HPJ Talk Q&A: Chris Tanner on drought, wheat profitability and the farm bill
A difficult production year in northwest Kansas has forced Chris Tanner to make hard decisions on wheat, corn, pasture and cattle. Even so, recent rain and firmer wheat prices are giving him a little more optimism as the next planting season approaches.
Tanner, a Norton County farmer, is president of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and treasurer of the National Association of Wheat Growers. He joined HPJ Talk host Dave Bergmeier to discuss drought, crop rotation, profitability, the farm bill and the value of producer involvement in agricultural organizations.
This episode of HPJ Talk is brought to you by Kansas Wheat.
Q: Tell us about your operation and the challenges you have been dealing with.
Chris Tanner: I farm in northwest Kansas. I raise wheat, corn and beef cattle in a cow-calf operation, along with alfalfa and some forage oats. We’re fully no-till. Farming in northwest Kansas has been pretty dry the last couple of years. Until two weeks ago, I had just shy of four and a half inches of rain all year through this growing cycle.
Q: How did your 2026 wheat harvest finish?
Chris Tanner: Half my wheat was not harvested. The adjuster came out and looked at it. The crop only got to be about 8 to 12 inches tall, and it matured early. That wheat crop never had a drop of rain on it through its whole existence. The wheat we did harvest made between 30 and 50 bushels to the acre, but it was still a financial loss. The quality was really good, with high proteins and good test weights. It shows the resilience of modern seed and farming practices.
Q: How are your spring-planted crops and cattle faring?
Chris Tanner: I’ve had some corn chopped for silage. Half of my stock cows never made it to pasture because there just wasn’t enough forage, and we’ve been hauling alfalfa to cattle since they got there. The continuous-crop corn on the north end of Norton County probably won’t make it. The corn planted into last year’s wheat stubble is hanging on pretty well, and that highlights the benefit of wheat in a crop rotation.
Q: Has the recent rain changed your outlook for planting wheat this fall?
Chris Tanner: Absolutely. Two weeks earlier, I was looking at prevent plant because the soil was like pavement. In the last two weeks, we’ve had about three inches of rain, so now we can get the drills in the ground. We’re farmers, so of course we’re optimistic. A rain sure improves your outlook. I usually start drilling around Sept. 20.
Q: What are the biggest concerns for wheat producers heading into 2027?
Chris Tanner: Profitability is the biggest issue. Grain markets have been depressed while input costs, including fertilizer, have gone up. We’re also competing globally, and we’re not the lowest-cost wheat producer in the world. What we do well is produce high-quality milling wheat, which matters to export customers. But profitability and market volatility make it hard to have certainty, even when you grow a good crop.
Q: Do stronger wheat prices help improve that outlook?
Chris Tanner: They do. Being able to put wheat in the ground and see an eight in front of next year’s prices helps. We’ve been through a severe drought across much of western Kansas, so stronger prices and a few rain showers have improved the level of optimism.
Q: What do you want Congress to understand about the need for a farm bill?
Chris Tanner: Everyone in Congress should understand the importance of a farm bill. It’s been kicked down the road for too long. Agriculture needs lawmakers to work together and find a good compromise. We need a five-year farm bill because it provides certainty. The changes made last year, including higher reference prices, helped, but those changes are still not a full farm bill.
Q: What has your involvement with the National Association of Wheat Growers taught you?
Chris Tanner: The collective voice of wheat producers is powerful. NAWG brings together 20 member states, six classes of wheat and many different production systems. When producers from across the country get in the same room and develop policy for Capitol Hill, you get a much broader perspective. That diversity is one of NAWG’s biggest strengths.
Q: Where should producers start if they want to become more involved?
Chris Tanner: Start at the state level. Most of us are farmers in the field, and that’s our area of expertise. State and national staff can help translate what is working or not working on the farm into policy. In Kansas, I’d also encourage producers to visit the Wheat Innovation Center in Manhattan and see the genetics, greenhouse work and research behind the wheat industry.
Q: What is the final message you would leave with producers?
Chris Tanner: Stay involved with the organizations or issues you’re passionate about. We’ve had policies that came out of our own Kansas boardroom make their way into farm bill language. If you think your voice doesn’t matter, it does. Get involved in an organization that fits you and take part in the policy process, because it can bear fruit.
