By Jamie Martin
The National Wheat Foundation has named twelve growers as Top Quality Award winners in the 2025 National Wheat Yield Contest. The awards recognize wheat that delivers excellent yields while also meeting strict quality standards required by domestic and international buyers.
From the 28 national yield winners, each grower submitted ten pounds of wheat for professional testing. The samples were evaluated for grain structure, milling performance, flour quality, and end-use value. A panel of thirteen experts reviewed the results to identify wheat that met the Top Quality criteria.
Winners will receive a $250 cash prize at a special reception on February 24, 2026, in San Antonio during Commodity Classic. The quality awards were added four years ago to ensure the contest promotes long-term success for the wheat industry, not yield alone.
“One of our priorities at the National Wheat Foundation is to demonstrate that high-yielding wheat can also be high-quality wheat,” said Brian Walker, Director of the National Wheat Foundation and a retired flour milling quality executive and consultant. “By evaluating and rewarding both yield and quality, the contest helps educate every segment of the wheat sector on why both are critical to long-term success.”
Wheat plays a major role in the U.S. food system, and about half of the crop is exported. Consistent quality is essential for maintaining trust with buyers. The contest helps collect valuable data on how genetics, growing conditions, and farm management work together to influence wheat performance.
Organizers report that many modern wheat varieties are showing strong quality even at very high yield levels. These results demonstrate that choosing the right variety and following good management practices can help growers meet market expectations while improving productivity.
Growers across the country are encouraged to take part in the 2026 contest. Registration is open, with entries beginning in March. The contest continues to support learning and improvement across the wheat supply chain.
Top Quality Award Winners
Soft White
• Jerry & Daniel Mullen – St. Paul, OR – 1st Winter Dryland – OSU Gale – 186.11 bpa
• Steve VanGrunsven – Forest Grove, OR – Bin Buster Winter Dryland – OSU Rosalyn – 198.32 bpa
• Garrett Warren – Dayton, WA – 2nd Winter Dryland – LCS 50/50 Shine/Jefe – 169.00 bpa
Soft Red Winter
• Steve Wilkens – Random Lake, WI – 4th Winter Dryland – Pioneer 25R64 – 161.48 bpa
• Blake Anthis – Wheatland, IN – 5th Winter Dryland – Dyna-Gro 9533 – 155.70 bpa
• Nick Suwyn – Wayland, MI – 2nd Winter Irrigated – ISF 780 – 185.60 bpa
Hard Red Winter
• Matt Dornan – Chandler, OK – 2nd % Increase – WB4422 – 106.45 bpa
• Wyatt Ramage – Billings, MT – 5th % Increase – Dyna-Gro Ramsay – 141.48 bpa
• Kenneth O’Neal – Groom, TX – 3rd % Increase – WB4792 – 89.14 bpa
Hard Red Spring
• Karissa Berg – Bottineau, ND – 2nd Spring Dryland – Dyna-Gro Ballistic – 110.64 bpa
• Jordan Christman – Hettinger, ND – 1st % Increase – WB9590 – 101.27 bpa
Hard White Spring
• Dallin Wilcox – Rexburg, ID – 1st Spring Irrigated – WB7589 – 190.10 bpa
Photo Credit: National-Wheat-Foundation-logo
Categories: National