The Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program welcomed a U.S. Wheat Associates trade team from Brazil for a two-day educational tour in Ohio focused on wheat production, quality, logistics, and export opportunities.
The visit underscored Ohio’s important role in the wheat supply chain and gave team members a firsthand look at the farmers, research, and infrastructure that support the production of high-quality soft red winter wheat grown statewide.
“Personal connections help build trust in trade,” commented Wendy Osborn, Director of Market Development for Ohio Corn & Wheat. “Bringing international customers to Ohio gives them the opportunity to see each step of our wheat supply chain and meet the people responsible for producing, handling and improving the crop.”
The two-day tour started with a friendly reception at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg. Afterward, the group visited Sunrise Cooperative’s Crestline Grain facility in Galion for talks on wheat origination, grain storage, logistics, and merchandising.
The team also visited the farm of Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program board member and wheat grower Ray VanHorn near Mount Gilead, providing an opportunity to witness wheat harvest, storage, and transportation methods firsthand.
In Wooster, the group toured the USDA Agricultural Research Service Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory, where researchers conducted wheat-quality demonstrations and discussed the milling and baking characteristics of soft red winter wheat.
The statewide tour concluded at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, where participants toured field plots and greenhouses and met with university wheat breeder Dr. Clay Sneller to discuss wheat breeding, variety development, and agronomic practices.
“This visit gave us the chance to highlight the partnerships, research, and resources that support Ohio’s wheat industry,” Osborn explained. “By directly linking international customers with our farmers, grain handlers, and researchers, we aim to reinforce current relationships and open new export market opportunities for Ohio wheat.”
A photo gallery from the trade team’s visit is available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCYyKf
