If you drove past wheat fields in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska or Oklahoma the first week of May, you could see people tromping around with yardsticks, pocket calculators and cameras in water-resistant boots. Some got there as part of the Hard Winter Wheat Tour organized annually by the Wheat Quality Council. The group also offers a late July tour of hard spring wheat and durum fields in Minnesota and North and South Dakota.

Even more important is the work the council does to evaluate new wheat cultivars. Wheat and flour quality managers from universities, labs, mills and bakeries report test results at the group’s annual meeting in February. For details about the wheat tours and testing work, visit www.wheatqualitycouncil.org.