North Dakota leads the nation in hard red spring wheat and durum production. Independent filmmaker, Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, LLC., the North Dakota Wheat Commission, along with other state ag groups have teamed up to sponsor the Great American Wheat Harvest documentary film.

Other state wheat sponsors include the Nebraska Wheat Board, Oklahoma Wheat Commission and the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. The film focuses on connecting consumers to those who produce their food and will feature stories of North America’s wheat growers and custom harvesters.

“The North Dakota collaboration is unprecedented and speaks to the powerful message we are compelled to share through the Great American Wheat Harvest,” Weaver says. “Wheat and North Dakota are synonymous and we are proud to work with each representative and Governor Jack Dalrymple to highlight this state’s stories.”

Value-added agriculture remains one of the target industries at the North Dakota Department of
Commerce. In October 2013, Governor Dalrymple and North Dakota Wheat Commission Chairman Francis Leiphon joined members of a Taiwanese agricultural trade delegation in signing a joint statement demonstrating Taiwan’s intent to purchase 62.5 million bushels of U.S. wheat valued at about $485 million.

Commissioner Doug Goehring first endorsed North Dakota Department of Agriculture’s support of the project in November 2012 with a letter. The film’s mission is to provide non-agricultural viewers a better understanding of where food comes from and feature all those involved in food production.

“Wheat is so important to North Dakota that a state-owned wheat milling operation was established in 1919 to guarantee a market and provide a reasonable price for our most important crop,” Goehring states. “Today, the North Dakota Mill is the largest single-site wheat milling facility in the country.”

Others included in the collaboration is the North Dakota Department of Agriculture and Department of Commerce, the North Dakota Mill and Elevator, John Deere, U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc., C&B Operations, MacDon Industries, Case IH, Association of Canadian Custom Harvesters, TMCO/National Manufacturing and media partner, AgWired.

For more information about the film and how you can help sponsor visit GreatAmericanWheatHarvest.com. You can also call or email Jody Lamp, GAWH National Executive Co-Coordinator at 406-698-9675, jody@greatamericanwehatharvest.com.