Wheat: Family Ties By Luke McGourty

Growing, harvesting and selling wheat has always been an important part in the success of our
family farm. I grew up on our family farm watching my dad and grandpa work long hard hours in the
field. I help them plant, irrigate and harvest our wheat and other commodities. I have two grandfathers involved in the wheat industry. Our wheat is transported to Vale and sold to my grandfather in town who owns the local feed and seed store and is a grain broker. Local farmers also sell their wheat to my grandfather. Since 1938, my family has been involved in the wheat industry. Wheat harvest has always played an important role in my life.

During wheat harvest I would help my grandfather, in town, receive the harvested wheat at his
elevator. It was stored in large bins or in piles. He taught me how to sample, weigh and collect wheat from the farmer’s trucks that came to the mill. I watched the mill workers load wheat onto railroad cars and semi trucks to transport the harvested wheat to the larger grain distribution facilities on the Columbia River. The huge volume of wheat is loaded on river barges. The wheat on the river barges are transloaded onto ocean going vessels to countries across the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 85% of Oregon wheat is exported. Currently most wheat is sold to countries in north and southeast Asia.

Wheat is one of the most widely grown farm commodities in the world. The primary use is for
food we consume. From bread to biscuits, pizza and breakfast cereal they all contain wheat flour. Wheat is also used for seed, animal feed and the straw for animal bedding. The quality and popularity of Oregon wheat has made it a sought after commodity. According to the USDA, Oregon grew 40,600,000 bushels of winter wheat in 2023. One bushel of wheat will provide 42 pounds of flour or 70 loaves of bread. It is shipped world wide to various locations to help support international food and hunger relief all around the globe. I take pride in the fact my family has been involved in producing wheat and distributing wheat for five generations in our ever growing world. I am proud to be a part of the Oregon wheat industry!

Our 2024 Oregon Wheat Scholarship awardees each submit an essay with their scholarship application. Learn more about the scholarship program at https://oregonwheatfoundation.org/scholarship-program/