutrient status of fields that had failed crops, according to researchers from the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Chances are, some of the failed crops used just a fraction of the nutrients applied last year.

In its "Insights" brief titled "Nutrient Management After Drought," published last month, the IPNI suggests soil profile tests are necessary to determine how much additional fertilizer will be required. Residues from failed crops could provide nutrients; so too could the soil profile layer and surface soil layer, respectively.

Mike Stewart, southern and central Great Plains director of the IPNI and Dave Mengel, professor of agronomy at Kansas State University, wrote the aforementioned Insights brief.

They say that many of the mobile nutrients (Nitrate, sulfate and chloride) not taken up by the crop last year are still probably present in the top foot or two of soil. Nitrogen moves readily in the soil with rainfall; however, with low rainfall in most areas of the southern and central Great Plains, very little of the nitrogen has been lost. The same holds true for sulfur and chloride, Stewart says. A deep profile test is needed to measure these values.

The immobile nutrients (phosphorous, potassium and zinc) when applied to the soil, interact with different portion of the soil and are retained. The process is a bit complex, but the end result is that a test of the soil surface can indicate the values of these immobile nutrients.

If failed acres were planted to wheat, a profile test for N, S and Cl is a must, the researchers write. For those planting corn or milo next spring, a late winter or early spring soil test should be taken.

Nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur must be mineralized as the vegetation decays. This process will probably be faster than normal and increase the availability of these nutrients.

Mengel says farmers could use a crop sensor during the 2012 growing season to estimate the amount of nitrogen being mineralized from the 2011 crop residues. "Kansas has good recommendation systems for both wheat and sorghum to help interpret sensor data," he says.

The rate of mineralization will depend greatly on soil moisture and soil temperatures during March through June. "A sensor-based N management system can help take some of the risk out of trying to take credit for mineralized N," Mengel adds.

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Farmers and Scientists Agree: More Wheat Research Needed

Posted Nov 23, 2011 at 10:56am by Bill Spiegel

Facts About Wheat:

• Roughly 25 percent of the world's arable land is used to grow wheat. This makes wheat the cereal with the largest amount of land under cultivation and one of the most significant food staples in the world.
• With a production volume exceeding 650 million tons annually, wheat is the second most widely grown cereal crop after corn.
• Major wheat-producing regions include Australia, countries bordering the Black Sea, China, the EU, India and North America.

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Wheat for Ethanol

Posted Jul 15, 2011 at 09:58am by Aaron Harries

Fri, Jul 8 2011

KANSAS CITY, Mo.,July 8 (Reuters) - The Andersons Inc (ANDE.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), a major U.S. ethanol producer, has started mixing wheat into its corn-based biofuel in a move to lower costs and protect against high-priced and increasingly tight corn supplies.

Andersons, which operates three ethanol plants in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with total capacity of 300 million gallons, has started using soft red winter wheat along with corn.

Neill McKinstray, vice president and general manager of The Andersons ethanol division, confirmed the move, but said he could not discuss the matter. (Reporting by Carey Gillam, Editing by David Gregorio)

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Festival of Breads Opens Eyes of Intern

Posted Jun 29, 2011 at 03:10pm by Nicole Stieben

For any of you who follow Kansas Wheat on Twitter, I'm sure you all noticed the abundance of #NFOB hashtags sent your way this past weekend. That's because I was in Wichita attending the 2011 National Festival of Breads and wanted everyone to know what an amazing experience it was!

Since I'm the newbie in the Kansas Wheat office this summer, the National Festival of Breads was a completely new concept to me and something I couldn't quite wrap my mind around until this past weekend. Sure, I'd spent an entire month writing contestant biographies, making posters and sending out press releases, but it wasn't until we began loading up the trailer with supplies on Wednesday that I realized just how much work had gone into planning this event.

From the minute the Kansas Wheat Staff arrived in Wichita on Wednesday to set up for the Festival, I could tell all the preparation that had been put into this weekend would soon be paying off. The Kansas Wheat Spokespersons who had made the trip got right to work setting up make-shift kitchens in the ballroom of the Wichita Airport Hilton, while the rest of the volunteers transformed a simple stage set up by the hotel crew into the baking session demonstration area. By the end of the evening, the once-empty ballroom I had walked into earlier that afternoon was far from empty. I was beginning to see the 2011 National Festival of Breads come to life.

Master of Ceremonies, Eric Atkinson of the K-State Radio Network, did a wonderful job recognizing each person that had helped to make the Festival such a success. The contestants were interviewed one last time and asked about their favorite part of the competition. Almost all of them said the Wheat Farm Tour was a highlight of their trip to Kansas, along with the friendliness and hospitality of all involved with the contest. This was a proud moment for all those who had spent the past two years working so hard to make sure the 2011 National Festival of Breads was one to be remembered.

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Winter Wheat Crop Hangs On

Posted May 23, 2011 at 04:13pm by Bill Spiegel

Beneficial rains throughout much of Kansas helped the state's wheat crop, just a few weeks from harvest, maintain its condition, according to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics weekly Crop Progress and Condition Report.

Parts of North Central Kansas received more than 5 inches of rain, while all but a few areas of southwest and south central Kansas received at least measurable precipitation. Cooler temperatures helped the crop slow its maturity, but unfortunately a few of the KAS Reporting Stations (Alton, Tribune, Colby, Oberlin and Herington) reported below freezing temperatures, which is usually a disaster in wheat that is entering the reproductive stage.

In all, the wheat crop is rated at 55% poor to very poor; 30% fair and 15% good to excellent. The entire crop has jointed; 85% is headed and 5% has turned color. All of these are right at the five-year historic average for crop progress, according to KAS.

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Wheat Quality Tour, Day Three

Posted May 6, 2011 at 08:32am by Deb Bollman, KCBOT

Kansas City-May 5, 2011--The final estimate for the 2011 Hard Red Winter wheat tour sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council was announced today at the Kansas City Board of Trade. The final participant estimate for the three-day tour average was a yield of 37.4 bushels per acre, 3.3 bushels lower than the 2010 estimate of 40.7 bushels per acre.

