KANSAS CITY — Len Heflich, vice-president of quality systems for Bimbo Bakeries USA, will deliver the keynote speech at the Wheat Quality Council’s annual dinner set for Feb. 17 at the Embassy Suites airport hotel in Kansas City. Mr. Heflich will discuss the qualities of flours needed in Bimbo’s diversified portfolio, and issues relating to bioengineered organisms from the perspective of the American Bakers Association.

In addition to the keynote dinner presentation, the annual meeting and technical review scheduled for Feb. 16-18 will include a forum featuring three speakers. Patrick McCluskey, an agricultural marketing specialist with the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards (GIPSA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will provide an update on the current wheat grading standard reviews process, while Dana Peterson, the newly elected chief executive officer of the National Association of Wheat Growers, will discuss lost acres of wheat production. Darrell Hanavan, executive director of Colorado Wheat, will present information on collaboration between public and private breeders.

The W.Q.C. also will conduct its annual review of the qualities of breeder submitted lines of wheat grown in 2009.

For more information contact Ben Handcock at bhwqc@aol.com or (605) 224-5187.