08/01/06 Could big kernels be an opportunity?

Farm and Ranch August 1, 2008 Participants in the PNW Pre-harvest wheat tour, which was held in late June, not only got a chance to get an early look at the region's wheat crop but to brainstorm with others on tour. Bob Fesler of Horizen Milling in Ogden, Utah, saw what could be an opportunity for some enterprising growers; wheat with large kernels. Fesler: "The cereal companies, the Kellogs, and those types of companies, they like flakes. The larger kernels fit perfectly for them because they can make a larger flake. If we can separate those, we actually separate and keep larger kernels separate from smaller kernels. The smaller kernels go and make our regular pastry flour per se, and the larger kernels would be good for the cereal people. And if they are nice and white like these are along with being large, it fits." Fesler says the opportunity is to find those wheats and then IP or identity preserve them. Hoff/Fesler: (Hoff) But for the grower there might be an opportunity there. (Fesler) Exactly. That is something different. That is something that is valuable. (Hoff) And that is the whole focus of the future, value added. (Fesler)Value added. Find the price. Find a way to get it there. But that is not a price issue now. That is a value issue." Just what variety of soft white winter wheat those large kernels Fesler saw were from, wasn't known. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.