Participants in the tour made individual estimates on the total size of the crop, with the weighted average at 256.7 million bushels. Last year's final estimate for the tour was 333.5 million bushels. Crop scouts on the tour spent Tuesday, Wednesday and today surveying Kansas, usually the top U.S. wheat producing state, trying to assess the production potential of hard red winter wheat for this year.

On the first day of the tour, groups left Manhattan, Kansas and traveled different routes to Colby, Kansas. The crop after the first day was viewed to be in a variable state with different interpretations of what the crop looked like on different routes throughout the state. The largest concern was the amount of moisture and the development stage of the crop. Late planting and wheat planted following row crops from last year were prevalent and made a difference in the condition of the wheat crop at this point in time, No disease was seen. The estimate for day one of the tour was 40.0 bushels, compared to 40.7 bushels last year.

On the second day of the tour, groups left Colby, Kansas and traveled different routes to Wichita, Kansas. Participants viewed fields as in below-average condition due to drought stress. Inconsistent yields were seen throughout the day, with development anywhere from tillering to a headed stage. Fields that were headed out had smaller-than-average heads. The need of rain in the short future is key in plant development and the filling of heads going into the harvest season. The estimate for day two of the tour was 33.4 bushels, compared to 39.9 bushels last year.

Harvest is estimated to begin in Kansas no earlier than five weeks out. Estimates for day three were at 49.5 bushels per acre, up from 46.4 bushels per acre last year for the third day.

"If it rains in the next week, the crop could make a recovery. But if it doesn't rain, there is a lot of downside potential to the crop," according to Ben Handcock, Executive Vice President, Wheat Quality Council. The crop tour estimate is based on what the crop looks like at this point in time.

More detailed information from the tour can be found on the KCBT's website at: Crop Tour Information.

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Wheat Quality Tour, Day Two

Posted May 6, 2011 at 08:31am by Aaron Harries

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Wheat Quality Tour Day One

Posted May 5, 2011 at 09:43am by Dalton

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Wheat Crop Condition Declines Again

Posted May 2, 2011 at 03:25pm by Bill Spiegel

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K-State Wheat Adds Facebook Page

Posted May 2, 2011 at 02:57pm by Bill Spiegel

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Wheat Crop Condition is Fading

Posted Apr 19, 2011 at 08:18am by Bill Spiegel

The condition of the state's wheat crop faded from April 10-17, with 25% rated good to excellent, according to the weekly Crop Progress and Condition report distributed by Kansas Agricultural Statistics.

More than 40% of the crop was rated poor to very poor, and 33% was rated fair.

The crop has been beaten by high winds combined with dryness. Thus, wind damage is rated at 1% severe, 4% moderate and 16% light; freeze damage is 3% moderate and 12% light.

Half the crop has jointed - higher than last year's 46% but behind the five-year average of 57%. One percent of the crop has headed.

Across the state, about 40% of the state is suffering from short to very short topsoil moisture; the remainder of the state is mostly adequate. About 10% of the state's soils feature surplus topsoil moisture, according to the report.

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Slight Improvement in Winter Wheat Crop

Posted Mar 28, 2011 at 03:34pm by Bill Spiegel

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A Visit from USDA's Office of Global Analysis

Posted Mar 23, 2011 at 10:43am by Bill Spiegel

From left: Nicolas Rubio, Lisa Bennett, Kendra Arrington, Dee Hale, all of the FAS Office of Global Analysis, with Kansas host Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat marketing director.

At our humble location in the Southwind Office Park in Manhattan, the Kansas Wheat office is often host to interesting visitors. This week, a team of analysts from USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service "Office of Global Analysis" came to Kansas to learn more about the wheat trade. The team - which included Kendra Arrington, Lisa Bennett, Dee Hale and Nicolas Rubio - visited the Kansas City Board of Trade, Louis Dreyfuss commodities, K-State and some wheat fields in and around Manhattan.

Oftentimes, the analysts are not altogether familiar with the crops for which they conduct analysis. Educational excursions like the one this week help them to learn more about agriculture, and the work farmers and ranchers do to provide high-quality, affordable food to the rest of the world.

The Office of Global Analysis works to analyze and evaluate market intelligence; make USDA's official crop estimates, such as the wheat acreage, yield, supply and demand reports; update the agency's Production Supply Database databases, public monthly commodity reports and prepare commodity market analysis. All this is done with a host of sources, including other USDA agencies; using remote sensing devices to measure crop progress; local and national weather sources; other forms of media and the official agricultural attaches in other countries.

Farmers and grain traders typically pay most attention to the group's official crop estimates. "The information is important for farmers to make planting decisions, and plan ahead," Rubio said. Sometimes, the numbers are positive; sometimes they're negative. But they always have an impact on the grain markets.

The effort to ensure the integrity of these monthly reports is interesting. In a process called "Lockup," the second week of each month, a team of dozens of USDA individuals - including those from FAS, the National Ag Statistics, Farm Service Agency, Economic Research Service and Joint Ag Weather Facility - gather in a secured wing of USDA's South Building. While the federal workers involved often have ideas of what the crop numbers will be prior to Lockup, information from the National Ag Statistics information is always the wildcard (the OGA analysits respectfully request that farmers accurately complete crop survyes), and is not released until Lockup. Analysts from the different agencies hash over all the numbers, before finally coming to a reasonable conclusion, and drafting the monthly WASDE report for release at 8:30 a.m., just prior to the opening of the grain markets.

While they are not always completely accurate, the USDA numbers are the basis for every other analysis in the grain trade and most importantly, they are objective, Arrington said. Thus, they  to ensure that farmers, the grain industry and global grain trade have accurate information at their disposal to make sound business decisions.

Keeping close tabs on the quantity and quality of crops grown around the world is critical to ensure market transparency. Bennett, who is OGA's wheat analyst, said USDA learned a valuable lesson from the "Great Grain Robbery" of 1972* - that there can never be too much information about agriculture supply and demand in the world marketplace.

