‘All aboard!’ as wheat harvest report train is set to depart
High Plains Journal is about to embark on its 14th year of the All Aboard Wheat Harvest and cutting crews are champing at the bit to enter fields and put together reports on a crop that was planted last fall.
Each year the journey to the field across the High Plains yields many memorable stories not only about quality of wheat but also anecdotes that make for a unique experience. If you are an HPJ subscriber, you have a ticket to all the annals.
Our correspondents are the ones providing readers with the front-row view as they are the boots on the ground. This year’s correspondents include familiar names—Stephanie Cronje, Laura Haffner, Brian Jones, Christy Paplow and Janel Schemper. They are all experienced harvesters and each of them has a unique storytelling style.
The All Aboard Wheat Harvest program would be impossible without the support of sponsors and we encourage people to take the time to thank them. Sponsors include Kramer Seed, Corteva, US Custom Harvesters, CASE IH, ITC and Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children.
From seed to harvest technology how farmers grow and cut wheat has changed. Today’s seed and seed treatments offer the capability to lessen the stress of drought and other challenges. A large combine can take out several hundred acres a day while providing real-time data to help a farmer to plan on his next year’s crop.
HPJ has also adapted how it shares the story to multiple platforms of readers. We will continue to devote pages in newsprint but it has widened in scope to benefit all readers.
We encourage AAWH enthusiasts to regularly visit allaboardharvest.com and to like our Facebook page, facebook.com/allaboardharvest, to watch for giveaways and bonus features. The correspondents will also post live videos from the harvest trail on the AAWH Facebook page. Social media has proven to be a successful communication tool to reach new followers.
Giveaways and other promotions are exciting add-ons to enhance the All Aboard Wheat Harvest experience for readers.
Wheat remains the No. 1 signature food group that consumers around the world embrace. This week’s cover story by Copy Editor Jennifer Theurer shares with readers about the destination of wheat in the Wheat State of Kansas that becomes flour from the processor to the consumer. The Stafford County Flour Mills, home of the Hudson Cream flour in Hudson, Kansas, is an American success story that dates back to 1904. The mill works with local elevators to produce premium flour with a loyal following.
Theurer also highlights a southcentral Kansas baker whose heritage goes back to South Australia and remembers how baking with flour is an art as she takes great joy in baking from scratch. That story is yet another reason why the AAWH campaign is important to the tell. Our tracking shows reports filed are read with great interest around the world.
We are not surprised to learn this as many stories abound from yesteryear of boys and girls who visited grandparents’ farms to see how wheat was cut and taken to a local elevator or put into a bin.
With so much talk about food insecurity around the globe in 2022 the AAWH provides a security blanket to those who enjoy success stories about food production. We hope everyone enjoys the latest installment of AAWH, the commitment of the harvest crews, grain elevators, millers and bakeries. AAWH is truly an Americana experience.
Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].
