Fifty years ago, winter wheat was only considered a cover crop by many Kentucky farmers. The commonwealth’s warm, humid springs were not an ideal place to grow this small grain crop, and the average wheat yield in Kentucky in the late 1960s averaged around 30 bushels per acre. The bigger issue in making wheat a profitable crop, however, was the lack of local markets.

To help small grain growers improve production practices and grow those markets, a group of visionary small grain producers, university personnel, and industry representatives gathered in 1988 to form the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association (KySGGA).

By the following year, they incorporated and identified their objectives:

• Identify and develop specialized market opportunities for small grain producers

• Provide continuing education opportunities such as seminars led by wheat specialists, workshops on personnel management and machinery maintenance, economic pesticide application and training, etc.

• Support research that is directed toward increasing the profitability of small grain production

• Provide representation for Kentucky’s small grain producers at the national level by joining the National Association of Wheat Growers.

The late Don Halcomb (Logan County) served as the first president, Hoppy Henton (Woodford County) served as the treasurer, and University of Kentucky wheat breeding specialist Dave Van Sanford was executive secretary. The first newsletter was produced in April 1990, and by early 1991, KySGGA had 130 members.

Also this year, KySGGA worked to see that the Kentucky small grain referendum was signed to direct farmers’ voluntary small grain checkoff (0.25% of sales) to the Kentucky Small Grain Utilization Committee to promote and stimulate markets through utilization research, market maintenance and expansion, and education. Don Halcomb became chairman of that committee and served in that role until his death earlier this year.

By 1992, KySGGA hired Todd Barlow as their executive director and distributed their first utilization committee funds toward research projects. Other projects KySGGA addressed and fostered in the early years were test weight and grading standards, the construction and opening of Siemer Milling Company in Hopkinsville, the development of a University of Kentucky Extension intensive wheat management guide, funding the Hopkinsville Community College Ag Tech Training Program, developing the Comprehensive No-Till Wheat Project, and opening the Wheat Quality Laboratory. Due to the opening of the Hopkinsville-based Siemer Milling Company, Kentucky wheat is used in several national brands, such as McDonald’s, Cracker Barrel, Krusteaz, and more.

Since KySGGA’s creation in 1989, average wheat yields have more than doubled, and $3.6 million have been directed to small grain research and education programs to grow small grain grower profitability. More recently, KySGGA invested significant funds in the Grain and Forage Center of Excellence at UK and created a Gifts of Grain program that matches grower contributions.

While KySGGA has also promoted other small grain crops such as barley, rye, oats, and triticale, a new focus on these crops is growing due to demand from local distilleries to use local grains. KySGGA has also invested in developing a Kentucky cultivar of chia to grow additional opportunities for farmers.