Rediscover Wheat December 2014

The official publication of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Wheat Commission

December 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Success in Brazil for U.S. Wheat Farm Succession P lanning Industry News Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 1

Volume 1 • Number 4 www.rediscoverwheat.org The official publication of

In This Issue :

1990 Kimball Avenue Manhattan, Kansas 66502 (785) 539-0255

KAWG MEMBERSHIP

EDITOR

ASSISTANT EDITOR/DESIGNER

$100 per year

Marsha Boswell • mboswell@kswheat.com

Nicole Lane • laneinicole@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Julia Debes • juliadebes@gmail.com Jordan Hildebrand • jhildebrand@kswheat.com

CEO

KAWG OFFICERS

Justin Gilpin • jgilpin@kswheat.com

PRESIDENT Gary Millershaski • Lakin VICE PRESIDENT Michael Jordan • Beloit SECRETARY/TREASURER Kenneth Wood • Chapman IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT David Schemm • Sharon Springs

KWC OFFICERS

CHAIRMAN Scott Van Allen • Clearwater VICE CHAIRMAN Jay Armstrong • Muscotah SECRETARY/TREASURER Brian Linin • Goodland IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Ron Suppes • Dighton

Rediscover Wheat is published by the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers (KAWG) and the Kansas Wheat Commission (KWC), 1990 Kimball Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, twelve times per year.

Contents of this publication may not be reprinted without permission.

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3 Success in Brazil for U.S. Wheat 4 You Don't Eat Enough Whole Grains 5 Wheat Breeder, Wheat Miller, Make me a Match 6 Grain Foods Foundation 10 Farm Succession Planning 12 Wheat Foods Council Update 14 IGP Stakeholder News Brief 16 Cranberry Sauce Orange Swirl Cake 17 News from the National Association of Wheat Growers 23 Christmas Baking Decorations 24 News from U.S. Wheat Associates 27 Maltby Market Analysis 32 Upcoming Events

$1 Billion Success in Brazil for U.S. Wheat representatives from Brazil’s largest milling company to Manhattan, Kan., to visit the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, the International Grains Program, the USDA Center for Grain and Animal Health Research and a local wheat farm.

Over the next few months, USW sponsored seminars in Brazil for flour mills and purchasing managers, providing technical and market information.

At the end of 2013/14, U.S. wheat sales to Brazil totaled more than 151 million bushels of U.S. hard red winter wheat, or about onethird of total HRW sales for the entire 2013/14 marketing year, and more than 7.2 million bushels of soft red winter. Including sales from April and May 2013, Brazil imported 158 million bushels of U.S. wheat valued at more than $1.2 billion.

U.S. Wheat Associates’ education and engagement with millers in Brazil helped generate $1 billion in sales during the 2013/14 marketing year on a $100,000 investment.

Year after year, U.S. Wheat Associates tells the story of reliable, high-quality, American-

grown wheat to Brazilian millers.

This paid off last year when they could not import enough wheat from Argentina and their government suspended a 10-percent tariff on wheat from the United States.

It’s difficult to predict how political or economic forces will impact Brazil’s traditional Latin American wheat suppliers. But one thing is certain: U.S. wheat growers now are valued in Brazil as the reliable supplier committed to their customers’ success.

When the tariff was lifted in April 2013, USW brought Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 3

You Don't Eat Enough Whole Grains

by Julia Debes

Dr. Glenn Gaesser, professor and director of the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University, spoke at the National Association of Wheat Growers/ U.S. Wheat Associates Fall Board Meeting on October 31, 2014.

How many servings of whole grains do you eat every day?

Chances are not enough, and that means you are depriving yourself of reduced risk of type II diabetes and other chronic diseases. Not to mention missing out on better gut health, according to Dr. Glenn Gaesser, a recognized expert on health, fitness and body weight.

How Americans consume their grains.

Gaesser explained that 70 percent of American consumers believe they consume enough whole grains. For wheat, that means flour that includes all of the bran, endosperm and germ.

In reality, the 2011 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics study of dietary trends indicated that more than 90 percent of adults and children fall short of the three to five recommended daily servings of whole grains.

Why does this matter? Fiber is one answer.

Dietary fiber includes all the parts of a plant that your body cannot digest, meaning it passes relatively intact through your digestive system. This benefits your body by helping maintain digestive health, helping control 4

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blood sugar levels and even increased satiety (feeling fuller longer).

Daily dietary fiber.

Additionally, Gaesser explained that that cereal fiber, compared to fruit or legume fiber, has the most noticeable risk reduction for cardiovascular mortality (heart attacks), according to a 2014 study published in BMJ journal. Gaesser pointed out a collection of studies all showing that cereal fiber can also reduce the risk of Type II diabetes.

“The general statement that we need to consume more fiber is not specific enough.” Gaesser said. “It does not take much.

Most Americans are at one or less servings a day. If we would increase that to just three servings, it would have a big effect.”

GDA Whole grains are not just good for your heart, Gaesser pointed out, they are crucial for your gut.

He explained that whole wheat also provides very good sources of oligofructose and inulin, naturally

occurring fructan-type resistant starches that help create a healthy composition of gut bacteria. These substances work as a prebiotic, or a food that promotes the growth of “good” bacteria in your gut. The result is help protecting against some cancers and inflammatory conditions.

Whole wheat supplies 70 to 78 percent of these two substances in the American diet.

Overall, Gaesser concluded, “The cereal fiber from grain foods may be the most effective source of dietary fiber for improving health and reducing risk of chronic disease.”

Need inspiration on how to incorporate more whole wheat into your diet? Check out whole grains recipes from the National Festival of Breads.

K

Wheat Breeder, Wheat Miller, Make me a Match

ansas hard red winter wheat is not just a good choice for farmers. The medium protein content and good milling and baking characteristics make it great for a wide variety of products around the world including pan breads, hard rolls, Asian noodles, flat breads and all-purpose flour.

But each culture and country has their own baked good preferences. That is why Kansas Wheat’s export market association partner U.S. Wheat Associates has international millers put newer wheat varieties to the test each year through the Overseas Varietal Analysis program. According to U.S. Wheat Associates, the goal of the program “is to gather and distribute information about the performance of U.S. wheat varieties in the international marketplace as they relate to the export market’s needs for quality, functionality and end product performance.”

“Every market is looking for something a little different,” said Daryl Strouts, president of the Kansas Wheat Alliance.

“The Overseas Varietal Analysis program is a good, middle-of-the road evaluation comparable to what private millers and bakers are doing.”

For hard red winter varieties, the Kansas Grain Inspection Service gathers and grades wheat variety samples. The samples are milled domestically and evaluated for quality by the Kansas Wheat

by Julia Debes

Quality Lab. The flour is then sent overseas for testing.

For the 2013 crop, new Kansas Wheat Alliance variety Oakley CL was included among six varieties tested by six international millers from five different countries that typically purchase hard red winter wheat out of the Gulf of Mexico. Those cooperators evaluated Oakley CL against the commercial flour they regularly use in their specific end products.

Each flour was tested and ranked according to dough handling characteristics, end use quality and overall acceptability.

Oakley ranked second out of the six varieties tested. It was ranked highest by cooperators in Nigeria and the Dominican Republic, who also gave the variety high rankings for end product performance. Overall, the cooperators found Oakley to have acceptable milling and baking quality and average test weight and protein.

Those results match the broader analysis done by the Wheat Quality Council. Dr. Rebecca Miller, director of the Kansas Wheat Quality Lab, reported that testing results from the Wheat Quality Council, which evaluates

a larger number of samples, found Oakley has good mixing and baking quality in addition to good resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus and stripe rust.

Why does that matter to Kansas wheat farmers? Hard red winter constitutes an average of 40 percent of wheat exported from the United States and international buyers are continuously looking for a high quality, reliable supply.

Programs like the Overseas Varietal Analysis program help these millers use our best product to make their best products.

