Mike Schulte from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission discussed several upcoming events and initiatives, including the Junior Wheat Show, set for Wednesday, July 16th at the Payne County Fairgrounds in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Schulte emphasized the importance of this program for 4-H and FFA students: “We give over $16,000 in scholarships each year to the top five entries in the 4-H and FFA competition,” which are awarded on December 3rd at the Embassy Suites. Students are encouraged to participate by submitting 10-pound samples, and they can access the rules on the Oklahoma 4-H and Wheat Commission websites.
This year’s growing season posed some challenges due to excessive rainfall, but Schulte remains optimistic: “We are hopeful that we are gonna have a good number as we have progressed with harvest.” This Junior Wheat Show is only the visual competition, Schulte noted. the visual samples will be “judged by the lead wheat breeder at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Brett Carver.” the top samples will later be sent to “the OSU Food and Agricultural Product Center where they are given milling and baking scores.”
Participation in the Junior Wheat Show has grown significantly, geographically and numerically, in recent years. Schulte noted: “We’ve seen more students entering from the north-central regions of the state as well as southwestern parts,” expanding beyond its traditional base in northwestern Oklahoma. He added that yearly variation in growing conditions means “it may be someone else’s year that typically it wouldn’t have been.”
Additionally, this year, a trade team from Equidor will be coming for a visit. Schulte said, “Next week we do have a group of Ecuadorian Millers that are coming in from four of the largest mills in that region.” The visit will include technical evaluations at OSU’s Food and Ag Product Center, as well as farm and elevator tours. Ecuador has historically been a strong market for U.S. wheat but had “dropped from the market in 2023, 2024.” according to Schulte. This visit is part of efforts to revive trade: “Our hope is we can facilitate more trade and discussion efforts.”
Finally, Schulte highlighted the broader international outreach coordinated with U.S. Wheat across the wheat belt, involving delegations from “Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Mexico” and even “the Far East, from Taiwan.” He expressed hope that advancements in variety development—specifically in blending hard and soft red winter wheat—will meet evolving market needs, especially in snacks and baked goods: “We’re going to be working on specific blends that can be used for snacks, like cakes and pastries as well as crackers.” This diversification could open new markets for U.S. wheat producers.
