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Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Gulf Today
America's wheat growing is on a steady decline
On a foggy morning in May, Dennis Schoenhals drove a carload of crop scouts around the wheat fields of northern Oklahoma, part of an annual tour to evaluate the health of the crop. But on some fields, Schoenhals and other farmers had already abandoned plans to harvest the grain for sale because prices had sunk to five-year lows. Farmers cut their losses early this year across the US wheat belt, stretching from Texas to Montana. They were choosing to bale the wheat into hay, plow their fields under or turn them over to animals to graze. In Nebraska, wheat acreage is less than half of what it was in 2005. For farmers with crop insurance, damaged or unprofitable wheat fields can still earn revenue. But many agree that chasing insurance payouts is not the best business model. The Great Plains have long been celebrated for the 'amber waves of grain' in the popular hymn 'America the Beautiful.' The region's states produce most of the U.S.-grown crop of hard red winter wheat, favored by bakers for bread. But with prices hovering around $5 per bushel, U.S. wheat farmers have reached an inflection point, with many forced to either lose money, feed wheat to cattle or kill off the crop. Interviews with more than a dozen farmers and analysts across Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, along with a review of U.S. Department of Agriculture data, revealed a vast disparity in profit for wheat compared to other crops. This has led farmers to abandon more fields before harvest. In parts of the region, prolonged drought has lowered yields in recent years. Farm revenue has also suffered in years with healthy rainfall, as abundant global supplies have weighed on prices. Many have pivoted to corn, soy or livestock, often after generations of their family growing wheat exclusively. 'They can't sustain that,' said Schoenhals, 68, who raises crops and cattle near Kremlin, Oklahoma, and is president of the state's wheat growers association. 'Eventually you either change to other crops if you're able to, or you go out of business,' he said. Two years ago, severe drought drove farmers to abandon about a third of the U.S. crop. This year, healthy green stalks shot through the cracked soil, and farmers had expected to harvest the most bushels per acre since 2016. But wheat prices hit a five-year low in May. Every year since 2020, farmers have abandoned between a fifth and a third of the winter wheat crop, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. Nationwide, corn and soybeans dominate crop fields, with wheat a distant third in planted acreage. Hard red winter wheat exports hit historic lows in 2024 after drought and lower prices in other wheat-producing areas of the world squeezed the U.S. commodity's competitiveness. In Kansas, the leading U.S. producer of hard winter wheat, the disparity between acreage and value is particularly stark. About 1.3 million more farm acres in Kansas were planted with wheat than with corn in 2024, USDA data show, but corn's value of production was more than twice as high. Plentiful global supplies have kept benchmark U.S. prices stuck at lows that discourage farmers from growing wheat, producers and analysts told Reuters. Supplies are so ample that droughts in important grain-growing regions of China and Russia this year have barely budged prices. 'We're below profitable levels for these guys,' said Darin Fessler, an analyst with Lakefront Futures in Lincoln, Nebraska, who grew up on a row crop farm in nearby Sutton. The way things stand, he said, many farmers have 'eaten a lot of their own money and burned up working capital. These bankers are going to say: 'show me some profits or we're going to have some farm sales.'' HERITAGE BUT NO PROFIT Ties to wheat farming run deep in the Plains. Historically, European settlers in Kansas struggled to find a foothold until Mennonites from Ukraine arrived with seeds of Turkey Red wheat, a variety that proved able to withstand the area's dry soil, harsh winters and extreme temperature swings. The seeds spread to neighboring Oklahoma and Nebraska, where pioneers established homesteads in the sandy, light earth in which wheat thrived but other crops struggled. Hard red winter wheat has remained the main variety of wheat sown in the U.S. Images of golden stalks adorn hotel lobbies and road signs, and towns include the word in their names. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather, a daughter of Red Cloud, Nebraska, wrote a celebrated poem describing 'the miles of fresh-plowed soil, heavy and black, full of strength and harshness.' Now, U.S. wheat growing is on a steady decline, with farmers finding surer profits from corn, soybeans or cattle. On the wheat quality tour in May, weeks before Nebraska wheat is usually harvested, no wheat could be seen for miles around Red Cloud. When Royce Schaneman joined Nebraska's wheat board 19 years ago, wheat fields stretched for 2.2 million acres across the state. Since then, acreage has shrunk to less than a million acres, he said. In Cheyenne County in southern Nebraska, the state's most productive wheat-growing land, about one in five fields was abandoned this year. 'The feeling out in the country is not good,' he said. Generations of farmers grew wheat because the crop thrived on rainfall alone. In recent decades, farmers have invested in pricey irrigation systems, experimented with hardier varieties and used fertilizer to improve yields. Agronomists have helped farmers grow more bushels per acre even as climate change has brought more drought and pests. Producers in the southern Plains have experimented with other types of wheat such as durum, the kind used for pasta, and a gluten-free variety, pursuing customers willing to pay more. Profits remain elusive. 