Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster, Ron Hays, is talking with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission Executive Director, Mike Schulte, about the upcoming 2023 Junior Wheat Show.
“We have had a little bit of a shorter timeline, probably for students to get their samples clean, ready and submitted, but the visual portion of the Junior Wheat Show competition will take place on Tuesday, July 18 at the Payne County Fairgrounds,” Schulte said. “That is the location we have had it at the last 20 years for the visual portion.”
If exhibitors are not able to be there in person, Schulte said they can submit samples through the mail to the Payne County Fairgrounds at 4518 Expo Cir E in Stillwater, OK 74075. Those samples must arrive through the mail before Friday, July 14, Schulte added.
The judging will take place on July 18, Schulte said, and if contestants are there in person, sample taking will begin before 8 a.m.
“After 8:30 a.m., after everybody is checked in, then we will start the judging right then at that point in time,” Schulte said.
After the visual part of the contest, Schulte said, the milling and baking portion will take place at a later date.
“That portion will follow in the next few weeks, and we will award those prizes for the scholarships and our top 25 winners sometime at the end of October or beginning of November,” Schulte said. “That date has not been set for the banquet, but it is a wonderful opportunity for students to get involved.”
Although there may not be a large increase in involvement this year because of difficulties with the wheat crop, Schulte said there have been large increases in participation over the past two years.
“It is a great opportunity for students to become involved in learning professions about agronomy or weed science or ag economics or ag marketing, or even serial chemistry,” Schulte said. “We feel like this is a wonderful way to show opportunities that exist in the College of Agriculture at Oklahoma State University when they are thinking about future careers.”
Entry forms can be found at okwheat.org or by clicking here.
Schulte also talked about upcoming opportunities for the Oklahoma Wheat Commission to showcase wheat in Oklahoma at the end of July.
“We do have a trade delegation coming at the end of the month from Chile,” Schulte said. “We are going to be doing some tours in southwest Oklahoma, really where the bright spot was for wheat production this year, and so we are kind of excited that we are going to be able to go down in that region.”