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I KEEP COMING ACROSS THE TERM "FRANKENWHEAT" – IS MODERN WHEAT REALLY DIFFERENT? Honestly, no. While the term “Frankenwheat” sounds catchy, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan have grown wheat with seeds dating back 150 years and found no meaningful changes – that means no meaningful changes to the nutritional value or the gluten content. So wheat today is basically the same as wheat from 150 years ago. What has changed is the ability to more easily grow wheat, something that’s essential for feeding our world’s growing population.

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MY TRAINER KEEPS TELLING ME THE PALEO DIET IS HEALTHIER – WHAT DO YOU THINK? If I understand it correctly, the Paleo diet is based on foods presumed to be eaten by our ancestors and it specifically excludes grain foods. The diet is extremely restrictive, making it a difficult lifestyle choice for the long-term. By eliminating grains from your diet, it just gets harder to get the fiber and antioxidants your body needs to reduce the risk of chronic disease. And, let’s face it, the Paleo diet isn’t exactly welltested – no caveman lived long enough to develop many of the chronic diseases we face today.

COME TO THE TABLE Every morning and night in homes across the nation, people gather at tables to replenish, reenergize, remember and share.

These tables hold grains of sustenance and grains of truth.

They’re where we enjoy the people and food we love.

Connect with the community we trust. And celebrate the essential things that refuel our bodies and minds.Through exchanging ideas, sharing values and plates of food, and honoring traditions, we help each other lead happy and healthy lives. At the Grain Foods Foundation, we celebrate the nourishment found at our tables.

And we invite you to join us.

1300 I Street, NW Suite 700 West Washington, DC 20005

www.Grainfoodsfoundation.org

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 7

I JUST FEEL BETTER WHEN I CUT GLUTEN OUT OF MY DIET – THAT MUST MEAN IT’S HEALTHIER. Do you think you have celiac disease?

If so, there are some great resources on the website GrainFoodsFoundation.org.

Going gluten-free before getting tested for celiac disease can actually get in the way of making a proper diagnosis. You should talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Do you think you have celiac disease?

Oh, you don’t. Did you know there is no evidence that going gluten-free benefits the average healthy person?

Eliminating grains from your diet can negatively impact your gut health.

Our understanding of common gastrointestinal symptoms is growing every day – there are vast differences in how individuals respond to different food components and how gut bacteria also impacts this. It’s not as simple as just targeting gluten.

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GLUTEN-FREE FOODS ARE MORE NATURAL, RIGHT? There are many foods that are naturally gluten-free, like fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. However, gluten-free products, especially those meant to replace their gluten-containing counterparts are just as, or if not more “processed” than what they are substituting. These products often contain more sugar and food gums and fewer micronutrients – “natural” probably isn’t the best word to describe them.

THERE ARE SO MANY DANGEROUS CHEMICALS IN PROCESSED FOODS, INCLUDING BREAD. I'VE DECIDED TO JUST AVOID THEM.

I'VE READ THAT WHITE BREAD IS JUST ANOTHER PROCESSED FOOD AND THAT IT MAY EVEN CAUSE DEMENTIA. WHY EAT IT?

Not knowing how food is made can be scary, but as someone in the industry, I am troubled by our use of the word “processed.” Some sort of processing is required for us to safely enjoy the majority of the foods in our food supply. Think about wheat – you need to harvest it from the field and then grind it to make the flour that goes into bread. No one would want to eat wheat directly from the field. What’s dangerous about that? As for the chemicals found in foods, food companies have entire teams dedicated to food safety and ingredient regulation and while there are sometimes scary cases of food recalls, the U.S. has the world’s safest food supply. On this holiday, that’s something we should really be thankful for.

It is unfortunate what a few rumors suggested by people trying to sell books can do. White bread is not simply empty calories. If you read the nutritional label you will find that it is an incredibly affordable source of important nutrients. To name a few, I would note iron, which we need for proper circulation; B vitamin which we need to help our bodies unlock the energy from foods; and folic acid, which is crucial for the prevention of birth defects.

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D

ennis Metz admits it. He was resistant to some of the changes his sons wanted to make on the family’s dairy and crop farm near Wellington, Kansas.

In the late 1990s, Metz was growing crops and milking cows two times a day and thought it was a tried and true way of running a dairy farm. His sons, Dan and Jay came home from college and wanted to try milking three times a day – and to grow cotton – not a crop typically associated with Kansas, especially then. Thinking about how much time and money had been spent on his sons’ education and about how he’d watched other family members struggle as one generation took over the business from another, Dennis relented. The family not only milked three times a day successfully for years until they left the dairy business, but also started growing cotton, which they still do today, along with other crops. Dan and Jay have taken over the dayto-day operations of the farm with their dad’s blessing and support.

The day sons or daughters announce they’d like to take over the family farm or ranch can be a 10

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proud one, but can also be fraught with communication challenges, legal pitfalls and differing expectations.

To help Kansas farmers and ranchers with the succession process, K-State Research and Extension and Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services are teaming up with other agencies to offer five “Planning for Farm & Ranch Succession” http://www.ksre.ksu.

edu/kams conferences around the state. The meetings are supported by a grant from the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Meeting dates and locations include: Jan. 5 – Allen Community College – Iola;

Jan. 10 – Pratt Community College – Pratt; Jan. 16 – Kansas Farm Bureau Plaza – Manhattan; Jan. 17 – Flint Hills Technical College – Emporia; and March 3 – K-State Agricultural Research Center – Hays.

The conferences are part of a larger effort to develop a comprehensive succession education and service program, said Forrest Buhler, attorney with Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services. A succession planning website is being developed which will include archived webinars, videos and other educational materials available to the public.

More information, including online registration, is available at http://www.ksre.ksu. edu/kams or by calling 1-800-4328222. The cost at each location is $60 per person for the first family member to register, and $40 per person for all other family members.

As for Dennis Metz and his wife, Marilyn, they’re enjoying activities with their grandchildren, including following one grandson’s budding bluegrass music career.

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 11

WFC Member Update - November 2014 WheatFoods.org

51 D Red Fox Lane, Ridgway, CO 81432

In this Issue: Generating the Buzz Column by Kinnaird+Mangan (k+m), Social Media Stats, November Re-Cap, Adams to Retire at End of Fiscal Year and More!

Generating the Buzz – by k+m Based on our amazing success with a Family Features lifestyle piece last May on the “Truth about Gluten,” the Wheat Foods Council launched a new feature this month targeted to the New Year and health resolutions.

Entitled, “Resolve to Get Healthier,” the science-based feature focuses on the theme that diets don’t work. Instead, we suggest a number of common sense strategies for all those consumers looking to improve their health and lifestyle in 2015:     

Start your day with a healthy breakfast that incorporates grain foods Make fiber a priority and be sure to include grain fiber which has different nutritional benefits than fiber from fruits and vegetables Instead of dieting, choose to follow science-based, sensible eating patterns such as DASH, Mediterranean, or MyPlate (all of which stress the importance of grains) Incorporate some form of exercise into your regular lifestyle Schedule and track your health goals

Also included in the feature are sidebars on “How to Spot a Fad Diet in 30-seconds or Less,” “Tips to Trim Mindless Calories,” and a list of resources, including the Wheat Foods Council website.

The November release date enables the feature to be available for some of the longer-lead publications. After only 2.5 weeks of availability, the project already has 49 print orders with over 1 million in circulation and over 20 million via newswire, so we’re off to a strong start!

On the consumer front, the WFC mobilized to take on negative publicity in the form of an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal in which author Nina Teicholz charged that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations for the high amounts of carbohydrates to are responsible for the U.S. obesity epidemic.

In a hard-hitting response developed using the combined talents of kinnaird+mangan team member Michele Tuttle, RD, and WFC Advisory Board members Julie Miller Jones, PhD, CNS, LN, and Glenn Gaesser, PhD, we laid out why the facts tell a different story.

Among the points made in the letter: National studies of food consumption show that only 3-8% of Americans eat according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

If most people were eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, lean proteins, and low or non-fat dairy servings, and consuming fewer solid fats and added sugars, and less sodium as suggested by the DGA, Americans would be healthier and obesity would be less of a problem.

