Wheat Farming: Legacy, Markets and Survival - WOYM 419
The Official Podcast for Kansas Wheat
Hosted by Aaron Harries
What keeps a Kansas farmer planting wheat after one of the toughest harvests he can remember?
Plainville farmer and Kansas Wheat Commissioner Mike McClellan joins Wheat’s On Your Mind to talk about more than three decades of changes on his family farm in Rooks and Graham counties. When McClellan returned to the farm in 1994, he estimates about 80% of its crop acres were planted to wheat. Today, wheat accounts for closer to 20% as corn, milo and other crops have become larger parts of the rotation.
But wheat still has an important place. McClellan discusses experimenting with spring wheat, nearly eliminating summer fallow and using wheat stubble to make the broader crop rotation work. He also reflects on a difficult 2026 wheat crop that left him buying out some forward contracts after production fell short of expectations.
The conversation reaches well beyond McClellan Farms. Having served on the Kansas Wheat Commission since 2011 and on the U.S. Wheat Associates board, McClellan explains why export market development has become one of the wheat industry investments he values most. He also discusses wheat quality, the role of K-State’s Wheat Rx program and the difficult economics producers face when input costs and commodity prices leave little room for profit.
Finally, McClellan looks toward the next generation. At nearly 65, he is working through how to transition ownership to his nephew while being fair to family members who aren’t involved in the operation. Despite those challenges — and despite a brutal crop year — his plans for the coming season are straightforward: plant wheat and stay the course.