*The Great Grain Robbery - summarized here - occurred when Russia bought millions of bushels of grain for pennies on the dollar, and somehow got the American taxpayers to foot the bill for a good portion of the grain. Some believe that this activity forced recession-causing inflation throughout the rest of the 1970s.

Here are some handy resources that our friends from OGA told us about:

The FAS Web site is full of interesting market information, and analysis on crop production and trade from around the world.

Each of the four folks who visited Kansas had participated in overseas internships with USDA's FAS. They heartily recommend young people take advantage of internships with USDA; not only are they paid, but they often feature a housing stipend. And those who serve internships need not be agricultural economics majors; in fact, many of their co-workers have no ag experience. But together, the varied backgrounds makes for a high-quality team, Hale said.

For more information on these internships and other job opportunities, click here.

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Wheat Condition Remains Iffy

Posted Mar 7, 2011 at 03:53pm by Bill Spiegel

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A Chance Meeting with JC's Daily Bread in Tampa

Posted Mar 4, 2011 at 02:05pm by Bill Spiegel

* Click on this link to listen to our conversation with a JC's Daily Bread Customer.

Not more than a mile from where thousands of wheat, corn, soybean and sorghum farmers have gathered for the annual Commodity Classic in downtown Tampa, Florida, another segment of America's food industry was represented at Tampa's Downtown Market.

Kansas Wheat's Dalton Henry and I happened across the sights, sounds and smells of the open-air venue. Curious, we wandered through a wondrous array of sizzling sounds of meat grilling, the mouth-watering aroma of fresh-baked goods and a host of other local merchants selling wares of all kinds. Even a masseuse was conducting by-the-minute back rubs. It was unlike any Farmer's Market I had ever been to.

A line had formed in front of one stand, called "JC's Daily Bread." There, a bunch of customers were lined up to buy a host of fresh-baked cookies, pastries and artisan breads, created by Jon-Claude "JC" Stevens, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who became a baker after working at a Club Mediterranean in Senegal. He was there visiting his parents; Mike Stevens worked in the American Embassy.

As an American chef who could speak English, French and Spanish, JC never lacked for work. Trained as a chef, he found baking was a passion after working in Club Meds in Senegal, the Bahamas, Florida and Colorado.

"He turned to baking, and he loves it. And he's very good at it," Mike Stevens says.

After JC's folks retired from the Foreign Service, they went into business together and started a bakery cafe. That was several years ago.

The cafe was successful, but a couple of years back they closed the bread and bake shop, choosing instead to market their work through Farmer's Markets in 14 Florida cities. It has been a good move - business is up 600% this year compared to last, Mike says.

 

At each location, old and new customers take in JC's delicate creations. On one side of a display case are the sweet pastries and rolls; on the other, the artisan breads, from baguettes - plain and seasoned with pepper and poppyseeds - to Pain d'Api a baguette-like bread shaped like a stalk of wheat. It is popular because every piece of this pull-apart bread features a wonderful crust, Mike explains.

Customers love eating JC's creations, as the nearly sold-out display case attests.

"They're fantastic. You can tell they're homemade. They're amazing. You can't get them anywhere else," one happy Floridian exclaims.

And while JC's baked goods make for happy customers, the heart of his creations comes from the hard work of Kansas wheat farmers like the ones attending the Commodity Classic nearby. Wheat grown by those farmers becomes the non-patent, white flour JC uses in all his products.

"I tried to get my son to use patent flour, for the tighter controls on the protein. But he says I don't need that. Because I do it by hand I can adjust if necessary by hand. That's his argument," Mike says.

For two Kansas wheat farmers, and employees of Kansas Wheat, stumbling upon JC's Daily Bread during a random walk in Tampa proved a point: what wheat farmers do every day has a profound impact on consumers all over the world.

Products from JC's Daily Bread can be bought online. Here is his Web site: JC's Daily Bread

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Water Efficiency Coming to Wheat

Posted Feb 10, 2011 at 01:28pm by Bill Spiegel

"This exclusive and global access to Arcadia's innovative water efficiency technology is another major step in Vilmorin's development plans in wheat. Together with our access to Arcadia's nitrogen efficiency technology, this water efficiency gene technology opens new long term perspectives towards improving the agricultural and environmental performance of the most cultivated cereal crop in the world," said Emmanuel Rougier, COO of Vilmorin.

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Wheat Unchanged in USDA Report; Corn is the Headliner

Posted Feb 9, 2011 at 09:15am by Bill Spiegel

USDA's World Agriculture Supply and Demand report, released Feb. 9, gives a quick look at the world grain trade. The latest report shows no change in U.S. wheat supply, use and ending stock projections for 2010-11, although there are a few adjustments by wheat class:

• Exports of Hard Red Winter (HRW) and White wheat are each projected 10 million bushels higher. 
• Hard Red Spring (HRS) wheat exports are projected 20 million bushels lower. 
• Domestic use is projected 10 million bushels lower for HRW and 10 million bushel higher for HRS. 
• The marketing-year average price received by producers is projected at $5.60 to $5.80 per bushel, up 10 cents on the lower end of the range. Continued gains in cash and futures prices boost the farm price outlook for the remainder the marketing year.

Global 2010/11 wheat supplies are reduced slightly this month reflecting a 0.4-million-ton downward revision to Ukraine production based on the latest government estimates. Global wheat trade is reduced slightly with small reductions in imports for Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan, mostly offset by an increase for Bangladesh. Exports are lowered for EU-27 and Ukraine, but raised for Canada and Pakistan. These changes largely reflect the pace of sales and shipments reported to date.

Global 2010/11 wheat consumption is nearly unchanged with higher expected food use offset by reduced wheat feeding. Food, seed, and industrial use is raised 0.5 million tons each for Argentina and Bangladesh, but lowered 0.2 million tons for Canada.