Millions of consumers have already tried a never-ending stream of diets, including the low-carb diets advocated by Ms. Teicholz and others since they first became popular in the 1960s. But if they really worked, why wouldn’t Americans have just stayed on them? Like all “diets,” low -carb fails in the long term to keep weight off.

While the response was not published by the WSJ, we will use the good information developed in our letter as a new blog post to appear shortly on the WFC website, as well as including the information in our next issue of Kernels, and sharing it through our regular communications with our media RD team, retail dietitian and family and consumer sciences audience, and our Wheat Safari participants.

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WFC Board Meeting - January 13-14, 2015

November Re-Cap

Information for making your hotel reservations can be found in the “Members section” of the WFC website or in the your last WFC Member Update. (October edition)



Veum attended the Whole Grains Council’s Annual Conference in Boston, MA, November 9-11, 2014 entitled “Breaking Barriers.” Many excellent speakers, as well as informative discussions, took place during the 3-day event. Brett Carver, PhD, one of WFC advisory board members, was one of the speakers and gave an excellent presentation on wheat breeding/ modern wheat.



Veum was one of the ten people who completed the “Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow” (WILOT) training program which was held in St. Louis at Monsanto’s World Headquarters, Nov. 15-20, 2014 (See article below for details.)



Winter board meeting planning continues.



Additional recipes with new photos (from those taken at our February photo shoot, funded by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board grant were added to the WFC website.



Judi Adams, WFC president, announced her retirement date for the end of our current fiscal year (June 30, 2015.) After spending over 30 years in the Wheat industry, she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband and playing more golf. Erica Olson, chairperson, has asked for time on the upcoming board meeting agenda to discuss with the voting members the next steps in finding a replacement for Adams.



Brent Robertson, chair, nominating committee held a conference call to discuss nominations for the executive committee for next fiscal year (July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015). Ballots will be sent via e-mail to voting members prior to the winter board meeting.



The WFC office will be closed Dec. 25 through January 1st.

Tuesday January 13, 2015

Media Training

9:30am - 12:30pm

January 13

Program Committee Meeting

1:30pm - 3:30pm

January 13

Executive Officers’ Meeting

4:00pm - 5:00pm

Wednesday January 14, 2015

WFC Board Meeting

8:00am - 3:30pm

There will be group dinner on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, time to be determined. We will be meeting in the hotel lobby each night to walk to a nearby restaurant.

WFC Winter Board Meeting Hotel Reservations need to be made no later than Tuesday, December 16, 2014.

Additional information for you to use when making your travel arrangements: The hotel does not have a “free” hotel shuttle to the airport.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is 8 miles (approximately 10 minutes) from our hotel.

Taxi: $25-$30 (one way) Super Shuttle: $15 per person (1 w ay) Three weeks before the meeting date, I will be e-mailing a “Nitty Gritty Details form” to obtain information on who will be attending, etc. The detailed agenda will be made available when it has been finalized.

Member’s Only Section Access At the far bottom of the homepage and just to the left of the E-Magazine sign-up you will see “Members Login.”

User name: WFNmember (case specific) Password: #wfnmember2013 (case specific)

WILOT Training Program The Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (WILOT) program is sponsored by the National Wheat Foundation, and funded annually by a generous grant from Monsanto, one of our associate members.

The five-day program provided in-depth leadership training for current and potential state and national wheat grower leaders.

A few of the topics covered were: Personal skill identification and development

Social Media Update Facebook.com/wheatfoods 24 Posts 291 Likes 17 Shares Reached 10,470 people

Join us on Facebook by clicking on the image!

Establishing trust with an uninformed public Organizational communications Wheat industry organizations overview Agricultural and food policy Media communications training (traditional & social) Wheat research and current issues impacting the wheat industry

Twitter/com/wheatfoods 22 posts 11 Retweets 8 Favorites

Key Issues Facing Wheat The 10-member class represented the wheatproducing states of Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, North Dakota, Colorado and Kansas. Voting member, Jody Pollok-Newsom, from the MI Wheat Program also attended.

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November 2014

STAKEHOLDER NEWS BRIEF Moving the Mission In the United States, November is a month of giving thanks. In the spirit of being thankful, I would like to reflect on what we are most thankful for as the year draws to a close. First and foremost, Brandi Miller we are fortunate to have interactive stakeholders. Earlier in the month, we hosted a productive stakeholder meeting, getting valuable feedback for future success. The availability of our stakeholders to participate and provide feedback aides in the continuous growth of the IGP Institute.

I am thankful for my colleagues and their flexibility to continue to meet the mission of the IGP Institute, even when international travel is required. Jay O’Neil traveled to Bulgaria earlier this month to present a successful three-day risk management workshop to 178 participants. This course was sponsored by USDA, FAS and America for Bulgaria Foundation. Mark Fowler traveled to Manila, Philippines to teach the IGP Institute Principles of Flour Milling course to more than 30 participants. Finally, Dirk Maier and Carlos Campabadal

traveled to College of Sciences at the University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to present and discuss collaboration regarding feed handling, storage and processing.

Finally, I am thankful to be a part of such an exciting distance education program. The registration has closed on the final distance education courses and we are ending the year with having reached more than 900 participants, which is an increase of more than 200 participants from 2013.

As I look to 2015, I am excited about some of the initiatives we have moving forward, including developing more synergistic distance and on-site trainings, more Spanish-language distance trainings, and finally, focusing on quality development initiatives across all course developments and updates. . .

Sincerely,

In the Spotlight Arlette Soria • Animal Production Specialist for Trouw Nutrition Mexico • Native of Jalisco, Mexico “It was really nice for my peers and I to take the online portion prior to coming to the IGP Institute. Having an intro to the basic level made it much easier to follow the presentations.”

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Rediscover WH | December 2014 1980E AT Kimball Avenue, 102 IGP Institute Conference Center | Manhattan, KS

2014 IGP Institute Advisory Council

66506–7000 | Tel. 785-532-4070 | Fax 785-532-6080 | www.grains.k-state.edu/igp | igp@ksu.edu

KSU’s Eric Maichel shares information about the extrusion process with the RAPCO Feed Manufacturing participants.

Shawn Thiele, instructor of the Buhler–KSU Executive Milling course, explains the importance of sifter screens.

Trainings and Activities

Marketing the Brand

Courses and activities held in November.

• RAPCO Feed Manufacturing

by Lisa Moser, Marketing and Communications Coordinator • Distributed post course news releases on RAPCO Feed, Buhler milling courses and IGP Institute’s on-location trainings.

• USDA–ABF–KSU Bulgarian Grain Markets and Risk Management held on–location • Buhler–KSU Executive Milling (English) • IGP–KSU Principles of Milling held on–location in the Philippines • Buhler–KSU Wheat to Bread (English) • IGP 530 – Quality Control/Quality Assurance in Flour Milling • GEAPS 501 – Management Basics for Grain Facility Supervisors • Fundamentals of Animal Nutrition (Distance) • GEAPS 500 – Introduction to Grain Operations

• Sent email reminders via Constant Contact about upcoming January courses as well as distance trainings.

• Redesigned the standard tri-fold explaining IGP Institute programing.

• Created IGP Institute artwork for new phone charging station.

• Developing preliminary design and content for the 2014 Year in Review.

Where in the World A monthly look at where we’ve been as we make our way around the globe promoting U.S. commodities and IGP Institute training opportunities.

• Visited IRRI and Grain Pro in the Philippines • Visited the University of Malaysia and USGC • Attended and presented at the International Working Conference in Stored Product Protection in Chiang Mai, Thailand

• Visited US-AID offices in Vientiane, Laos • Visited the National Institute for Agriculture Technology in Argentina to discuss collaborative research and continuing education of industry professionals • Attended and gave a keynote address at the International Conference on Grain Storage in Silo Bags in Argentina

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 15

Cranberry Sauce Orange Swirl Cake Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease and flour 10-inch 12 cup bundt-style pan. Or use nostick cooking spray with flour.

