Upper Red Fork Innovations

Cakes, Cookies, bread, pasta, bleached flour, whole wheat flour, wheat berries, wheat stalks, wheat waving in the wind that has grown for the past 9 months, livelihood for a farm family, rainstorm, high winds, hail, disaster.

No one knows or better understands the term “windows of opportunity” than a farmer. Drought and low prices for wheat and other crops several years ago encouraged this full time farming family to think “outside the box”. Through the next several years, they would explore many ideas for value adding their farm products, with one being the development of a 100% whole wheat cookie dough. Consumers had begun requesting pre-made cookie dough and later a pre-portioned cookie dough that is now being sold through the farm to school program, grocery stores and other institutions. Tami’s Grandma Opal was an awesome cookie maker and her special recipes have been used to develop the 100% Whole wheat cookie dough using only real eggs, butter and high quality chocolate chips or raisins with no preservatives or trans fats using only Oklahoma whole wheat. What a healthy Oklahoma treat to provide to our school children!

The Buss family was recently awarded the prestigious Staff of Life Award presented by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. The Staff of Life award is presented to individuals and businesses that the commission believes to have had a significant impact on Oklahoma’s wheat industry.

The Oklahoma Wheat Commission promotes greater utilization of wheat in both domestic and international markets through research, market development and public education. Five wheat producers representing designated districts across the state serve as the Oklahoma Wheat Commission’s board of directors. Current officers are Jeff Krehbiel, chairman, Hydro; Don Schieber, vice chairman, Ponca City; Keith Kisling, secretary-treasurer, Burlington; Tom Stephens, member, Guymon; Tom Glazier, member, Loyal.