The New Corn

A few months ago everyone seemed to be on the bandwagon to plant corn for ethanol production, including the little farms around here. Now, it's wheat instead.

A worldwide shortage of wheat caused by droughts and disease abroad is driving up the demand here, along with the price. By next summer, near harvest time for winter wheat – the only major Virginia grain crop that grows during the colder months – the price is expected to be more than $7 a bushel, said Chesapeake extension agent Watson Lawrence.

“The world inventory for wheat is the lowest it’s been in 30 years,” he said. “Last year, farmers were selling wheat for $4.20 a bushel, and they thought that was great.”