2) To prepare the cake: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

3) In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt. Add to

the creamed mixture and mix well.

Add the sour cream, orange juice, orange zest, and the toasted pecan pieces.

4) Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. To swirl the cranberry sauce, drop out half of the sauce by tablespoonfuls onto the batter and use butter knife to swirl it throughout the batter. Tip: Do not swirl the cranberry sauce too deep or too close to the edge of the pan.

Top with remaining batter. Swirl the remaining cranberry sauce on top. Smooth over the batter with a spatula.

5) Bake the cake for 40 minutes and tent with foil to prevent overbrowning. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a cake tester or toothpick until it comes out clean.

The cake will be a light golden brown all over. Cool cake in pan on wire rack, 1 hour, then loosen carefully.

Invert onto a cake serving plate.

6) Cool completely before glazing.

Drizzle lightly with glaze or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and garnish with pecans.

Ingredients

Nutrition

1 serving provides approximately: 220 calories 4g protein 33g carbohydrates

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0g dietary fiber 9g fat (4.5 g saturated fat) 45mg cholesterol 24mcg folate 1mg iron 160mg sodium

Cake: 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, softened 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup (1/2 pint) light sour cream 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans 8-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce, divided Glaze and Garnish (Optional): 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Toasted pecan pieces

News from :

NAWG Weekly Updates Republican Party Gains Majority in Senate, Expand Majority in House In a series of hard-fought Senate races, Republicans trounced their Democrat opposition to seize control of the Senate by securing major re-election victories for Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell and Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, while winning at least seven U.S. Senate seats that had previously been held

by Democrats. Republicans won seats in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia, and kept a GOP grip on Georgia where businessman David Perdue handily defeated Democrat Michelle Nunn, by 56 to 42 percent, respectively.

Republicans needed to gain six seats to win a Senate majority for 2015, and therefore couldn't afford to lose any of their incumbents.

And as such, Senator Pat Roberts - who was seeking his fourth term in the U.S. Senate and is likely

to be the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee - couldn't afford to lose to businessman Greg Orman, who ran as an Independent and refused to say whether he would caucus with either party.

Roberts, who previously chaired the House Committee on Agriculture from 1995-1997, told supporters that he would be the next chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and “we will put farmers and ranchers first.” Republican candidates also did well at the House level, gaining at least 14 more seats to add to Speaker John Boehner’s existing majority, which brings the Republican majority in the 114th Congress to the party’s largest since WWII. Republican gubernatorial candidates did not disappoint either, with even the traditionally-Democrat bastions of Massachusetts and Maryland falling to Republican control by the end of the night.

Joint International Trade Policy Committee The Joint International Trade Policy Committee, made up of representatives from both NAWG and USW, met in New Mexico during the wheat industry’s annual fall conference. The committee tackled a busy agenda that included a discussion on the ongoing trade agreements with the Asian-Pacific region (TPP) and the European Union (T-TIP), in addition to reiterating the need for Congress and the administration to pass Trade Promotion Authority, to ease the passage of the agreements.

The Committee also dove into the upcoming Federal Grain Inspection Services reauthorization, and discussed how the wheat industry could use the legislation as tool to avoid another situation similar to the one at the Port of Vancouver, WA last summer, when state and federal inspectors would not Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 17

inspect grain, causing a stoppage in shipments.

14 deadline, requesting that EPA withdraw the proposed regulation.

Joint Biotech Committee

The committee also agreed to send a letter to Secretary Vilsack regarding National Resource Conservation Service contribution agreements, an issue raised by the North Dakota Grain Growers Association.

With the Administration’s lack of action on the 2014 Renewable Fuels Renewable Volumetric Obligations, the committee recommended joining with several other agriculture commodity organizations in sending a letter to President Obama. The committee also discussed the expected timeline for farm bill conservation program regulation and a strategy for preparing NAWG comments.

The NAWG and USW Joint Biotech Committee met to discuss a wide range of biotechnology facing the wheat industry today.

Included on agenda was a brief discussion of the APHIS report on the investigation into GMO wheat in Oregon two summers ago, as well as updates from several tech providers, and staff updates on GMO labeling initiatives and the Wheat Innovation Alliance. Much of the discussion focused around currently ongoing efforts from the agriculture industry to gain a Low Level Presence (LLP) for GMO traits in shipments of grain, both domestically and internationally, and how the wheat industry can be involved going forward.

The discussion lead to a motion by the committee to “authorize the Chairman and staff to collaborate with other grain groups to recommend a threshold level at the January meeting.” The guest speaker for the meeting was Vic Knauf, Chief Scientific Officer from Arcadia Biosciences.

Environmental and Renewable Resources Committee The Environment and Renewable Resources Committee met to discuss regulatory issues affecting wheat growers and farm bill implementation. The committee heard from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NAWG general counsel regarding the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. proposed regulation. The committee discussed action on written comments, which will be submitted prior to the November 18

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Research & Technology Committee Following the opening introductions and approval of the agenda and previous meeting minutes, Matt Erickson of the American Farm Bureau Federation gave an overview of current agricultural group discussions led by AFBF about farmer data.

He stressed that the guiding principles of technology providers are consistency and transparency in their policies concerning agricultural data generated on farms.

Committee member and former chair Robert Blair then gave an update on current FAA rules regarding unmanned aerial vehicles and discussed the challenges those rules pose to famers who wish to use the technology and manage data collected using them.

He emphasized the need for

farmer representation on the FAA advisory committee. The Committee also heard that the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has invited NAWG to participate in their congressional briefing session on March 9, 2015. The focus of the briefings will be on the capabilities and applications of unmanned aerial systems in agriculture.

The Committee passed a resolution in support of grower representation on the Federal Aviation Administration small commercial Unmanned Air Systems rulemaking committee.

Additionally, they passed a motion to provide a letter from NAWG supporting the Triticeae Cooperative Action Program (T-CAP) and urging the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to issue a Request for Proposals that would allow TCAP to apply for future funding.

Domestic Trade and Policy Committee The Domestic Trade and Policy Committee started with general discussion and staff updates and then moved right into presentations given by their invited speakers. The first presentation was given by Kevin Koffman and Loch Edwards from TTMS Group. The discussion focused on issues that the northern plains are facing, specifically the challenge of railroads not being able to move grain due to capacity issues.

Next, Tara Smith, from Michael Torrey and Associates, spoke on behalf of the Crop Insurance Reinsurance Bureau about the future of crop insurance. Smith pointed out that crop insurance

was one of the farm bill items that all of agriculture stood together on and one of the only items that received increased funding.

However, crop insurance is a target of many organizations from both the far left and the far right and agriculture needs to ban together in the coming years to defend crop insurance and keep it working for our growers.

The last part of the meeting focused on the decision tools made available on the USDA website.

Dr. Joe Outlaw from Texas A&M University and Dr. Gary Schnitkey from the University of Illinois, the two leading universities that developed the decision tools, were both on hand to walk through their decision aides. Both professors went stepby-step through their tools and allowed for questions from all present. At this point in the farm bill implementation process, farmer education is of the upmost importance growers will have to make a five-year long decision on which programs to sign up for early next year.

Industry Partner Council The NAWG Industry Partners Council met on Wednesday, Oct. 29, in conjunction with the Fall Wheat Conference. The IPC is comprised of wheat value chain members who partner with NAWG to provide various levels of support to achieve wide-ranging organizational objectives. The featured presenter at this IPC meeting was political consultant Ladonna Lee of Foley & Lardner, LLC. She provided her Election Day predictions on both Senate and House races in ten of the top U.S. wheat-producing

states, as well as predictions on committee leadership changes if the Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate and retained control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

IPC participants in attendance included representatives of BASF, Bayer CropScience, BNSF, CoBANK, John Deere, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont Pioneer, Monsanto and Syngenta. The NAWG Executive Committee, CEO and NAWG legal counsel also participated in this meeting.

