Kansas Wheat History, Archived by Hale Library

For nearly six decades, the Kansas Wheat recipe book has been a tradition of consumer education, with editions dating back to the mid-1960s. Produced to help families confidently prepare wheat-based foods at home, the books have evolved alongside changes in nutrition science, baking practices, and consumer tastes, while continuing their intended purpose of connecting Kansas wheat farmers with the people who use their product. That legacy is now being preserved at Hale Library, Kansas State University’s library, assuring the full catalog of this outreach effort remains available for future study and reference.

Produced by the Kansas Wheat Commission, the recipe books date back to the 1960s and have served as a trusted resource for families learning to bake with Kansas-grown wheat. Distributed nationwide, the booklets combined tested recipes with practical baking guidance and science-based nutrition information.

Over time, the publications became more than collections of recipes. They documented how wheat foods, consumer trends and nutrition messaging evolved, while maintaining a direct link between Kansas farmers and the people using their product every day.

That connection is especially visible through the work of Cindy Falk. Falk began working with the Kansas Wheat Commission in 1985 after receiving a phone call inviting her to serve as a volunteer Speak for Wheat spokesperson. Beginning in 1988, she contributed to 38 editions of the Kansas Wheat recipe booklet, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1966. Under her influence, the booklets became a widely recognized Kansas Wheat resource, distributed across Kansas and nationally to represent wheat farmers and Kansas agriculture while helping families feel confident using wheat foods at home.

Now housed within the Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections at Kansas State University, the collection shifts from a kitchen staple to a research resource. The department serves as the official repository for Kansas State University records and a center of research for cookery, Kansas history and the consumer movement. Preserving these recipe books recognizes the role agricultural communications play in forming food knowledge, consumer confidence and understanding of farming practices.

Recipe books often reflect daily life more clearly than formal reports. Ingredient substitutions, preparation tips and seasonal themes capture how families cooked, learned and gathered. For researchers, they offer insight into nutrition education, regional food culture and the communication strategies used to connect producers with consumers over decades.

By archiving the collection, Kansas State University helps safeguard a piece of Kansas agricultural history that began with wheat farmers and ended at kitchen tables across the country. What started as practical guidance for baking bread now acts as a record of how a state’s signature crop was shared, taught and trusted for generations.

Learn more about Kansas wheat outreach and education at kswheat.com.