U.S. corn ending stocks for 2010111 are projected 70 million bushels lower this month with higher expected food, seed, and industrial use. Corn used for ethanol is projected 50 million bushels higher on a higher-than-expected November final ethanol production estimate and weekly ethanol data that indicate record output for December and January. Rising corn prices have reduced spot margins relative to variable costs to breakeven levels in recent weeks; however, ethanol blender incentives remain in place and export demand prospects remain strong with sugar-based ethanol uncompetitive at current sugar prices. Corn costs for many ethanol producers and other end users may also be below spot values to date as a substantial portion of this year's crop appears to have been forward priced.

The continuing wide spread between reported monthly prices received by producers and substantially higher cash market bids can be explained by farmer deliveries of corn priced last year when prices were well below current levels.

Corn food, seed, and industrial use is also projected higher for 2010/11 due to rising prospects for production of sweeteners and starch. Corn used to produce high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is projected 15-million-bushels higher reflecting strong shipments of the corn-based sweetener to Mexico. Demand for HFCS has grown in Mexico as sugar exports to the United States have increased. Corn used for starch is also raised 5 million bushels based on the improving outlook for industrial output in the United States.

Ending corn stocks for 2010/11 are projected at 675 million bushels. This month's projections lower the stocks-to-use ratio to 5.0 percent, the same as in 1995/96—the last time ending stocks fell to multi-year lows. Corn prices rose sharply in the spring and summer of 2006 to ration usage ahead of the 2006 harvest. The 2010/11 marketing-year average farm price is projected at $5.05 to $5.75 per bushel, up from $4.90 to $5.70 per bushel last month.

Global 2010/11 coarse grain supplies are projected 4.4 million tons lower this month with smaller beginning stocks and production. Coarse grain beginning stocks are reduced 2.4 million tons mostly reflecting lower corn carryin in Brazil and lower barley carryin in Saudi Arabia. Higher 2009/10 corn exports for Brazil and lower 2009/10 barley imports for Saudi Arabia drive these changes in 2010/11 supplies. Global 2010/11 corn production is lowered 1.8 million tons with reductions for Argentina and Mexico. Argentina production is lowered 1.5 million tons as continued dryness through mid-January further reduced yield prospects in the country's central growing areas. Mexico production is lowered 0.5 million tons on lower reported area. Partly offsetting are small increases for the Philippines and Zimbabwe. Corn, barley, and rye production are all lowered slightly for Ukraine based on the latest government estimates.

Ending stocks are pegged at 140 million bushels. Record sales occurred in the first five months of the marketing season. Continued strong soybean meal export competition this spring, especially from Argentina, is expected to leave U.S. soybean crush well-below 2009/10 levels.

Soybean oil exports are increased to 2.8 billion pounds reflecting continued strong export sales. Although soybean oil used for biodiesel during the first quarter of the marketing year was the lowest in 6 years, projected use for 2010/11 is unchanged from last month as biodiesel production is expected to accelerate due to the 2011 mandate and the return of the $1.00 per gallon blending credit.

Global oilseed production for 2010/11 is projected at 441.8 million tons, up 1.4 million tons from last month. Foreign production, projected at 341.3 million tons, accounts for all of the change.

Brazil soybean production is forecast at a record 68.5 million tons, up 1.0 million tons from last month as timely rains in the southern producing area have raised yield prospects.

Paraguay soybean production is also projected higher this month. Argentina soybean production is projected at 49.5 million tons, down 1 million. Despite widespread rains since mid-January, the extended dry period during planting and early crop development reduced yield prospects.

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As Egypt Settles Down, the Question Remains: Do Rising Food Prices Cause Unrest?

Posted Feb 8, 2011 at 11:51am by Justin Gilpin

Recent political unrest in Egypt has caught the attention of the wheat trade. Egypt imports some 40 million bushels of Hard Red Winter wheat each year, making it one of our top five export destinations.

The Internet is awash with stories that the uprising in Egypt is driven in part by the rising cost of food. Perhaps there is a twinge of truth to that, but I believe the unrest in Egypt is being driven by political reform. I think it is safe to say that in any society, the failure of political leaders to give their population an opportunity to gain a good education, prosperity and freedom results in revolution.

But I do believe that there will be places in the world within the next ten years that will not be able to buy wheat to feed people at any price…and that is scary to me.It is much easier to convince people to revolt and rise up against their government when they are hungry, and there are groups with ill intent that will exploit that.That may or may not be happening in Egypt. The graph below is evidence that even though prices are higher, countries in the Mid East are still buying wheat (or prices are higher because these countries are having to come to the US to buy wheat.) But, the consumer may be paying more for it. And 40% of the average Egyptian's income is required to feed his family - in the U.S., it is 11%. Therefore, when the price of Egyptian flat bread price increases, it hurts a little more.

Some pundits believe ethanol is to blame. More than 4 billion bushels of the nearly 13 billion bushels produced in the U.S. this year will go to ethanol production this year. The corn carryout projection is tight so the market is trying to find that point that rations usage, which in turn can elevate other cereal grains.The ethanol industry is creating very solid demand; demand increases price; so yes, ethanol has played a role along with other factors for higher grain prices.But I think it is a stretch to say that ethanol production in the U.S. is making a population of 85 million Egyptians want to reform their government.

However, at the end of the day, I'm reminded of a phrase my old boss used to say: “Nothing means nothing and everything means something…”

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KWC Helps Kansas Celebrate 150th Birthday

Posted Feb 1, 2011 at 01:29pm by Bill Spiegel

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Festival of Breads Test Baking Continues

Posted Jan 20, 2011 at 10:00am by Bill Spiegel

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Ag AM in Kansas TV Completes First Year

Posted Jan 18, 2011 at 11:52am by Bill Spiegel

Ag AM in Kansas, a daily agricultural television program that covers the "good news" in Kansas agriculture, recently wrapped up its first year on-air. Kansas Wheat is one of the sponsors of Ag Am in Kansas, and the partnership has been a fruitful one, according to Bryan Hallman, who produces the show from Topeka.