GMO Ballot Measures Falter at Polls Ballot measures in Oregon and Colorado to label products containing Genetically Modified Organisms have failed during the midterm elections earlier this week. This is a win for many agriculture groups, such as NAWG, who do not support mandatory labeling. Meanwhile, Hawaiian island of Maui voted to pass a moratorium against the cultivation of genetically engineered crops. It widely expected that industry will challenge the results in Hawaii in court.

Big Data Agreement Reached A coalition of major farm organizations and agriculture technology providers (ATPs) today announced an agreement on data privacy and security principles that will encourage the use and development of a full range of innovative, technologydriven tools and services to boost the productivity, efficiency and profitability of American agriculture. The principles promise to greatly accelerate the move to the next generation

of agricultural data technology, which includes in-cab displays, mobile devices and wirelessenabled precision agriculture that has already begun to boost farm productivity across the United States. Many analysts compare today’s big-data-driven precision ag to the “green revolution” of the 1960s and 70s, which has likely saved a billion lives or more from starvation since its inception.

The coalition supporting the principles includes: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, Beck’s Hybrids, Dow AgroSciences LLC, DuPont Pioneer, John Deere, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, Raven Industries, The Climate Corporation – a division of Monsanto, and USA Rice Federation.

NAWG Attends NAFB Annual Convention NAWG and U.S. Wheat Associates attended the 71st Annual NAFB Convention in Kansas City, Mo., by staffing the U.S. Wheat Industry booth at the 2014 Trade Talk.

During the convention, NAWG president Paul Penner had many meaningful conversations with farm broadcasters. This year’s convention highlighted the history of NAFB and provided three days of professional development, networking events, and panels of newsmakers who providing informative insights and celebrated the accomplishments of their farm broadcaster peers.

During Trade Talk, President Penner discussed various issues that NAWG is currently working on commenting, ”We’ve Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 19

accomplished a lot this year and participating in events like these is a great opportunity to have conversations with farm broadcasters from across the country to discuss wheat.”

NAWG Participates in USFRA Annual Meeting The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance Annual Meeting was held in Kansas City, Mo., from November 9-10. NAWG serves as the wheat industry affiliate to USFRA, and NAWG director of corporate relations, Hugh Whaley, participated in the Communications Committee and Board of Directors meetings. The primary purpose of USFRA is to build consumer trust in today’s production agriculture. At the meeting, USFRA recognized the efforts of the first class of the “Faces of Farming & Ranching,” of which several members were in attendance. The USFRA Board approved their FY 2015 communications plan, the focus of which will be: the wider distribution of the James Moll documentary, Farmland; a continuation of the USFRA Food Dialogues; and the announcement of a new class of “Face of Farming & Ranching.” That class, introduced on Wednesday, Nov.12, at the NAFB Annual Convention in Kansas City, included: Erin Brenneman (Iowa), Darrell Glaser (Texas), Jay Hill (New Mexico), Thomas Titus (Illinois) and Carla Wardin (Michigan). USFRA also elected a new chairman, Nancy Kavazanjian, who represents the United Soybean Board on the USFRA Board of Directors.

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WIA Wheat Forum Wraps Up Wheat growers, handlers, millers, bakers and representatives of several technology/seed companies met in St. Louis, Mo., on November 7-8, to share expectations on improving the profitability of wheat at the Wheat Innovation Alliance 2014 Wheat Forum. Five speakers covering a range of topics including: the future of federal funding for agricultural research, global wheat competition, wheat production economics, public perception of wheat and biotechnology and the practical implications of segregation in the grain handling stream. These speakers gave participants background information to engage in discussions over the two days that centered on industry segment needs, particularly related to the future introduction of biotechnology in wheat.

A key takeaway from the discussion was that early biotechnology traits will be focused on agronomic characteristics, but if these are brought to market they will be part of packages that will help growers in the U.S., Australia and Canada become more effective in producing wheat that is competitive in the marketplace.

A written summary of the meeting will be provided to the WIA Board for consideration at their January meeting in Washington, D.C. Apply for the NWF Jerry Minore Scholarship The National Wheat Foundation has partnered with BASF to award four scholarships, on behalf of the

Minore Memorial Scholarship, for college students who have a personal connection to the wheat industry and a planned career path in the agriculture industry.

The scholarship is named in honor of Jerry Minore, who was a longtime friend of the wheat industry and an advocate for wheat farmers. To honor Jerry’s life and work, the Minore Memorial Scholarship will fund two $1,500 scholarships and two $1,000 scholarships for the 20142015 academic year.

To be eligible for the Minore Memorial Scholarship, students must: Be freshmen, sophomores or juniors pursuing an agriculturalrelated degree; Be enrolled in an accredited college, university, junior or community college; Be a member of the National Association of Wheat Growers; have a close relative (parent, grandparent) who is a member of the National Association of Wheat Growers; OR be nominated by someone sitting on the NAWG Board of Directors or a state wheat association board.

NAWG Files Comments on Waters of the U.S. Regulation In late November, NAWG joined a coalition of state and national agriculture organizations in filing written comments in opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Waters of the U.S. regulation citing expanded jurisdictional authority, lack of clarity and asking for the withdrawal of the proposal. The letter states, “The proposed rule

provides none of the clarity and certainty it promises. Instead, it creates confusion and risk by providing the Agencies with almost unlimited authority to regulate, at their discretion, any low spot where rainwater collects, including common farm ditches, ephemeral drainages, agricultural ponds, and isolated wetlands found in and near farms and ranches across the nation.�

EPA released the controversial proposal in April and the official comment period ended in late November with nearly 500,000 submissions. The proposal has garnered opposition from agriculture, business groups and Members of Congress. The House of Representatives has already passed H.R. 5078 requiring EPA to withdraw the proposal and efforts are underway to address the issue in end of year federal funding legislation. Provisions prohibiting EPA from moving forward with the proposal are included in the Interior Appropriations bill are being discussed as a possible provision should Congress act of an Omnibus Appropriations bill.

Setting the Record Straight on Glyphosate Application A recent article accused wheat farmers of "drenching" their crops in herbicides shortly before harvest as a "standard procedure," which is not standard practice. The article references a report that has been debunked from Samsel and Seneff in 2013 alleging glyphosate residues are responsible for the surge in Celiac disease. The Celiac Disease Foundation has also challenged the report. Roundup brand agricultural herbicides are

proven safe for the applicator, the environment and the consumer, when used according to label instructions. Growers apply pesticides in a manner that is approved by EPA. NAWG supports the responsible use of herbicides.

NAWG Vice President and wheat farmer from Washtucna, Wash., Brett Blankenship, provides the farmer’s perspective in an online video. Brett uses glyphosate well before planting to provide a clean growing environment and after harvest to provide a clean growing environment for the next crop.

Wheat farmers are important to all of us. In the U.S., there are 55 million acres of wheat produced across 44 states that provide a key ingredient in nutritious bread and pastas. If you have questions about how your food is being produced, ask a farmer.

Conaway Picked to Chair Committee on Agriculture This week Congressman K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) was voted Chairman-elect to the House Committee on Agriculture for the 114th Congress to replace Chairman Lucas (OK-3), who will be stepping down at the end of the 113th session due to term limits. Congressman Conaway has already announced a few key staffers under his new leadership. The new Committee Staff Director will be Scott Graves who serves as the current Chief of Staff to Congressman Conaway.

A few names will remain familiar including Matt Schertz, current Senior Professional Staff to Chairman Lucas, who will become the Policy Director and Bart Fischer who will remain the Chief Economist. The Republican Steering Committee approved

Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-4) to remain the Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development. The Committee also approved four new Republican members including Congressman David Jolly (FL-13), Congressman Scott Rigell (VA02), Congressman Evan Jenkins (WV-3) and Congressman David Young (IA-3).

