The Pratt County Fair Board, along with Extension Agriculture PDC, will conduct the countywide Market Wheat Show at the 2009 Pratt County Fair.
Producer participation in this event is strictly voluntary. If a producer wishes to enter, just inform the scale operator at the participating elevator. Samples will be collected right off the truck as it comes across the scales.
Participating grain elevators and sponsors of the show are: ADM Grain-Cullison; Cairo Co-op; Farmers Co-op-Isabel; and the Kanza Co-op. Branches of these elevators will be included in this collection process.
The sample will be tagged with the producer’s name, address, and variety on it. All producers that are entered will be sent a postage-paid envelope with a Crop Data Card following harvest. Simply fill out the agronomic information section of the card and drop it in the mail. If this is done prior to July 10 you will be entered into the Market Wheat Show.
All the wheat entries will be judged by the Kansas Grain Inspection Service prior to the
County Fair and displayed at the Fair. Area elevators are the sponsors for this year’s show.
A listing of Market Wheat Show criteria is as follows:
1. Crop Data Cards are to mailed be into the Extension Office prior to July 10th. No cards or entries will be accepted after this date due to revised judging procedures.
2. All wheat exhibits must be produced in Pratt County during the present year.
3. All exhibits shall be combine runs only. Samples shall consist of approximately five pounds of wheat collected at the elevators listed above. If a producer has grain stored on the farm and wishes to enter, the County Agent should be notified for sample collection.
4. Any entry that has been handpicked or screened will be disqualified.
5. Limitation of entries: Each farmer is limited to one (1) entry for each variety of wheat grown on the exhibitor’s farm. A producer is someone who is recognized by the FSA (Farm Service Agency) as a producer within the county.
6. The Kansas Grain Inspection Service in Hutchinson will grade all samples prior to the County Fair.
7. Premiums will be awarded for 1st through 3rd places for each class. In case of a tie, premiums will be added together and divided by the number of tying entrants.
8. The County Champion wheat producer’s name will be listed on a plaque presented at the County Fair and displayed at the Extension Office throughout the year.
Samples will be judged by the following criteria:
Protein 225 points
Test Weight 200 points
Dockage 200 points
Shrunken/Broken Kernels 100 points
Variety/Mill-Bake 250 points
Crop Data Card 25 points
Total Possible 1000 points
Entries will be divided into the following classes:
Class No. 1 2137, 2163, 2174, 2145.
Class No. 2 Karl, Karl 92, Ike.
Class No. 3 Jagger, Overley.
Class No. 4 All Agri-Pro HRW Varieties.
Class No. 5 All WestBred HRW Varieties.
Class No. 6 All Hard White Wheat Varieties.
Class No. 7 All other Varieties, Hybrids, or Blends.
As an added attraction for local county Market Wheat Show participants, the Kansas State Fair has included a state wide Sweepstakes competition to their show. All county champions will be listed on a banner in the Pride of Kansas Building during the Kansas State Fair.
An “eastern” and a “western” champion will be chosen. Eastern Kansas’ counties include all counties with Highway 81 running through it and east. Western Kansas’ counties will be ones west of Highway 81. A champion ribbon will be awarded in each class with a Grand Champion Wheat Producer crowned overall.
I would encourage all Pratt county producers to consider entering our local show. It provides for some good, friendly competition at our County Fair and provides a display that has drawn a lot of public interest over the past two years. Besides that, we need to show the rest of the state the quality of wheat raised in Pratt County.
