BENNETT, Colo. (KDVR) — Tiny wheatgrass growing near Bennett is now one of the world’s hottest commodities.

The grain from which bread is made is selling for prices that are going sky high, with bushels selling for three times higher than two years ago.

One might conclude that premium prices translate into higher prices for wheat farmers. But that is not always the case.

Colorado is one of the top producers of wheat in the United States. The grain will be in high demand now that Russia’s and Ukraine’s output is unpredictable because of the war.

But drought and the pandemic had already been causing problems here before the war began, and now fuel prices are adding to the problem.

“That runs fertilizer prices astronomically higher. We are looking at over a 300% increase on fertilizer alone this year,“ said Lewton Farms Manager Justin Lewton, whose family has been growing crops near Bennett for more than a hundred years.

The war has increased the volatility farmers face. Weather is so unpredictable and can destroy crops with droughts over months, or with hail in a flash. The pandemic has also caused supply chain issues. Now the war.

“When you look at fuel prices and energy prices, that’s where the majority of inflation and costs come from because everything touches energy,” Lewton said.

Families can expect to see the price of bread rise. But Lewton said fuel and energy have a much larger impact on consumer prices.

Wheat crops are usually harvested during the first part of June. The biggest threat then is hail storms.

Now a war makes farming even more of a challenge for both the farmer and families putting food on the table.