NWF Recruiting Advocates for Consumer Education Effort As part of a broad consumer education effort, the National Wheat Foundation (NWF) is seeking candidates for a pilot program that provides tools and resources to wheat industry allies interested in advocating on behalf of the wheat industry. The Wheat Advocates Project will identify and develop a network of Wheat Advocates and Allies that consist of wheat farmers, spouses of wheat farmers, friends of wheat farmers and third parties knowledgeable of the wheat industry, to serve as voices of knowledge, reason and support in conversations with consumers about wheat issues, including wheat innovation.

All Wheat Advocates will receive social media training from industry experts, messaging guides to reference when promoting wheat innovation, and media opportunities to share personal stories and experiences through local, state, and national publications, as well as on the new NWF blog page. NWF staff will select 10 applicants to participate in the 6-month program, which will run from January to June 2015. To apply or learn more about the Wheat Advocates Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 21

program, visit the program page on the NWF website. Applications are due by December 17, 2014.

NAWG Partners with OFW Law for Government Affairs NAWG is partnering with Olsson-Frank-Weeda-TermanMatz (OFW) Law to lead the Association’s farm bill implementation efforts. The team from OFW includes Molly O’Connor as the Director of Government Affairs, Ken Ackerman as Crop Insurance Specialist and Nathan Fretz as Farm Bill Specialist. “We are excited to add the leadership and industry expertise that OFW has into our government affairs department. With farm bill implementation fully upon us it is very important that wheat growers’ needs be heard in the many farm bill implementation and crop insurance discussions,” commented Jim Palmer, NAWG CEO. WILOT Class #18 Graduates Ten New Wheat Grower Leaders The 18th class of the Wheat Industry Leaders of Tomorrow (WILOT) program of the NWF, funded annually by a generous grant from Monsanto, met this week in St. Louis, Mo. The purpose of this five-day program was to provide in-depth leadership training for current and potential state and national wheat grower leaders. Topics included leading different grower personalities, building consumer trust in agriculture, organizational communications, an overview of the various wheat industry organizations, traditional and social media communications 22

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014

training, what’s new in Monsanto wheat research and current issues impacting the wheat industry.

The 10-member class represented the wheat-producing states of Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, North Dakota, Colorado and Kansas.

NAWG First Vice President Brett Blankenship represented the NAWG Executive Committee at this year’s WILOT program.

NWF appreciates Monsanto’s continued support of this important leader development program.

Christmas Baking Decorations O' Christmas Tree Bread Shaping Directions

1. Form dough into 17 balls (1.2 to 1.4-ounce) or use frozen dinner roll dough.

2. Arrange balls on lightly greased baking sheet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a triangular pattern of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 leaving ¼” space between balls.

3. To form trunk roll one of the remaining balls into a 15”rope.

Hold up ends and twist together, pinching ends to seal.

Gently lift up center ball or roll, tuck pinched end beneath to attach trunk.

4. Roll remaining ball out to 1/4” thick. Use mini-star cookie cutter to press out star shape. Place star at the top of the tree.

Cover, let rise until nearly double.

Bake in preheated 350° F oven 20 to 22 minutes or until golden. If desired, lightly brush with melted butter.

OPTIONAL: Decorate with icing, candied fruits and decorated candies.

Smiling Santa Bread Shaping Directions You will need 1 ½ pounds of dough for a large Santa.

1) Roll out 1 pound of the dough into a tall 18-inch triangle and place on a large baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Fold top point over to form cap.

3) For the trim on Santa’s cap, roll out 2 ounces of dough into a 2 x 8-inch rectangle and lay across the upper triangle, tucking edges under cap.

4) Place a small dough ball on the point of the cap.

5) Place 2 smaller dough balls on Santa’s face for cheeks.

6) Use a small piece of dough for the nose.

7) Shape the rest of the dough into an 8-inch rope. Cut the rope in half and place on Santa’s face for a mustache.

8) With a sharp knife or scissors, cut out two eyes and a mouth. To reinforce the eyes and mouth, crunch aluminum foil into small balls and place inside the eyes and mouth openings. The foil will remain in during rising and baking. Remember to remove the foil after baking.

9) With a knife or pizza cutter, cut beard into strips and

stretch them out. Then arrange the strips at different angles for a special effect, twist each strip so it resembles hair.

10) Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Let rise until almost doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

11) Remove plastic wrap and brush Santa with egg wash (1 whole egg plus 1 tablespoon cold water, beaten together).

12) Bake in preheated 350° F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 23

News from : Average protein is 13.6 percent, similar to 2013 but about one-half point below the five-year average.

U.S. Wheat Associates has Average vitreous kernel content published its 2014 Crop Quality (DHV) in both regions is 48 percent, Report on www.uswheat.org at the lowest average in a number of http://bit.ly/1wua5Uw. USW is now years. While DON and lower falling sharing the data with hundreds numbers affected some areas, these of customers around the world factors are not significant in the through its annual series of Crop overall crop averages.

Quality Seminars. “Wheat Letter” Functional performance tends recently shared summary data to improve with higher protein for the 2014 soft red winter and segments, though buyers may find hard red winter, soft white and durum crops. We summarize 2014 good value opportunities in lower protein segments due to wide quality data for hard red spring, soft white and durum in this issue. spreads in market pricing. Because of the quality variability this 2 year, In addition, quality data for hard white is included in the final Crop diligent contract specifications for DHV, DON and falling number are Quality Report. encouraged to ensure buyers get the Hard Red Spring. The 2014 quality they demand.

HRS crop is large with a good Soft White. The 2014 crop has grade profile and generally similar functional quality to the 2013 crop. the typical high quality expected of This crop is 14 percent larger than SW with high test weight, slightly higher than average protein and 2013 due to larger planted area excellent milling and processing and excellent yields, especially in characteristics. Average SW wheat the Northern Plains. Yields were below recent averages in the Pacific protein (12 percent mb) of 10.9 percent is higher than 2013’s 10.3 Northwest region. The average percent and the five-year average grade is No. 1 NS with 82 percent of 9.9 percent. White club (WC), a of the samples from the West export region and 90 percent from subclass of SW, had average protein the East grading No. 1. Protein and of 11.1 percent, which is also higher than last year’s 10.5 percent and the vitreous kernels are lower than five year average of 10.0 percent. average because of late-season SW and WC sponge cake volumes rainfall and will be premiumand scores are lower than 2013 and pricing factors. the five-year averages. SW cookie diameter is smaller than last year 2014 U.S. Wheat Crop Quality Report Now Available

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and the five-year average, while WC cookie diameter is similar to last year and the five-year average.

SW and WC cookie spread factors are less than last year and fiveyear averages. Specific volumes for Chinese southern-type steamed bread, compared with a control flour, are higher for SW and WC than last year and five-year averages. Total steamed bread scores are slightly lower than 2013 but higher than the five-year average for SW and lower than the five-year average for WC. Northern Durum. Buyers will find a wide range of values in the 2014 northern durum crop due to challenges from adverse weather.

Variability in such key parameters as vitreous kernels, falling number, protein and DON mean buyers must evaluate the importance of each factor for their end-use needs. Similar conditions in Canadian durum production mean an extended period of challenge for the world’s durum buyers.

Premium contract specifications will command higher prices and buyers will have to be diligent about contract specifications and communication with sellers.

Desert Durum®. While total 2014 Desert Durum® harvested area was lower than in 2013, higher yields helped offset a production drop. The new crop exhibited consistently large kernel

size and low moisture, traits that contribute to high extraction rates.

Overall, quality characteristics met expectations. As buyers have come to expect, the 2014 Desert Durum® crop will deliver valuable milling as well as strong semolina and pasta quality traits.

Support for Science-Based Decisions on Biotechnology Gains Strength

By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Policy Specialist Those engaged in monitoring the debate about the future of plant biotechnology have recently seen a rising tide of scientific support for ongoing research, even as opponents to the technology remain vocal. Just in the past few weeks, a peer-reviewed statistical analysis of the effects of plant biotechnology and an open letter from scientists to European lawmakers have been published.

