Cindy Falk: A lifetime of service defined by wheat

The smell of oven-fresh bread and the conversations around it have defined Cindy Falk’s career for 40 years. As she retires from Kansas Wheat, Falk leaves behind a legacy built on education, outreach and a strong connection between Kansas wheat farmers and the consumers who use their product.

Falk began working with the Kansas Wheat Commission in 1985 when she received a phone call, asking her to become a volunteer Speak for Wheat spokesperson. That role grew into a full-time career focused on promoting wheat foods, home baking and science-based nutrition through classrooms, fairs, test kitchens and national organizations.

A central part of Falk’s work was the Kansas Wheat Commission recipe booklet. Beginning in 1988, she contributed to 37 editions, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1966. The booklets became a widely recognized Kansas Wheat resource, distributed across Kansas and nationally to represent wheat farmers and Kansas agriculture.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this job, or I wouldn’t have continued for 40 years,” Falk said. “That one phone call truly changed my life.”

In addition to her work in Kansas, Falk played a major role in domestic wheat promotion through her leadership with the Wheat Foods Council. As public perceptions of grain foods shifted and fad diets gained attention, her priority continued to be science-based education and accurate nutrition information.

Raised on her grandparents’ wheat farm near Laclede, Kan., Falk brought a personal understanding of agriculture to every outreach effort. Whether working the Kansas State Fair booth or welcoming international visitors into the test kitchen, her goal was to help consumers better understand where wheat comes from.

“Consumers want to hear from the wheat farmer,” Falk said. “People like to ask questions and learn directly from the people involved.”

One of Falk’s most visible accomplishments was helping grow the Kansas Festival of Breads into the National Festival of Breads. What began as a state baking contest evolved into the nation’s only amateur yeast bread competition, drawing hundreds of entries from nearly every state and thousands of attendees during its in-person years in Manhattan. 

The event paired baking with education, giving finalists the opportunity to tour wheat farms, ride in combines during harvest and visit mills and elevators. Those experiences helped turn bakers into ambassadors for wheat and Kansas agriculture. The contest has continued as a fully remote baking competition. Participants submit recipes via email, and recipe testing and judging are conducted at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center in Manhattan, Kan. 

As Falk enters retirement, she plans to spend more time with family, travel and continue teaching baking and food skills in her community. While her role with Kansas Wheat is ending, her connection to the wheat industry remains strong.

Listeners can hear directly from Kansas Wheat legend Cindy Falk on the Feb. 3 episode of the Wheat’s On Your Mind podcast at wheatsonyourmind.com.