In the last week, the market has added $14 million or more in value to this summer's Walla Walla County wheat crop. White wheat for delivery to Port- land, Ore., at harvest was worth $6.65 to $6.85 just more than a week ago on June 15. As of Tuesday morning June 26, bids for the same wheat were between $7.45 and $7.50.

Who to thank? The hot weather in the Midwest that is stressing the corn crop.

Weather models con- tinue to forecast hot and dry weather for much of the Midwest. Parts of the Eastern corn belt -- Illinois, Indiana, and Ten- nessee along with Texas -- have missed measur- able rain...