"The program reached more than 2,700 households each day and we added two new stations, in Joplin, Mo. and Wichita, in our first year," Hallman says.

The program's Web site, www.agaminkansas.com, received more than 570,000 hits during the year, averaging just over 50,000 hits each month and peaking at 88,000 hits in December.

The show features a diverse array of programming, from news, to ag policy to human interest feature stories.

"Our priority is to tell the good news about agriculture and for viewers to learn more about the people, towns and businesses that support the agriculture industry," Hallman says.

As a partner with Ag AM in Kansas, Kansas Wheat is proud to partner with Ag AM in Kansas and encourage you to view complete episodes online, or check out the program on one of the following stations:

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Armstrong Featured on Fox Business

Posted Jan 14, 2011 at 03:37pm by Bill Spiegel

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USDA Wheat Plantings Report Projects 10% Increase in Winter Wheat Acreage

Posted Jan 12, 2011 at 08:54am by Bill Spiegel

The Winter Wheat Seedings Report issued by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service on Jan. 12 held no surprise for most industry pundits. Throughout the U.S., seeded area for 2011 is expected to total 41.0 million acres, up 10% from 2010.

In Kansas, wheat seedings are at 8.8 million acres, up 400,000 acres - 5% - from last year. That's the largest Hard Red Winter wheat acreage increase in the U.S.

According to USDA's report, the winter wheat crop condition at the end of November, 2010 was rated 47% good to excellent, compared to 63% the previous year.

Here are the Winter Wheat acreage breakdowns by classification:

* Hard Red Winter: 29.6 million acres, up 4% from 2010. Acreage is above last year's levels in all states except Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. Dryness is a concern among all the states.

* Soft Red Winter: 7.76 million acres, up 47%. Large acreage increases are expected among all SRW growing states. Largest increases are in Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri; 125%, 124% and 103%, respectively.

* White Winter: 3.66 million acres, up 4% from 2010. Planted acreage in the Pacific Northwest states (Idaho, Oregon and Washington) is up. Emergence was good prior to winter.

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Wheat: The Answer to Indoor Winter Fun for Kids

Posted Jan 6, 2011 at 01:45pm by Bill Spiegel

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Wheat Commissioner Jay Armstrong Featured on Kansas City TV

Posted Jan 5, 2011 at 10:07am by Bill Spiegel

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A New Year, But Same Crop Concerns

Posted Jan 3, 2011 at 04:02pm by Bill Spiegel

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Wheat Condition Declines for Nov. 8

Posted Nov 8, 2010 at 04:35pm by Bill Spiegel

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Not Much Rain for Wheat Crop

Posted Oct 25, 2010 at 09:15am by Aaron Harries

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World Bread Day - October 16th

Posted Oct 15, 2010 at 01:43pm by Brittany Wands

What is World Bread Day?  It was created by the UIB International Union of Bakers and Bakers-Confectioners in 2006.  This is an organization of bakers from across the world including Germany, Brazil, Hungary, Switzerland, Spain and France.  In these countries, bread plays a prominent role in people's diets so they wanted to create a day where the main focus was on bread.

 On World Bread Day, UIB calls on all of its members and bakers groups all over the world to come up with campaigns in their respective countries to draw attention to bakers and bread.  This is also a time to talk about the importance of bread, as well as its history and future. 

How does one participate in World Bread Day?  UIB set up a blog where new and experienced bakers can submit and trade recipes and pictures from their baking endeavors.  Bakers are encouraged to experiment with new ingredients and methods to come up with the next big thing.

Once the submission period is complete, a World Bread Roundup gallery is created of all the various recipes and pictures that bakers submitted.  There is also a feature in the roundup that allows bloggers to vote on their favorite recipe as well as to share which baker served as their inspiration.

 Ice Box Rolls

Sharon Patterson Davis, Nutritionist for the Kansas Wheat Commission in l985 created the Speak for Wheat spokesperson program. This is a recipe she demonstrated in her programs.

Yield:  2 to 2 1/2 dozen rolls.

1 pkg. active dry yeast 2 1/4 tsp.

1/2 c. lukewarm water 110 degrees-115 degrees

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. skim milk*

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. margarine or butter (1 stick), softened

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 lg. eggs, slightly  beaten

6-7 c. bread flour (may be half

          whole wheat flour)

*Milk should be scalded (180 degrees) unless evaporated or nonfat dry milk is used.

1. In liquid measuring cup, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon sugar.

2. In large sealable bowl, combine scalded milk, sugar, margarine, and salt. Cool to lukewarm.

3. With spoon, beat in eggs, yeast mixture, and flour, one cup at a time. Dough should not be batter like but will be slightly sticky.

4. Cover, let dough rise till doubled in warm (80 degrees) place. Punch down dough with lightly greased hands into a ball. Seal bowl and refrigerate.  Dough will last approximately three days in the refrigerator.  Punch down dough once every twenty-four hours.

5. Remove dough from refrigerator 2 1/2 to 3 hours before rolls are to be served. Shape dough into dinner  or cinnamon rolls.  Cover rolls, let rise in warm place until doubled in size.

6. Bake rolls in preheated 375 degrees. oven 10 to 15 minutes or until done.

Tip: To measure flour, stir flour, spoon into dry measuring cup and level.

EACH DINNER ROLL  About  167 calories, 5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g total fat (1 g saturated fat),  18 mg cholesterol, 61 mcg folate,  2 mg iron,  128 mg sodium

**All temperatures listed in degrees fahrenheit.

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Wheat Exports are Double Last Years Pace

Posted Oct 5, 2010 at 11:03am by Aaron Harries

There is some good news in the wheat export market.

• As of September 23, U.S. exports of all classes of wheat for the 2010/11 marketing year (June 1 – May 31) were at 17 million metric tons. 
•  8.1 MMT of that total has been Hard Red Winter wheat.
• This is nearly double the pace of this same time last year and almost identical to total HRW exports for market year 2009/10.
• USDA forecasts 2010/11 all wheat exports to reach 34 MMT, so in theory, a lot of wheat will move between now and May.

