09 Jul Laura: Harvest Pace Stats & A Wheat-aversary!

Hamilton, Greeley, and Wallace County, Kansas — Wheat harvest has been moving quickly along the most western edge of Kansas. It seems to be moving so fast that my analytical brain wanted to see some historical data on the matter. I reached out to the Kansas Wheat Commission to see what sort of information the commission could provide the All Aboard readership. The commission came through in a big way and has allowed me to share the diagram below.

According to the wheat report released today, July 1, 2024, the Kansas Wheat Commission reports, “Kansas wheat harvest is 80 percent complete, well ahead of 39 percent complete last year and 49 percent on average, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service crop progress report for the week ending June 30, 2024.” You can find more information about their harvest reports at this link.

In addition to the commission’s harvest reports, there is something for everyone on its website, including recipes, pertinent industry information and even international news. Recently the commission posted an article titled “A Love Letter to Turkey Red.” The article explains how Mennonite immigrants, from what is modern day Ukraine, brought over Turkey Red, a hard red winter wheat variety. This variety, well suited for the Kansas climate, was planted in the fall, was hardy through harsh winters and harvested in the summer. The variety revolutionized Kansas agriculture and even the world. Today, 50% of Kansas wheat varieties can be traced back to the Turkey Red lineage. This year marks the 150th anniversary of a hard red winter wheat crop harvest in Kansas, and I’m proud to say we both raised and harvested hard red varieties. I encourage you to read the full article to learn more about this amazing crop!

Thank you to our 2024 All Aboard Wheat Harvest sponsors: High Plains Journal, Lumivia by Corteva Agriscience, Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., Merit Auctions, Kramer Seed Farms, Shelbourne Reynolds, and U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. Laura can be reached at laura@allaboardharvest.com.