The first, “A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops” by Wilhelm Klümper and Matin Qaim, was published on “PLoS ONE,” a peer-reviewed, open-access, online science publication. The work analyzed past studies on the effects of biotech crop production* and the results were striking and positive. On average, the analysis indicated that biotechnology adoption reduced pesticide use by 37 percent and increased crop yields by 22 percent. By reviewing studies from around the world, the authors concluded that yield gains from biotech crops are even higher in developing countries than in developed countries. The higher cost of the seeds with biotech traits is offset by lower input

costs, leading the authors to the conclusion that no significant cost of production differences occur between crops with biotech and non-biotech traits.

impossible for publicly funded scientists or small companies to compete with major corporations to address some of the big challenges facing society.

This analysis is important because it not only reviews past studies of biotech crop effects but also statistically analyzes them to look at average impacts.

It pre-emptively addresses a number of key possible criticisms in biotechnology research and illustrates the overall positive effects of biotechnology in production agriculture.

The scientists present a balanced viewpoint that merely calls for the enhanced ability of plant science to conduct relevant research and does not challenge the regulatory system. Instead, the authors called for the EU government to abide by the scientific regulatory practices already in place rather than allowing political motivations to influence decisions.

Even in Europe, scientists are defending plant biotech research.

Last week, 21 of the “30 most cited authors in plant science” in Europe, all of whom hold positions at publicly funded European research organizations, signed an open letter to European decision makers concerning plant science and biotech crops. The scientists believe that Europe will have difficulty meeting its Horizon 2020 goals of ensuring “Europe produces world-class science [and] removes barriers to innovation” unless significant changes are made in the industry.

Because they believe the world will need more and better food, produced in ways that are better for the environment, U.S. wheat farmers fully support the science-based call for research and development. The published meta-analysis and open letter from European scientists both offer a positive outlook for future acceptance of biotechnology, both in regulation and public opinion.

However, for biotechnology to succeed, it is vital that governments use sound, sciencebased evidence in their policymaking decisions.

The letter calls for maintaining or increasing funding for plant science research, the ability for plant scientists to perform field experiments for biotech crops without being blocked on political grounds or being at risk of systemic vandalism and calls for Europe to allow “prompt authorization” of GM plant varieties that have already been found safe by regulatory authorities. The scientists added that the current de facto moratorium on approvals makes it

* Studies were included when they build on primary data from farm surveys or field trials anywhere in the world, and when they report impacts of GM soybean, maize, or cotton on crop yields, pesticide use, and/or farmer profits. In total, 147 original studies were included.

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 25

USDA Cuts Global Wheat Production Forecast in Nod to Weather Concerns In its November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released Nov. 10, USDA noted that late-season rain in the United States and persistent dry weather in southeast Australia and Kazakhstan are cutting into 2014/15 world wheat production.

USDA also anticipates less consumption in Egypt because of a government plan to reduce bread subsidies.

Overall, USDA forecasted U.S. wheat supplies for 2014/15 to be nearly 76 million metric tons, or 2.79 billion bushels, based on updated production estimates. The agency reported that farmers did not harvest a significant number of HRS and durum fields. At 55.1 MMT, the U.S. production forecast is 2.98 MMT less than in 2013/14.

Global 2014/15 wheat supplies of 905.6 MMT are 1.1 MMT lower in this forecast, even though EU’s production estimate increased by 1.4 MMT. Global wheat consumption of 712.7 MMT for 2014/15 is lowered 1.4 million tons due mainly to what USDA expects to be 0.8 MMT less food and feed use in Egypt. Global wheat trade for 2014/15 now stands at 153.4 MMT, which is 1.3 MMT lower compared to USDA’s October forecast. If realized, world trade in 2014/15 would be more than 7 percent less than in 2013/14.

USDA’s analysts made no change to its U.S. wheat export forecast of 25.2 MMT.

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Corn futures prices jumped a bit after USDA surprised traders by lowering its estimate for U.S. corn yield in the report.

The agency slightly reduced its estimate of 2014/15 U.S. corn ending stocks to just more than 51.0 MMT. That is a very large carryover, likely to influence feed grain markets well into next year, affecting world wheat prices as well.

TPP Leaders’State Desire to Complete Comprehensive Agreement Soon Trade representatives from member countries in the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) met this week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, China, to discuss ways to move the talks toward 4 conclusion. In a statement after the meetings, they said that is a “top priority … so that our businesses, workers, farmers and consumers can start to reap the real and substantial benefits of the TPP agreement as soon as possible.”

USW shares the ministers’ stated commitment to a “common vision of an ambitious, comprehensive, highstandard” TPP agreement and USW supports eventually eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers to wheat trade.

Politico Pro reported that observers said there was a better tone evident in the bilateral negotiations in Beijing compared to previous talks. However, U.S. wheat growers do not want to see diminished language in an

agreement rushed out to meet artificial deadlines.

“The stakes are too high and the need too great to turn away from the original vision for TPP to truly be a forward looking, comprehensive agreement for the 21st Century,” said USW Vice President of Policy Shannon Schlecht in the Oct. 30 issue of “Wheat Letter.”

Hello Kansas Wheat.

Maltby Market Analysis

by Dan Maltby

In a “good news, bad news” situation…KC wheat futures rallied all week, to close Friday quite strongly @ $6.40, the highest close in 11 weeks, and setting off the second round of 55 day buy-stops, what I call “the big boys”. And I think there will be another day of them too.

BUT the bad news…is some grain elevators closed early, and the AMS arm of the USDA didn’t quote prices Friday, and some areas didn’t quote prices Wednesday!, so it makes it hard to see what the “real” market for cash wheat really is… This is a KC March daily wheat chart:

The futures are in my original pricing target area, set several weeks ago, BUT it looks like we can reach a bit, and get a shot at a revised pricing area, maybe $6.77.

Russian weather is similar to weather in the Great Plains…too cold, after being too warm, and definitely too dry… although weather 3 or 4 months from now will be the key.

But this week, Cordonnier in his “Soybean and Corn Advisor” newsletter wrote this about the Brazilian wheat crop: “Just looking at the yields does not tell the complete story of this year's wheat crop.

Much of the wheat being harvested in the state is of such poor quality that it is not suited for milling and in some cases the toxicity levels are so high, it is not even suited for animal feed. As a result, Brazil will need to import more high quality wheat than had been expected from either Argentina or the United States” This week’s US Export Sales saw another HRW boat sold to Brazil, bringing the total commitments for the year up to 1.33 million metric tonnes. This is far less than last year’s, but more than many analysts expected. It looks to me like 1.5 million tonnes is not an unreasonable expectation, which is a friendly input. THUS, I goosed my sales pricing target area higher.

Charts and discussions follow, with the goal of giving you useful information to help you with your business. My disclaimer remains the same: these are my sometimes rapidly changing opinions; the markets are quite treacherous; and past performance is no guarantee…dm

Kansas Wheat market update #146 danmaltby.riskmgmt@gmail.com 11/28/14 pg. 1

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Other bullish inputs included continued big USA spring wheat export sales. USA total spring wheat commitments are now slightly above USA hard red winter sales!! We’ve written many times that low protein spring wheat has been available quite competitively, and a rising tide floats all boats.

This KC H – MGEX H is approaching old resistance levels, and might tempt Brazil to get quotes on spring wheat prices…

BUT one recent development is that Asian countries are buying more North American springs because the Australian drought has helped push Aussie prices higher on supply worries.

Thus spring wheat is losing some of its ability to cap this wheat rally.

And LATE BREAKING NEWS from Canada says (from a Bloomberg article out just today…) that “Canada extended an order that requires the country’s two largest railways to ship a minimum amount of grain each week until March 28.”

Canadian railroads had pleaded, and frankly the traded EXPECTED, that this mandate would be allowed to expire November 29. This will almost certainly keep the US domestic milling basis much higher than wheat mill buyers hoped for.

Russian wheat seems to have lost some of its rally limiting ability as well, which might help Chicago wheat futures too.

Reuters reported that Russia “is introducing new regulations that could lead to a big fall in grain exports, the country’s Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) said on Friday.”