'It's heritage, but there's no profit,' said Lon Frahm, the CEO of Frahm Farmland, a 40,000-acre operation in Colby, Kansas. Surrounding Thomas County is now dotted with wind farms. Farmers there once grew wheat exclusively, he said, but they have started to diversify due to more frequent drought and global competition depressing prices. Frahm himself now mainly plants corn. He irrigates, fertilizes and harvests the grain using multimillion-dollar machines, then stores it in gleaming, 80-foot steel grain bins. His 7,000 acres of wheat sometimes produce just 5 percent of his farm's total output. 'There's certainly profit in corn,' he said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Amber waves of grain' recede in America's heartland as wheat farmers struggle
By Emily Schmall COLBY, Kansas (Reuters) -On a foggy morning in May, Dennis Schoenhals drove a carload of crop scouts around the wheat fields of northern Oklahoma, part of an annual tour to evaluate the health of the crop. But on some fields, Schoenhals and other farmers had already abandoned plans to harvest the grain for sale because prices had sunk to five-year lows. Farmers cut their losses early this year across the U.S. wheat belt, stretching from Texas to Montana. They were choosing to bale the wheat into hay, plow their fields under or turn them over to animals to graze. In Nebraska, wheat acreage is less than half of what it was in 2005. For farmers with crop insurance, damaged or unprofitable wheat fields can still earn revenue. But many agree that chasing insurance payouts is not the best business model. The Great Plains have long been celebrated for the "amber waves of grain" in the popular hymn "America the Beautiful." The region's states produce most of the U.S.-grown crop of hard red winter wheat, favored by bakers for bread. But with prices hovering around $5 per bushel, U.S. wheat farmers have reached an inflection point, with many forced to either lose money, feed wheat to cattle or kill off the crop. Interviews with more than a dozen farmers and analysts across Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, along with a review of U.S. Department of Agriculture data, revealed a vast disparity in profit for wheat compared to other crops. This has led farmers to abandon more fields before harvest. In parts of the region, prolonged drought has lowered yields in recent years. Farm revenue has also suffered in years with healthy rainfall, as abundant global supplies have weighed on prices. Many have pivoted to corn, soy or livestock, often after generations of their family growing wheat exclusively. "They can't sustain that," said Schoenhals, 68, who raises crops and cattle near Kremlin, Oklahoma, and is president of the state's wheat growers association. "Eventually you either change to other crops if you're able to, or you go out of business," he said. Two years ago, severe drought drove farmers to abandon about a third of the U.S. crop. This year, healthy green stalks shot through the cracked soil, and farmers had expected to harvest the most bushels per acre since 2016. But wheat prices hit a five-year low in May. Every year since 2020, farmers have abandoned between a fifth and a third of the winter wheat crop, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show. Nationwide, corn and soybeans dominate crop fields, with wheat a distant third in planted acreage. Hard red winter wheat exports hit historic lows in 2024 after drought and lower prices in other wheat-producing areas of the world squeezed the U.S. commodity's competitiveness. In Kansas, the leading U.S. producer of hard winter wheat, the disparity between acreage and value is particularly stark. About 1.3 million more farm acres in Kansas were planted with wheat than with corn in 2024, USDA data show, but corn's value of production was more than twice as high. Plentiful global supplies have kept benchmark U.S. prices stuck at lows that discourage farmers from growing wheat, producers and analysts told Reuters. Supplies are so ample that droughts in important grain-growing regions of China and Russia this year have barely budged prices. 'We're below profitable levels for these guys,' said Darin Fessler, an analyst with Lakefront Futures in Lincoln, Nebraska, who grew up on a row crop farm in nearby Sutton. The way things stand, he said, many farmers have "eaten a lot of their own money and burned up working capital. These bankers are going to say: 'show me some profits or we're going to have some farm sales.'" HERITAGE BUT NO PROFIT Ties to wheat farming run deep in the Plains. Historically, European settlers in Kansas struggled to find a foothold until Mennonites from Ukraine arrived with seeds of Turkey Red wheat, a variety that proved able to withstand the area's dry soil, harsh winters and extreme temperature swings. The seeds spread to neighboring Oklahoma and Nebraska, where pioneers established homesteads in the sandy, light earth in which wheat thrived but other crops struggled. Hard red winter wheat has remained the main variety of wheat sown in the U.S. Images of golden stalks adorn hotel lobbies and road signs, and towns include the word in their names. