2015 Wheat Show Hi-Lites

The 62nd Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show will focus on a variety of issues but much emphasis will be given to strategies of preventing Fusarium head blight (SCAB) and marketing this year’s crops which are heavily infested with scab and vomitoxin. These issues will be discussed by Dr. Senay Simsek of the Northern Crops Institute, NDSU Crop Quality Specialist and Grain Marketers.

Another hot issue on the agenda is grain transportation. Dan Wogsland, Executive Director of the Northern Grain Growers Association will give us the latest details on efforts to bring balance to get grains to milling and export destinations.

Consumer issues including gluten intolerance and food fads are at the top of this year’s agenda along with new durum varieties and crop salinity tolerances.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Mike Boehlje of Purdue University. One of his presentations will focus on a possible cyclical downturn of agriculture income. He is concerned about the fall or a possible decline in exports due to the decline of economic growth in China and India. He also feels farmers can expect interest rates to rise steadily during the balance of the decade. The U.S. farmers export products equal to approximately 25% of their income.

The world has put more land under the plow and he feels this and other factors could cause agricultural land values to drop as much as 15%.

Of course during his three-hour presentation Dr. Boehlje will present other information that is for certain to influence our production decisions in the near future.

During the Williams County Farmers Union luncheon attendees will learn how they can easily be advocates of the business of farming. Also, the Williams County Farmers Union has secured a great speaker who will talk, sing, and make us laugh and cry. This presentation by Mark J. Lindquist is titled “Passion! 8 Steps to Find Yours”.

The “Trade Show”, photo contest, and Bread Fair for area 5th grade students will continue as in the past. Watch for more details, as I will bring them to your attention in future weekly columns.