The Oklahoma Wheat Commission teamed with OETA-TV (Oklahoma Educational Television Authority) to produce a 30-minute TV show, The Truth About Wheat. Ken Root (Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Dyersville, IA) was contacted by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission and Jim Reese, Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture to serve as moderator for the informational broadcast.
(Shown at the recording of The Truth About Wheat are, from left, Ken Root, and panelists, Sara Olsen, Julie Miller-Jones and Brett Carver.)
“The goal was to bring in a farmer, wheat breeder and dietitian to give the facts about wheat and primarily to address Celiac's disease and those who wish to have a diet that is gluten- free. The panel did a very good job of describing the genetics of wheat and how we have not changed it from the wheat of 100 years ago except in making the milling and baking qualities better. The dietician said that about 3% of people, or less, have Celiac's disease, but many think they feel better when they eat less gluten products. The farmer gave her concerns about a shrinking market and what she would do if wheat were unprofitable to grow.” Ken thought the program was worthwhile as it put a science base under a cultural phenomenon. “People do ‘fad’ diets all the time and most of them have an impact on agriculture, good or bad. The efforts to vilify wheat are unfortunate, but this type of behavior ebbs and flows so all commodities should prepare for it.” Ken reflects, “I remember the Atkins diet of the late 1980's and into the 1990's. Beef was king! People ate way too much protein. Then the low carb diets that still exist and now the gluten free diets. Aren't we fortunate that we can pick and choose our foods as we try to lose weight and feel better!”