Thus fundamentally, I have raised my sales price target.

Technically too, as we already mentioned the 11 week closing highs, shown in BLUE on the weekly futures table:

Kansas Wheat market update #146 danmaltby.riskmgmt@gmail.com 11/28/14 pg. 2 28

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CLOSE

KWH15

KWN15

KWZ15

CH15

CN15

CZ15

WH15

MWH15

MWN15

SF15

SN15

11/28

$6.40

$6.36

$6.60

$3.89

$4.04

$4.17

$5.77

$6.16

$6.30

$10.16

$10.33

11/21

$6.07

$6.09

$6.35

$3.85

$4.01

$4.16

$5.54

$5.92

$6.08

$10.39

$10.56

11/14

$6.08

$6.10

$6.36

$3.94

$4.10

$4.24

$5.63

$5.97

$6.13

$10.23

$10.42

11/07

$5.74

$5.73

$6.00

$3.81

$3.96

$4.13

$5.26

$5.60

$5.80

$10.37

$10.48

10/31

$5.99

$5.98

$6.21

$3.89

$4.04

$4.19

$5.46

$5.85

$6.02

$10.49

$10.63

10/24

$5.96

$5.91

$6.20

$3.67

$3.83

$4.00

$5.31

$5.78

$5.94

$9.83

$10.02

10/17

$6.02

$5.88

$6.14

$3.61

$3.78

$3.94

$5.28

$5.76

$5.91

$9.60

$9.84

10/10

$5.79

$5.73

$6.01

$3.47

$3.64

$3.82

$5.10

$5.64

$5.83

$9.31

$9.54

10/03

$5.69

$5.67

$5.95

$3.36

$3.53

$3.72

$4.97

$5.58

$5.80

$9.21

$9.41

09/26

$5.67

$5.64

$5.91

$3.36

$3.52

$3.69

$4.88

$5.49

$5.72

$9.19

$9.41

09/19

$5.66

$5.62

$5.91

$3.44

$3.60

$3.79

$4.91

$5.53

$5.78

$9.65

$9.86

09/12

$6.01

$5.96

$6.23

$3.51

$3.67

$3.85

$5.20

$5.94

$6.15

$9.93

$10.11

09/05

$6.35

$6.24

$6.51

$3.69

$3.84

$4.01

$5.53

$6.26

$6.44

$10.28

$10.47

KC led the charge this week. Blue numbers mean trading funds should NOT have short wheat positions.

Last week I talked about selling corn as a spec, or as a hedge against wheat, and showed a wheat/corn spread that I felt had room to run, which it did indeed! The KC H – H corn gained 29c, and the KC Z15 Z15 corn gained 24c. Might be another dime or so in the KC Z15- CZ 15 wheat-corn spread‌

Kansas Wheat market update #146 danmaltby.riskmgmt@gmail.com 11/28/14 pg. 3

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 29

The reason I liked the Z15 corn as a short leg of the spread is the market is paying to store corn.

BUT we see the carry is narrowing a bit. I expect this to continue, but it will have to deal with the old resistance around 27c…

Again, do not assume old crop corn prices HAVE to go higher to meet the Dec 15 corn prices…the spread could just as easily narrow by the Dec15 corn prices sinking, or not rising as fast.

And of course one of the problems with storing grain instead of selling it is working capital erodes, and borrowing needs may increase. “Qualified borrowers” can get loans, although I wonder if that means when you really really really need a loan, they won’t give you one.

This is March corn. This chart is not as friendly looking as the wheat chart. Corn has been in a sideways pattern for the entire month of November. It might remain in that same pattern forever…

A close above the blue line, or below the red line will tell us the trading range pattern is over.

Kansas Wheat market update #146 danmaltby.riskmgmt@gmail.com 11/28/14 pg. 4 30

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014

Cash wheat bids are higher this week, with the higher futures board. These prices are not USDA’s, but I think they are pretty close, based on extrapolating the posted AMS Tuesday prices, and additional independent study, but this week, even more so than others…, “check around” is good advice.

Date 11/28* 11/21 11/14 11/07 10/31 10/24 Date 11/28* 11/21 11/14 11/07 10/31 10/24 BASIS 11/28* 11/21 11/14 11/07 10/31 10/24 Date 11/28* 11/21 11/14 11/07 10/31 10/24

Dodge $6.00 $5.64 $5.66 $5.29 $5.54 $5.54 Concordia $6.20 $5.84 $5.81 $5.39 $5.54 $5.54 Dodge -40 -43 -40 -40 -40 -40 Concordia -20 -23 -25 -30 -40 -40

Colby $6.10 $5.69 $5.71 $5.31 $5.56 $5.56 Salina $6.05-$6.35 $5.99 $5.96 $5.39-$5.59 $5.64 $5.64 Colby -30 -38 -35 -38 -38 -38 Salina -35, -05 -08, -08 -10, -10 -30, -10 -30, -30 -30, -30

Goodland $6.10 $5.74 $5.65 $5.29 $5.53 $5.53 Hutchinson $6.27-$6.35 $5.79-$5.94 $5.76-$5.91 $5.35-$5.54 $5.60-$5.74 $5.60-$5.74 Goodland -30 -33 -40 -40 -41 -41 Hutchinson -13, -05 -28, -13 -30, -15 -34, -15 -34, -20 -34, -20

Protection $5.95 $5.59 $5.61 $5.24 $5.49 $5.49 Wichita $6.16-$6.30 $5.83-$5.94 $5.85-$5.91 $5.48-$5.54 $5.73-$5.79 $5.73-$5.74 Protection -45 -48 -45 -45 -45 -45 Wichita -24, -10 -24, -13 -21, -15 -21, -15 -21, -15 -21, -20

Scott City $6.00 $5.62 $5.64 $5.27 $5.56 $5.50 Ark City $6.09 $5.73 $5.75 $5.38 $5.63 $5.63 Scott City -40 -45 -42 -42 -38 -44 Ark City -31 -34 -31 -31 -31 -31

Sublette $5.95-$6.00 $5.64-$5.69 $5.66-$5.71 $5.29-$5.44 $5.54-$5.54 $5.54-$5.59

Sublette -45, -40 -43, -38 -40, -35 -40, -35 -40, -40 -40, -35

The asterisk * this week indicates these are my best guesses as to where the bids were Friday. If these prices are close to reality, average price in Kansas would be $6.12, which is about 98% of total average production costs.

IF we can continue this rally, and hit my new pricing target up around $6.77, we would be solidly in the black and able to sell wheat at a profit. That would be cool. Conversely, if you have to raise cash and sell some wheat, there is nothing wrong with selling the best prices we’ve seen since mid-July.

Maltby Market Analysis is provided weekly to members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers via email. become a KAWG member and subscribe, 11/28/14 please contact Kansas Wheat marketToupdate #146 danmaltby.riskmgmt@gmail.com pg. 5 Dalton Henry at dhenry@kswheat.com.

Rediscover WHE AT | December 2014 31

Upcoming Events DECEMBER 2014 • IAOM annual Mideast and Africa conference and expo, December 3-6, Cape Town, South Africa • Kansas Wheat office closed for winter break, December 24-January 1 JANUARY 2015 • IGP–KSU Grain Elevator Managers Course, January 5–9 • IGP–KSU Introduction to Flour Milling Course, January 12–16 • Wheat Foods Council board meeting, January 1314, Phoenix, AZ • NAWG/USW D.C. Meeting, January 27-31, Washington D.C.

FEBRUARY 2015 • Kansas Wheat board meetings, February 5, Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, Manhattan, KS • Women Managing the Farm Conference, February 5-6, Hilton Garden Inn, Manhattan, KS • Kansas Commodity Classic, February 6, Hilton Garden Inn, Manhattan, KS • Wheat Quality Council annual meeting, February 17-19, Kansas City, MO • Commodity Classic (national), February 25-28, Phoenix, AZ MARCH 2015 • National Agriculture Day, March 18