So assuming HRW exports account for about 50% of the remaining 17 million tons to be exported, that's roughly 8 MMT (293 million bushels) of HRW exports for the remainder of the market year. That's a U.S. number of course, and not all of that will come from Kansas, but a good share will.

Ag Statistics also made some revisions to the recently harvested 2010 crop.

• Kansas wheat production for 2010 is estimated at 360.0 million bushels, down 2 percent from the August forecast of 369.0 million bushels and down 3 percent from 2009.
• Yield is estimated at 45 bushels per acre, unchanged from the August forecast but 3 bushels above last year. This is the highest yield since 2003 and the fifth highest on record.
• Acres harvested for grain totaled 8.0 million, down 2 percent from the previous forecast and down 9 percent from 2009.
• A total of 8.4 million acres were planted to wheat in the fall of 2009, down 2 percent from the June acreage report and 10 percent below last year. These are the lowest planted and harvested acreages since 1957.

Grain storage space in Kansas is tight. Let's do some math.

+ 400.5 million bushels of wheat in commercial storage.

+ Add 58 million bushels of old crop corn, 19 of old crop sorghum and 3.6 of soybeans.

+ Then, add new crop projections of 607 million bushels of corn, 180 million of sorghum, and 146 million of soybeans.

+ That represents 1.4 billion bushels of commodities looking for storage in Kansas.

+ Current total storage capacity (farm and commercial) in Kansas is 1.28 billion bushels.

That indicates a storage and handling infrastructure that is maxed out. This is most likely going to be the norm in future years rather than the exception.

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Wheat Stocks Up 48%

Posted Jun 30, 2010 at 10:27am by Bill Spiegel

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Wheat Harvest 55% Complete

Posted Jun 29, 2010 at 08:54am by Bill Spiegel

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Thinking of Those in Russell...

Posted Jun 28, 2010 at 01:48pm by Justin Gilpin

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Russia - Aiming for No. 1 in Wheat

Posted Jun 16, 2010 at 01:57pm by Bill Spiegel

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Agriculture Ties Trump Football

Posted Jun 16, 2010 at 01:36pm by Justin Gilpin

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K-State, Monsanto Announce Wheat Collaboration

Posted Jun 11, 2010 at 11:16am by Bill Spiegel

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Impact of Stripe Rust on Kansas Wheat Yield Could Be Severe

Posted Jun 2, 2010 at 05:01pm by Bill Spiegel

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Get Storage Facilities Ready for Wheat Harvest

Posted May 21, 2010 at 01:06pm by Bill Spiegel

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Kansas Wheat Tour, Day 3

Posted May 11, 2010 at 10:04am by Aaron Harries

The 2010 Hard Red Winter Wheat tour concluded in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon at the Kansas City Board of Trade. The final participant estimate for the three-day tour average was a yield of 40.7 bushels per acre, .1 bushels lower than the 2009 estimate of 40.8 bushels per acre.

Participants in the tour made individual estimates on the total size of the crop, with the weighted average at 333.5 million bushels. Last year's final estimate for the tour was 333.3 million bushels.

As always, weather conditions over the next few weeks will be critical in determining the final crop size. A freeze in predicted tonight in Northwest Kansas, and Southwestern parts of the state are in need of rain.

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Kansas Wheat Tour Day 2

Posted May 6, 2010 at 01:14pm by Aaron Harries

The 2010 hard red winter wheat tour is beginning to closely resemble the 2009 tour.  Tour participants gathered in Wichita Wednesday evening to report that the day two average yield prediction was 39.9 bushels per acre.  This compares to a day two average of 39.8 in 2009.  Wednesday's tour routes covered West Central, Southwest and South central Kansas.

The two-day average yield for the tour is 40.3 bushels per acre.  This compares to 40.6 after two days last year.  Given the similarity to 2009 tour predictions, the significantly lower number of planted wheat acres in Kansas may have the largest impact on the final production total.

Wheat is beginning to head in most of the state with the exception of Northwest and West central areas. Disease and insect presence was again minimal on day two.  However, rain has been short this spring in areas of South Central Kansas and is badly needed in the next week for the critical grain fill period.

On Thursday, the tour will conclude at the Kansas City Board of Trade where a total bushel prediction will be released.

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Kansas Wheat Tour Day 1

Posted May 5, 2010 at 01:47pm by Aaron Harries

Day one of the Hard Red Winter Wheat Quality tour came to an end Tuesday evening in Colby, Kansas.  The tour is sponsored by the Wheat Quality Council.  Nearly 70 participants from all segments of the wheat industry attended an orientation in Manhattan Monday evening.  Tour participants include what buyers from Mexico, Columbia and Peru.

Early Tuesday morning, the group spread across the northern half of the state in 16 vehicles.  Tour vehicles stopped every 15-20 miles to inspect wheat fields and predict yields.

At the end of day one, the tour average was 40.7 bushels per acre. This compares to 41.3 bushels per acre after day one in 2009.  Yield estimates ranged from a low of 22 b/a to a high of 77.  Most of the wheat was beginning to head and the crop does appear to be on schedule for the most part.  Disease pressure was light, but stripe rust was noted in minor occurrences.  Moisture appeared adequate in most areas with the exception of dry conditions in Northwest Kansas.

Tuesday, the tour will move through Western and South Central Kansas with a final destination of Wichita.

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Wheat Crop Largely Good to Excellent

Posted May 3, 2010 at 03:41pm by Bill Spiegel

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Rain Continues to Benefit Wheat Crop

Posted Apr 26, 2010 at 04:18pm by Bill Spiegel

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Syngenta, CIMMYT Establish Wheat Research Partnership

Posted Apr 6, 2010 at 10:50am by Bill Spiegel

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USDA Numbers For Wheat Are Bearish

Posted Mar 31, 2010 at 08:16am by Bill Spiegel

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Winter Wheat Crop Lags Behind Normal Pace

Posted Mar 29, 2010 at 03:49pm by Bill Spiegel

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Wheat Quality Council Reports on New Varieties

Posted Feb 25, 2010 at 11:17am by Bill Spiegel

Kansas State University-Hays: Had “Tiger” back for further evaluations. It is a hard white best suited for noodle making and is in a restricted release program.
It is their first Hessian fly resistant white variety.

