Have You Considered Wheat?

Pat Clements
Ky Small Grain Promotion Council
Chairman

Wheat has not been known as a chief commodity in Kentucky due to higher production challenges when compared to corn and soybeans, but I’d encourage you to take another look.

We asked Dr. Carrie Knott with the University of Kentucky to provide some insight for our grain growers looking to earn income on their winter cover crop and avoid burndown challenges. As Ohio’s wheat production has declined in past years, Kentucky farmers could potentially make up the difference our millers and distillers need. Be sure to check out that article in this issue or on our website at kysmallgrains.org.

Her advice is based on many years of research, which has been a high priority for the Kentucky Small Grain Growers and Promotion Council since we formed in the early 1990s. We have allocated more than $4 million to wheat and small grain research efforts over the past 30 years to give our farmers the tools to earn extra income on their grain acres. We will be accepting new research proposals for the next round of funding through June, and our board members have asked investigators to look at topics such as sustainability, inputs, and soil health. A full list of guiding principles and ideas can be found on our website, but we welcome any additional input from growers.

Aside from market opportunities and research, we are also focused on legislation. Our number one goal for the next farm bill is protecting crop insurance, followed by getting better coverage at a lower cost and then updating the reference price, which is not relevant to today’s cost of production.

I currently serve as the treasurer of the National Association of Wheat Growers, which has been a real honor and a great experience for personal learning and growth.

Several of your Kentucky grower leaders and I met with other growers from all over the country this past February to share ideas and meet with our legislators and their staff. We met with Senator Mitch McConnell, and his staff devoted quite a bit of time talking to us. Senator Rand Paul was receptive to our messages and shared that he is trying to simplify the H2A process as our grain growers need qualified help to operate machinery. We talked with Eric Bergren, Congressman Brett Guthrie’s chief of staff, and the real treat was having dinner with Congressman James Comer and his staff. Kentucky is very fortunate to have people on Capitol Hill who take an interest in agricultural matters. 

Finally, I’d like to thank the other growers, marketers, and researchers who are serving our growing wheat and small grain industry. Sam Halcomb, of Logan County, is our current Grower Association president. He is full of interesting ideas, continuing the legacy of his father, Don Halcomb, who served small grain growers for about 25 years. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know newer board members Neil Denton and Jason Head. And let’s not forget to mention long-time Promotion Council member Bernard Peterson, who is now the chairman of the National Wheat Foundation. They recently hosted the foundation members on their farm in Loretto. Kentucky’s status in wheat production and use is making its way to center stage.

Kentucky’s wheat and small grain leaders are true innovators, and they want to see these grains provide greater profitability for our growers. If you haven’t considered wheat lately, maybe now is the time.