Wheat Farming: Legacy, Markets and Survival

After a brutal wheat harvest and another difficult year for farm economics, why keep planting wheat? For northwest Kansas farmer Mike McClellan, part of the answer is simple: wheat still has a job to do. McClellan farms in Rooks and Graham counties and serves on the Kansas Wheat Commission and U.S. Wheat Associates boards. He joins Aaron Harries to discuss how his operation has changed since he returned to the farm in 1994, when roughly 80% of its crop acres were wheat, compared with about 20% today. The conversation also looks beyond McClellan Farms. Mike explains what he has learned about international wheat markets, why export development matters to Kansas producers, how wheat quality affects customers and why passing a farm to the next generation can be especially difficult during years when the economics simply don't work. Key takeaways: • McClellan Farms has shifted from roughly 80% wheat acres in 1994 to about 20% in recent years as rotations have diversified. • Wheat remains important for crop rotation and residue, even when it isn't the most profitable crop on its own. • The 2026 crop fell far enough below expectations that McClellan had to buy out some forward contracts. • Serving with U.S. Wheat Associates changed McClellan's view of the value of developing long-term relationships with overseas wheat customers. • Farm succession becomes harder when several difficult years make it challenging to bring the next generation into an ownership position. Detailed Timestamped Rundown 00:00–01:20 — Meet Mike McClellan Aaron introduces Plainville farmer and Kansas Wheat Commissioner Mike McClellan. The cold open recalls McClellan’s memorable introduction to the Commission: a contentious meeting over Innovation Center construction costs followed by a groundbreaking at his second meeting. 01:20–03:03 — A family tradition of agricultural leadership McClellan discusses his father Bob’s involvement with the Kansas Wheat Commission and conservation organizations. Mike later followed him onto the Rooks County Conservation Board. 03:03–04:19 — His mother and the Wheat Hearts The family’s wheat connection included Mike’s mother, Jo Eva, and her involvement with the Kansas Wheat Hearts. Mike recalls her bread baking — particularly a memorable cheese bread recipe. 04:19–05:25 — More than a century on the land McClellan discusses the family farm’s history, including property dating to around 1906 and his grandfather’s work as a stonemason. 05:25–06:16 — A wheat harvest worth forgetting The conversation moves to farming in Rooks and Graham counties and the difficult 2026 harvest. McClellan says he contracted what he thought would be roughly one-third of expected production but ultimately had to buy out some contracts. 06:16–07:24 — From 80% wheat to 20% When McClellan returned in 1994, he estimates approximately 80% of the operation’s crop acres were wheat. Today it is around 20%, with corn, milo and soybeans incorporated into the rotation. Summer fallow has largely disappeared from the operation. 07:24–08:44 — Why experiment with spring wheat? McClellan explains that spring wheat offered another way to work wheat stubble into the rotation ahead of fall crops. Although he doesn't necessarily consider spring wheat profitable by itself, its rotational value matters. He has also found markets that sometimes paid a premium over winter wheat. 08:44–10:07 — Joining the Kansas Wheat Commission McClellan explains why community involvement and his father’s example eventually led him to the Commission in 2011. 10:07–12:07 — Betting on the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center McClellan recalls joining the board just as construction costs for the Innovation Center became a contentious issue. By his second meeting, he was holding a shovel at the groundbreaking. 12:07–14:01 — Why wheat export promotion matters One of McClellan’s biggest changes in perspective involved international marketing. Initially skeptical of the money directed toward U.S. Wheat Associates, he came to see overseas market development as an important investment for Kansas producers. 14:01–16:23 — Learning from the global wheat industry His U.S. Wheat Associates involvement introduced McClellan to farmers producing different wheat classes and to customers around the world. He explains that overseas customers value U.S. wheat quality, although price remains central to purchasing decisions. 16:23–17:48 — Wheat doesn't stop at the elevator McClellan says many farmers don't spend much time thinking about where their grain ultimately goes. The conversation turns to connecting production decisions with end-user quality requirements. 17:48–18:31 — Growing quality, not just choosing it McClellan points to K-State's Wheat Rx work as helping producers understand that quality isn't determined by variety alone; crop management matters, too. 18:31–19:14 — When the farm numbers don't work McClellan describes the pressure created when average yields, produ...