Oklahoma State University: Has released “Billings,” a red wheat for grain production that has large kernel size for Oklahoma plus a good disease package.
Also entered a red wheat that may replace “Endurance.” They have not decided whether to release it.

Montana State University: Entered two hard red lines. One does not appear to be winter hardy enough for Eastern Montana. The other is a solid stemmed
line that also has questionable winter hardiness for Eastern Montana. Both are a couple of years away.

AgriPro/Syngenta: Will have certified seed available to farmers in 2011 for two new lines. One is named “CJ,” for Chuck Johnson, and is best adapted to the
Eastern and Central great plains. The other, “SY Gold,” is better adapted to Colorado, southwest Nebraska and western Kansas.

WestBred/Monsanto: Only entered one hard red, but it won the millers award for “Best New Variety” for the 2009 crop. The breeder is Sid Perry, and this
outstanding wheat has been named “WB Stout.” The cooperators found it to have exceptional baking performance.

Texas A&M-Amarillo: Entered one hard red line from the TAM program. It has better quality than the good check, TAM 111. Four acre are planted with a potential release in 2012.

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McPherson, Sheridan Counties are Leading Wheat Producers

Posted Feb 23, 2010 at 09:47am by Bill Spiegel

The official numbers have been released by Kansas Agricultural Statistics, and they back up what we have thought all along: the 2009 Kansas Wheat Crop totaled 369.6 million bushels - a 4% increase from the 2008 wheat crop and the highest total since 2005. A total of 9.3 million acre were planted to wheat in Fall, 2009 and 8.8 million acres were harvested. Both figures are lower than historical averages. The yield - 42 bushels per acre - is two bushels per acre better than the 2008 crop.

McPherson County farmers produced the most wheat in the state, with 10.1 million bushels. Sumner County was the second leading producer, with 9.3 million bushels, followed by Sherman (9.0 million bushels); Finney (8.6 million bushels) and Thomas (8.0 million bushels).

Sheridan County had the highest average yield with 59 bushels per acre, followed by Decatur (57 bpa); Sherman (53 bpa); Clay (52 bpa) and Washington and Finney (51 bpa each). Graham and Edwards counties tied for the highest average irrigated yield, at 61 bushels per acre.

Sumner County led the state with 342,000 total harvested acres. Harper County was second with 223,500, followed by Reno (214,500); McPherson (205,500) and Kingman (186,000). Finney County had the largest number of irrigated harvested acres, with 53,800. Gray County was next (42,100) followed by Haskell (41,100).

The complete report, including all county and district planted acres, harvested acres, yield and production, is available online in PDF form by logging on here.

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Wheat Varieties With Reduced Celiac Potential in the Offing

Posted Feb 22, 2010 at 08:45am by Bill Spiegel

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Flour Sales Rose 2.8% in 2009

Posted Feb 12, 2010 at 03:33pm by Nichole Ely

After years of falling consumption, the demand for family flour is on the rise. Family flour has continued to show growth from the previous couple of years, showing outstanding results in a market that has typically seen a year-to-year decline, according to Sharon Davis, Home Baking Association Program Consultant.

Davis cites the Ingredient Markets report, released by the Food Business News Magazine on Dec. 22, 2009. The report includes market commentary from a one-week period. It reported showing market data for the 12 weeks ended Nov. 28 showed unit volume for family flour up 5.8% from the same span a year ago, and sales for the 52 weeks ended Nov. 28 were up 2.8% from a year earlier.

Family flour is commonly known as the flour a consumer buys at the grocery store and is usually a long-patent all-purpose or bread flour. Family flour for retail sale may be packed in 5-, 10-, 25-pound bags.

Private label flour showed the greatest increases in volume for both the 12 and 52 weeks. Private label flour sales were up 7.2% in the 12 weeks ended Nov. 28 and up 9.1% in the 52 weeks ended the same date. Private label flour includes store brands that are specific to retails stores or store chains.

Should the trend continue? Davis believes there is a value to being at home with your family for meals and she certainly hopes this demand continues even with an improvement in the state of the economy.

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Sara Lee Corp. Touting Breads Using Precision Ag

Posted Feb 5, 2010 at 02:25pm by Bill Spiegel

Eco-Grain wheat, which will make up 20% of the whole grains in EarthGrains brand wide-pan bread, was developed by Horizon Milling, a joint venture between Cargill and CHS, Inc. The wheat is grown using farming practices that reduce fertilizer and require less land than organic farming.

According to Sara Lee, Eco-Grain wheat is grown using a technology called variable rate application, also known as “precision agriculture,” which uses a combination of satellite imagery and soil samples to identify the best use of fertilizer on the farmer's field. The farmer then may use the data to apply nutrients to the crop only where it's needed — a process that Sara Lee said requires less fertilizer, uses less energy and reduces emissions, all while increasing the amount of wheat grown on the land.

“Horizon Milling's role is about linking the supply chain from the farmer to the bakery all the way to the end consumer,” said Dan Dye, president of Horizon Milling. “We partner with farmers to help them grow Eco-Grain wheat using innovative technology, we mill the wheat they grow into flour, and we deliver the finished ingredient to EarthGrains' bakeries.

“Throughout the entire process, we preserve the wheat's identity so the consumer can have a direct impact on how the wheat is grown. We're proud to collaborate with the EarthGrains brand to help them deliver a wholesome, environmentally-conscious product to the marketplace.”

In addition to including Eco-Grain wheat in its 100% whole grain, 100% natural line of wide pan bread, Sara Lee said it will expand the wheat's use to EarthGrains Thin Buns later this year.

