For nearly 60 years, Kansas Wheat recipe books have served as a consumer education tool, helping families prepare wheat-based foods while connecting Kansas farmers with the people who use their product. That legacy is now preserved at Hale Library at Kansas State University, where the full collection is housed for future study and reference.
The recipe books date to the mid-1960s and were distributed nationwide. The booklets combined tested recipes with baking guidance and nutrition information, reflecting changes in food trends, nutrition science and consumer preferences over time.
A significant portion of that history reflects the work of Cindy Falk, who began working with the Kansas Wheat Commission in 1985 after being invited to serve as a volunteer Speak for Wheat spokesperson. Beginning in 1988, Falk contributed to 38 editions of the Kansas Wheat recipe booklet, continuing a tradition that began in 1966. During her tenure, the booklets became a widely recognized Kansas Wheat resource used across Kansas and nationally.
The collection is now part of the Morse Department of Archives and Special Collections, which serves as the official repository for Kansas State University records and a research center for cookery, Kansas history and the consumer movement. Archivists say preserving the recipe books acknowledges the role agricultural communications play in shaping food knowledge and consumer understanding of farming.
Recipe books often provide insight into daily life through ingredient choices, preparation methods and seasonal themes. For researchers, the Kansas Wheat collection offers a record of nutrition education, regional food culture and long-term strategies used to communicate with consumers.
By archiving the series, Kansas State University preserves a piece of Kansas agricultural history that began with wheat farmers and reached kitchen tables across the country.
Dining and Cooking