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Willa Cather, a daughter of Red Cloud, Nebraska, wrote a celebrated poem describing "the miles of fresh-plowed soil, heavy and black, full of strength and harshness." Now, U.S. wheat growing is on a steady decline, with farmers finding surer profits from corn, soybeans or cattle. On the wheat quality tour in May, weeks before Nebraska wheat is usually harvested, no wheat could be seen for miles around Red Cloud. When Royce Schaneman joined Nebraska's wheat board 19 years ago, wheat fields stretched for 2.2 million acres across the state. Since then, acreage has shrunk to less than a million acres, he said. In Cheyenne County in southern Nebraska, the state's most productive wheat-growing land, about one in five fields was abandoned this year. "The feeling out in the country is not good," he said. Generations of farmers grew wheat because the crop thrived on rainfall alone. In recent decades, farmers have invested in pricey irrigation systems, experimented with hardier varieties and used fertilizer to improve yields. Agronomists have helped farmers grow more bushels per acre even as climate change has brought more drought and pests. Producers in the southern Plains have experimented with other types of wheat such as durum, the kind used for pasta, and a gluten-free variety, pursuing customers willing to pay more. Profits remain elusive. 'It's heritage, but there's no profit," said Lon Frahm, the CEO of Frahm Farmland, a 40,000-acre operation in Colby, Kansas. Surrounding Thomas County is now dotted with wind farms. Farmers there once grew wheat exclusively, he said, but they have started to diversify due to more frequent drought and global competition depressing prices. Frahm himself now mainly plants corn. He irrigates, fertilizes and harvests the grain using multimillion-dollar machines, then stores it in gleaming, 80-foot steel grain bins. His 7,000 acres of wheat sometimes produce just 5 percent of his farm's total output. "There's certainly profit in corn," he said.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Brand USA and Mindtrip Partner to Give Tourists an Entirely New Way to Design, Plan and Experience the Best the Country Has to Offer, Through the Power of AI
Through a deep integration of Mindtrip's AI platform into Brand USA's 'America The Beautiful' website, visitors to the USA will now be able to explore the country in their own way as they generate custom roadtrips, discover iconic destinations, gain answers to real-time travel questions and build end-to-end itineraries that match their exact interests, all in mere moments SAN FRANCISCO, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Mindtrip, an AI-powered platform that empowers everyone to travel differently, today announced the integration of its B2B platform, Mindtrip for Business, into Brand USA's new 'America the Beautiful' website. With hundreds of integrations throughout the website, Mindtrip's AI software will give visitors the information they need to explore iconic U.S. destinations, plan road trips across Route 66 and deep dive into some of the can't miss major events occurring around the country. Designed to foster effortless travel discovery, Mindtrip's AI platform generates custom, end-to-end itineraries based on traveler interests and connects them with local businesses to make exploration across the country both inspiring and actionable. "The United States has so many iconic destinations worth visiting, but there are also a lot of beautiful places to see along the way," said Andy Moss, Co-founder and CEO of Mindtrip. "By partnering with Brand USA and integrating Mindtrip's AI solution into their website, we are making it easy for travelers to experience the most memorable getaways that are bound to drive conversation for years to come." When a visitor begins to plan a trip on the America the Beautiful website, Mindtrip can answer any question they may have about the country using conversational AI. Mindtrip can also provide a personalized itinerary replete with vibrant photos and interactive maps for each point of interest. These itineraries can be highly specific—for example, someone interested in camping in Yosemite might be guided to explore El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks as well. Or someone who is interested in culinary journeys, can be pointed to off the beaten path or locals only restaurants throughout the country. Each itinerary includes geographical distances and thoughtfully plotted suggestions to help travelers avoid unnecessary zig-zagging, making it easier to maximize their time exploring the United States. Once an itinerary is created, Mindtrip gives visitors the ability to share their plans with family and friends, prompting collaboration and providing Brand USA with a new and organic way to engage with additional consumers who might be interested in further exploring the country. "AI trip planning represents a pivotal shift in how we connect with travelers—meeting them where they are, with the personalized, intuitive support they now expect," said Janette Roush, SVP, Innovation and Chief AI Officer of Brand USA. "We are thrilled to partner with Mindtrip and bring this capability to the masses in ways that showcase the rich diversity of U.S. destinations, making them more accessible, more inspiring, and more aligned with how people actually plan their journeys today." To ensure the website is easily understandable to visitors outside of the U.S., Mindtrip has translated everything across the Brand USA site into six specific languages including, English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and French. Translation touches every point, from the site's user interface, point of interest pages, and more. Mindtrip's partnership with Brand USA builds on the travel industry's growing momentum to harness AI to better serve the needs of travelers. In addition to partnering