EarthGrains bread made with Eco-Grain wheat contains 19 grams of whole grain in every slice and has a suggested retail price of $2.49 to $4.09.

Along with the new product introduction, Sara Lee has launched a 360-degree fully integrated consumer marketing program called the “Plot to Save the Earth, One Field at a Time,” and has re-launched its EarthGrains web site (http://www.earthgrains.com/) to include a description of how consumers purchasing habits may affect the environment.

“EarthGrains bread made with Eco-Grain wheat gives consumers the added knowledge that they are helping the environment with every loaf they purchase, in addition to the great taste and nutrition they expect,” said Tim Zimmer, vice-president of Sara Lee North American Fresh Bakery. “As part of our movement to help the environment, we're educating consumers about how to take other small steps to make a positive impact, including supporting the use of innovative agricultural practices.”

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Haitian Flour Mill Should be Finished by 2011

Posted Jan 29, 2010 at 02:34pm by Bill Spiegel

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Sen. Schmidt Dishes on Upcoming Legislative Session

Posted Jan 8, 2010 at 01:20pm by Bill Spiegel

Kansas Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt (R-Independence), says the state's budget woes will be the focal point of the 2010 Kansas Legislative Session, which begins Jan. 11.

Schmidt, speaking at the Kansas Soybean Expo in Topeka Jan. 6, says from April 2008 to April 2009, the state's income fell $1 billion, leading to several rounds of budget cuts. The fifth statewide budget cut was just announced by Gov. Mark Parkinson.

"Until now, the focus has been to spend less money," says Schmidt, who adds that there is not much more room for budget cuts. Already, critical services have been trimmed and cut to the point that they cannot be cut anymore. The Governor, he explains, has said that it is time to add revenue to offset budget shortfalls. But to add revenue, Schmidt says, will require tax increases.

"How all this plays out, I don't know. And I won't know until April," he says. April is when the next round of budget projections are made, which means the first few months of the 2010 session will be unpredictable.

"At the end of the day, we'll have to ask people to do things they don't want to do," he says. "But that won't happen until we know the numbers."

Kansas is required by law to have a balanced budget. Showing fiscal responsibility and restraint will be key to getting through the recession, but Schmidt says legislators are also thinking long-term. His colleagues in the Legislature are considering establishing a "Rainy-Day Fund," which will be replenished during more prosperous times. The fund, he adds, could be tapped only when times are tough. Plans to establish a Rainy-Day Fund were scuttled during last year's session, but have picked up momentum in the summer and fall.

Schmidt adds that, despite the recession, there are ways to capitalize on "green" investments, such as wind energy. "We understand one way to get out of this recession is for people who have money to spend, to spend it," he explains. "Green economics provide an opportunity to have investment in rural communities for the first time in years."

The challenge, however, is that opposition to "green" developments forces companies to look elsewhere for potential development. Schmidt cited opposition to wind farm development in Elk County as an example.

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Snow Cover in Kansas

Posted Jan 7, 2010 at 03:04pm by Bill Spiegel

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New Years Cheers from the CEO

Posted Dec 30, 2009 at 12:13pm by Justin Gilpin

What a decade it has been for the Kansas Wheat industry! In looking back, I believe it has been one of the most memorable in the 50-plus year history of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and Kansas Wheat Commission.

The decade began with the efforts of KAWG, KWC and industry partners, resulting in the privatization of the KWC. With that, we have been able to accomplish many marketing, research and promotional efforts on behalf of Kansas Wheat producers. In considering where we are now, the producer leaders at that time had excellent foresight. Our leadership again made progressive moves by entering into the Cooperative Agreement between KWC and KAWG in 2005, which assured producer investments were being used efficiently and effectively. We continue to work on maximizing that effort going forward.

On the production side, Kansas suffered through difficult drought situations in the first few years of the decade; we were then greeted with pleasant surprises of exceptional yields in areas at the end of the decade. We made a significant effort at introducing a new option for Kansas wheat producers, who responded by planting nearly half a million acres of hard white wheat in 2003. The momentum unfortunately fizzled, and those new varieties are now grown on approximately 100,000 acres in Kansas. We'll see what the new decade brings, but the interest in variety development in Kansas appears to have moved from Hard White to biotech wheat. We will need to learn from the past to make future successes.

The decade has brought in two new farm bills and "winds of change" in farm subsidies. We went from the "Freedom to Farm" farm bill, to one featuring a new buzzword embraced by our entire nation: "Security." The amount of change that has happened in Farm and conservation legislation this decade surpasses the amount experienced in the previous four decades. This emphasizes the importance of our producer advocacy and policy efforts as we enter the next decade, and the need of the entire farming sector to be united. There are fewer and fewer voices speaking on behalf of rural America and production agriculture in Washington DC and that is a disturbing trend.

The most noteworthy event in the wheat industry the past decade was the wheat futures markets. This decade had the largest Bull move in wheat history, taking wheat futures above $12 per bushel. That was subsequently followed by the biggest Bear move in wheat history, with prices falling $7 dollars a bushel in just six months. This market move was one of the single most significant things to ever happen to wheat, and we all have had the opportunity to experience it learn from it. It has highlighted the potential and pitfalls in our industry.

The past year we have seen renewed interest by private industry to become involved in wheat variety development. The past 30 years, the public sector and checkoff dollars have supported these efforts, and it appears collaboration with private multinational seed companies will be in our future. This poses an excellent opportunity, but this must be done correctly to preserve significant investments made by producers up to this point. 

Lastly, the creation of Heartland Plant Innovations by the grant from the Kansas Bioscience Authority with KWC as the lead applicant may be one of the largest achievements by KWC and KAWG board and staffs. It is very exciting to see this effort take shape and help bring research and opportunity to Kansas Wheat producers.

I'm proud to be involved with the Kansas Wheat industry and delighted to share in the successes we have made together over the past decade. I'm even more excited to think about what the future holds, as the next decade - with unforeseen challenges - is going to be an even wilder ride.

Happy New Year!

Justin

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