Kansas City is in a unique geographic position when it comes to the major crops grown for world consumption.
We are located on the western edge of the corn belt and on the eastern edge of the Hard Red Winter wheat areas. Nebraska, eastern Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas are also known as the "Bread Basket of the World" where the wheat is grown.
This wheat is used for cookies, crackers and bread - you name it.
Winter wheat is an interesting crop. It is planted in the fall, ideally grows a few inches before winter, and then goes into dormancy until March. It then begins to grow in hopes of becoming the "amber waves of grain" by the end of spring. It is mostly harvested in June and July.
The weather is very important. I was storm chasing for 41 Action News on March 30 in Ottawa, Kansas. We stopped to do a live shot in front of a wheat field.
The wheat looked pretty good, but it is early in its development. This crop will need more rain and no more hard freezes.
The more wheat there is, the lower the price at the grocery store.
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Jeff Penner can be reached at jeff.penner@kshb.com.
