USW Captures Images of Harvest in Kansas
The landscape in southwestern Kansas is vast and relatively flat. You can see the local grain elevators from 10 kilometers away, tall testimony to the crop for which this country is known. Hard red winter (HRW) and hard white (HW) wheat is ripening everywhere here this week and that is why U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is also here.
Our organization is producing a video that focuses on the people who contribute to the wholesome quality of U.S. wheat for dozens of different food products around the world. With help from our friends at Kansas Wheat, we are capturing the images and words of one farm family; it is only our first of many visits for a project that will be completed in 2020.
In what is now the kitchen of the farm house he lives in now, Earl Kleeman was born in 1930, the same year his parents bought their farm north of Lakin, Kan. Earl’s daughter Jana is married to Gary Millershaski who serves as a Kansas Wheat Commissioner and USW Director. Earl and Gary started farming together in 1992 and Gary and Jana’s sons Jeremy and Kyler joined the operation three years ago. Even though this has been a very wet season, their wheat weathered the storms and has excellent potential. Shortly after we arrived at the farm, Earl proudly showed us a head of wheat he had clipped from one of their best fields. It was full of kernels and ready for the harvest we will proudly show in our video production.
Thanks to Kansas Wheat Director of Communications Marsha Boswell and Program Manager Jordan Hildebrand for their help arranging our visit. And many thanks to the Kleeman/Millershaski family for graciously taking so much time to share their love of producing U.S. wheat for the world.