with Brand USA, Mindtrip for Business works with a wide range of destinations—from national tourism boards like Visit Costa Rica and U.S. territory DMOs like Discover Puerto Rico, to state organizations like Visit California, regional DMOs like The Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, See Monterey, and Visit Ulster County, and vibrant city destinations like Visit Truckee-Tahoe and Visit Atikokan. For more information about Mindtrip for Business and its innovative suite of solutions, please visit About Mindtrip Mindtrip is a travel platform that leverages proprietary AI to make travel exciting, easy and fun. Founded in 2023 in Silicon Valley, Mindtrip was developed by serial entrepreneurs and avid travelers who have a deep understanding of technology, trends and a proven track record of bringing game changing products to market. The company's founders created Mindtrip, a first of its kind platform that combines conversational AI with a proprietary knowledge base to deliver personalized travel experiences that are accurate, actionable and all in one place. To learn more about Mindtrip, its founders and where to access, please visit or on its social channels at and Brand USA Brand USA is the nation's destination marketing organization, dedicated to driving legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, boost exports, create quality jobs, and foster community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a premier global destination while providing up-to-date visa and entry information. Established by the Travel Promotion Act in 2010, over the past 12 years Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent. Media Contact:Rachel Rogers310-770-4917396698@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Mindtrip Sign in to access your portfolio
The Herald Scotland
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
See who performed at Trump's birthday military parade
Performers at Trump's events and ceremonies have always been of high interest, from Kid Rock to Carrie Underwood. Here is who performed at the Army birthday parade. Who performed at the June 14 Army birthday celebration? Visitors enjoyed live music at the Army birthday celebration from several musicians and service members. Here is who performed: U.S. Army Drill Team U.S. Army Band: Latin Music Ensemble U.S. Army Band: Downrange DJ Nyla Symone Lee Greenwood Scotty Hasting, a former Army infantryman who was wounded in Afghanistan Noah Hicks, a country singer from Nashville Warren Zeiders Who is Warren Zeiders? Zeiders is a 26-year-old country music singer from Hershey, Pennsylvania. He has released four studio albums under Warner Records, including: "Acoustic Covers" (2021), "717 Tapes the Album" (2022), "Pretty Little Poison" (2023) and "Relapse" (2024). The singer had his first number-one hit on country radio with his single "Pretty Little Poison" in 2023, according to Billboard. Who has performed at other Trump rallies, ceremonies, events? At Trump's 2025 inauguration, country star Carrie Underwood performed "America the Beautiful." Greenwood has appeared at some of Trump's events, including both inaugurations' ancillary events. Kid Rock made an appearance at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, and also at the most recent inauguration events, along with Billy Ray Cyrus. At Trump's 2016 swearing-in, Jackie Evancho, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Missouri State University Chorale and the U.S. Marine Band performed. Toby Keith performed at the welcome celebration.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who will perform at Trump's birthday military parade? A list of who's played for him before
Washington, D.C., will be the stage for thousands of soldiers, military equipment and musical performances this weekend for the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary celebration. The festivities will take place along the National Mall on June 14, which also happens to be Donald Trump's 79th birthday. Trump's push for a military parade started back in his first term, though the idea has been controversial since its conception. But the planned festivities include more than a parade, as the Army event website boasts vendors, kid zones and meet-and-greets with "Army soldiers, NFL players, influencers and celebrities." Plus, there will be live music. As with celebrity endorsements, performers at Trump's events and ceremonies have been a point of contention. So, who will perform at the Army birthday parade? More: Donald Trump is front and center for Army's big DC birthday parade Among the military demonstrations and equipment displays, visitors will enjoy live music at the Army birthday celebrations. Here is the lineup: U.S. Army Drill Team U.S. Army Band: Latin Music Ensemble U.S. Army Band: Downrange DJ Nyla Symone Scotty Hasting, a former Army infantryman who was wounded in Afghanistan Noah Hicks, a country singer from Nashville At the 2025 inauguration, country star Carrie Underwood performed "America the Beautiful." Lee Greenwood has appeared at several of Trump's events, including both inaugurations' ancillary events. Kid Rock appeared at the Republican National Convention in July 2024, and also at the most recent inauguration events along with Billy Ray Cyrus. At Trump's 2016 swearing-in, Jackie Evancho, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Missouri State University Chorale and the United States Marine Band performed. Toby Keith performed at the welcome celebration. Contributing: George Petras, Janet Loehrke, Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is performing at the Army birthday parade? Not Kid Rock this time
