Growing up in rural Northern Oklahoma we used to say the farmers planted wheat for three reasons:

1 It can be planted and almost forgotten about until harvest, allowing more time for the bingo/dominoes halls.

2 It can be profitable if all the weather / market conditions are perfect.

3 If aforementioned conditions are or aren't perfect (no wheat or too much wheat), the US government will pay the farmer to plow it under instead of harvesting it. Thereby removing all risk in being a wheat farmer.

In the mean time all the farmers did was complain while playing dominoes...