Rhonda Larson, East Grand Forks, Minn., started her year as the 2022-23 chair of the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) board of directors on June 8 at their annual meeting in Bend, Ore.

“I want to thank the entire wheat family for their support,” Larson said to the directors. “We heard here about all the challenges we face. But with your help, I look forward to representing American wheat farmers in overseas markets.”

She will soon represent growers at the World Trade Organization’s 12th Ministerial Meeting in Geneva.

Larson has been a board member of the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council for 17 years, serving as chair from 2010 to 2012. She served on the Wheat Foods Council board and is a longtime member of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers and the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.

Michael Peters of Okarche, Okla., took the position of vice chairman. Clark Hamilton of Ririe, Idaho, began his year as secretary-treasurer. Darren Padget of Grass Valley, Ore., will serve one year as USW past chair.

USW is the export market development organization for the U.S. wheat industry.

Honored service

Padget was honored at a reception June 7 for his service as USW chair, which covered two years because of pandemic travel restrictions. Previously, Padget held positions on the Oregon Wheat Growers League board of directors and executive committee for seven years, serving as president in 2010. He chaired the research and technology committee for the National Association of Wheat Growers and is the vice chairman of the Wheat Marketing Center board of directors. He is a commissioner with the Oregon Wheat Commission.

USW vice chair Peters serves on the Mid-Oklahoma Co-op board of directors; and on the Plains Partners Coop Board, a division of CHS; and is a member of the Okarche Rural Fire Fighters’ Association Board. He currently serves as a commissioner and chairman of the Oklahoma Wheat Commission.

USW secretary-treasurer Hamilton served as an executive officer of the Idaho Grain Producers Association, including as president, and has been a board member of Ririe Grain and Feed Cooperative Inc. for several years. He is currently one of five wheat growers appointed as a commissioner on the Idaho Wheat Commission and served as chair of that organization.

USW’s mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance wheat’s profitability for U.S. wheat producers and its value for their customers.” USW activities in more than 100 countries are made possible through producer checkoff dollars managed by 17 state wheat commissions, and cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. USW maintains 15 offices around the world to help wheat buyers, millers, bakers, wheat food processors and government officials understand the quality, value and reliability of all six U.S. wheat classes. For more information, visit uswheat.org.

Source: U.S. Wheat Associates, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all of its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.