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Wheat's On Your Mind

Kansas Wheat Commission

Wheat's on Your Mind is the go-to podcast for anyone involved in the wheat industry, from farmers and agronomists to grain marketers and researchers.
Hosted by Kansas Wheat's Aaron Harries, this podcast covers everything you need to know about wheat—from the latest market trends and technological advancements to practical tips on crop management and sustainability.
Each episode offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing wheat producers, helping you stay informed and ahead of the curve.
Whether you're in the field or behind a desk, Wheat's on Your Mind delivers the knowledge you need to succeed in the world of wheat.

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21 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 29 min
English

Episodes 21

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S4 · E17
Tuesday · 33 min
Wheat Demand: Why Bread Needs Defending
Bread has been one of America’s most familiar food staples for generations, but familiarity doesn’t guarantee future demand. In this episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, Aaron Harries and Justin Gilpin talk with Josh Sosland, president of Sosland Publishing Company and editor of Milling & Baking News, about what more than a century of milling and baking history can teach the wheat industry about today’s challenges. Sosland explains why declining bread consumption deserves attention throughout the wh
S4 · E16
August 11 · 35 min
Kansas Wheat: Lessons From a Brutal 2026 Crop
The 2026 wheat crop started with about as much promise as producers could ask for. Strong fall moisture helped establish excellent stands across much of Kansas, and warm temperatures kept the crop growing. Then nearly everything that could challenge a wheat crop arrived: a warm, dry winter, spring drought, multiple freezes, heat, hail and eventually rain that complicated harvest. In this Wheat’s On Your Mind roundtable, host Aaron Harries is joined by K-State wheat and forages specialist Romu
S4 · E15
July 28 · 34 min
America's Agricultural History Still Matters
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, agricultural historian Douglas Hurt joins Wheat's On Your Mind to explore how farming shaped the nation from the colonial era to today. From the Homestead Act and land-grant universities to the Dust Bowl, global grain markets, and modern farm policy, Hurt explains why agriculture has always been at the center of America's economy, expansion, and national security. Listeners will hear how Kansas wheat became a defining part of American agriculture, wh
S4 · E14
July 14 · 25 min
U.S. Wheat Quality: Winning Beyond Price
U.S. wheat exports finished the 2025/26 marketing year with strong sales across core and price-sensitive markets—but the next challenge may be even more important. With a smaller hard red winter wheat crop and higher prices expected, can the industry turn last year’s bargain-driven purchases into lasting customer demand? Brian Liedl, vice president of overseas operations for U.S. Wheat Associates, joins Aaron Harries and Justin Gilpin to discuss the outlook for global wheat trade. Liedl explain
S4 · E13
June 30 · 30 min
FSA Overhaul: Faster Help for Kansas Farmers
USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce and Kansas FSA State Executive Director David Schemm join Aaron Harries to talk about the future of USDA service delivery for Kansas wheat producers. The conversation covers USDA reorganization, FSA staffing and county office service, the One Farmer, One File modernization effort, acreage reporting improvements, crop insurance coordination, trade, input costs and the mood across farm country. Fordyce and Schemm explain ho
S4 · E12
June 23 · 22 min
Kansas Wheat Harvest: Smaller Crop, Bigger Stakes
Kansas wheat harvest is moving again after an unusually early start, followed by rain delays and high humidity across parts of the state. In this episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, Aaron Harries and Justin Gilpin visit with Mike O’Dea and Josh Linville of StoneX about what the 2026 crop is showing so far, including low yields in continuous wheat, stronger results in good summer fallow fields, and protein that varies sharply by region. The conversation also digs into why hard red winter wheat has
S4 · E11
June 16 · 30 min
Farmer-Owned Bread: Keeping Wheat Value Local
What if Kansas wheat did not have to leave wheat country before becoming bread? In this episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, Aaron Harries visits with Brian Linin and Alan Townsend of Golden Waves Grain, a planned farmer-owned wheat milling and bakery project in Goodland, Kansas. The concept is simple but ambitious: receive wheat directly from farmer-owners, mill it into flour, bake it into bread, and move it through a grocery warehouse distribution model that could return more value to producers an
S4 · E10
June 2 · 29 min
Wheat, Fiber, and the Food Pyramid
The ultra-processed food debate is getting louder, but this episode asks a question wheat farmers should care about: Are we judging foods by how they’re made, or by what nutrition they actually deliver? Erin Ball and Leah Johnston explain why wheat-based foods should be part of a science-based conversation about fiber, enrichment, school meals and better diet quality—not just another casualty of a confusing label. Federal nutrition guidance, school meal standards and ultra-processed food conver
S4 · E9
May 19 · 30 min
Farm Program Changes Kansas Farmers Need
Kansas wheat producers have important farm program decisions ahead, and some of the biggest changes involve base acres, ARC/PLC elections and disaster assistance. Aaron Harries visits with David Schemm, state executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency in Kansas, about how recent federal farm program updates affect Kansas farmers. They cover the new wheat reference price, 2026 ARC/PLC sign-up, base acre notices for landowners, Farmer Bridge Assistance, Supplemental Disaster Relief Prog
S4 · E8
May 12 · 23 min
Drought Tests Kansas Wheat Genetics
In this episode, Aaron Harries visits with Justin Gilpin, CEO of Kansas Wheat, and Bryson Haverkamp, CEO of the Kansas Wheat Alliance, about crop conditions heading into harvest, variety performance under stress and what growers should be watching before making fall seed decisions. They also discuss wheat streak mosaic virus, the Wheat Quality Council’s Hard Winter Wheat Tour, K-State field days, new wheat lines in the pipeline and why the next K-State wheat breeder matters for the future of Kan
S4 · E7
April 28 · 25 min
Wheat Lessons From The East Coast
What can Kansas wheat growers learn from a farmer on Maryland’s Eastern Shore? Aaron Harries talks with Jason Scott, a sixth-generation farmer from Hurlock, Maryland, about growing soft red winter wheat in a humid, disease-prone environment shaped by poultry demand, nutrient rules, and double-crop soybeans.Scott explains how Maryland’s fertilizer regulations and audits affect the farm, why chicken manure remains a valuable local fertilizer source, how domestic and export markets both influence
S4 · E6
April 14 · 20 min
Hybrid Wheat In Kansas Soil - WOYM
Hybrid wheat has been talked about for decades, but this episode makes it feel real. Aaron Harries sits down with Dan Wiersma of Corteva to explain why Kansas is set to become the center of a planned hard red winter hybrid wheat launch in fall 2027. Wiersma walks through the science, the seed production challenge that held wheat back for years, and the new non-GMO system Corteva says could finally make hybrid wheat commercially viable. He also shares the on-farm promise: a consistent 10 percent
S4 · E5
March 31 · 26 min
New Leadership for Wheat’s Next Chapter - WOYM
New U.S. Wheat Associates President and CEO Mike Spier joins Wheat’s On Your Mind to discuss his path through the wheat industry and what he has learned from decades of work in export markets. From Portland to Cairo, Manila, and Singapore, Spier has seen firsthand how wheat trade has shifted over time and why trust, education, and customer relationships remain central to U.S. Wheat’s success around the world. In this episode, Spier, Aaron Harries, and Justin Gilpin break down what is driving s
S4 · E4
March 17 · 19 min
The Farm Impact of World Conflict - WOYM
In this timely episode of Wheat’s on Your Mind, Aaron Harries talks with StoneX experts Mike O’Dea and Josh Linville about how the Iran conflict and closure of the Strait of Hormuz are rattling both grain and fertilizer markets. O’Dea explains that wheat had already been rallying on fund short covering before crude oil volatility added even more fuel to the move, while Linville outlines why fertilizer markets are under intense pressure just ahead of the peak U.S. spring import window. The conv
S4 · E3
March 3 · 38 min
WOYM - 80 Harvests After the Dust Bowl
What does 80 wheat harvests teach a person? In this special Wheat’s On Your Mind episode, Aaron Harries visits with Don Keesling of Lyons, Kansas, a lifetime wheat champion with deep roots in Kansas wheat history and organizations like the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. Don shares what harvest looked like when pickup loads were measured in bushels and every grain was shoveled by hand, how families and neighbors worked together, and how farming evolved from early machinery to modern system
S4 · E2
February 17 · 26 min
WOYM - World Fertilizer Prices, Kansas Wheat Reality
Fertilizer pricing isn’t just about local supply and demand—it’s global, political, and tied to energy in ways that directly hit Kansas and the Central Plains. Aaron Harries talks with Corey Rosenbusch (The Fertilizer Institute) about why the U.S. is only a slice of total world fertilizer consumption, why potash and phosphate move across oceans, and how shifting trade routes can create real sticker shock at the farm gate. They break down nitrogen, phosphate, and potash realities—plus the ripple
S4 · E1
February 3 · 26 min
WOYM - The Woman Who Taught Kansas About Bread
After four decades of feeding Kansas’ wheat story to the public—one demo, one recipe, and one straight answer at a time—Cindy Falk is retiring from Kansas Wheat. Host Aaron Harries walks through Cindy’s farm-kid roots near Laclede, her early love of baking, and the phone call in 1985 that launched her into the “Speak for Wheat” spokesperson program. From the Kansas State Fair booth to school foodservice trainings, Cindy helped translate wheat production, nutrition, and baking know-how for real
S3 · E29
January 20 · 39 min
WOYM - Old-School Milling, New-School Baking
Flour milling legend Brian Walker joins Aaron Harries and guest host Justin Gilpin for a front-row tour through 45+ years of wheat, flour, and bread history—from 140-pound jute bags and long mill days to the consolidation era that reshaped who mills flour and how knowledge gets shared. Brian breaks down how consumer trends and technology changed the bread aisle (including extended shelf life and the rise-and-fall of “day-old” bread stores), and how high-speed bakeries raised the bar on wheat pr
S3 · E28
January 6 · 34 min
WOYM - 2025 Review: Kansas Leads the Wheat Fight Again
Kansas Wheat leaders sit down for a candid “2025 in review” conversation—what worked, what didn’t, and what’s ahead. Host Aaron Harries is joined by Derek Sawyer (Kansas Wheat Commission chair), Chris Tanner (Kansas Association of Wheat Growers president), and Kansas Wheat CEO Justin Gilpin to talk checkoff-funded research, grower advocacy, and how Kansas wheat is positioned in a volatile global market. From weather-driven field challenges to policy and trade curveballs, the episode connects th
S3 · E27
Dec 23, 2025 · 31 min
WOYM - Weather Pivots, Wheat Profits, and What’s Next
Kansas wheat farmers are entering 2026 with strong soil moisture, a healthy crop, and a weather pattern that may be setting up favorably — but not without risks. In this episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, host Aaron Harries sits down with private meteorologist Brian Bledsoe to break down what really happened with weather in 2025 and how shifting Pacific Ocean patterns could influence the months ahead. Bledsoe explains why forecasts must evolve as conditions change, what a La Niña-to-El Niño tran

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