California Wheat Farmer Installed as USW Chairman

Dan Grain

Passing the USW Gavel

Passing the USW Gavel

Roy Motter, wheat farmer from Brawley, CA, took the reins as Chairman of the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Board of Directors at the organization’s annual meeting on June 11, 2014, in Omaha, NE.

“Attending USW meetings and conferences in Latin America, South Asia and Europe, I am continually impressed by the quality of the USW staff and their work,” Motter said. “I am honored to continue representing all U.S. wheat farmers overseas, sharing the message that we grow the most reliable supply of high quality wheat in the world.”

Motter is a managing partner of Spruce Farms, LLC, a diverse operation in California’s Imperial Valley that includes Desert Durum®, lettuce, onions, sugar beets, alfalfa hay, and sudan grass. He is currently serving as chairman of the California Wheat Commission and has been a member since 1998 and has served as president and vice president of the Stockman’s Club of Imperial Valley.

U.S. Wheat Associates officers installedOther officers installed included Brian O’Toole (Crystal, ND) as Vice Chairman and Jason Scott (Stevensville, MD) as Secretary-Treasurer. Last year’s chairman Dan Hughes (Venango, NE) transitioned to Past Chairman and Chairman of the USW Budget Committee. USW officers were elected to these one-year positions at the January 2014 Winter Wheat Conference.
USW’s next Board meeting will be held jointly with NAWG in Santa Ana Pueblo, NM, Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2014.

USW is the industry’s market development organization working in more than 100 countries. Its mission is to “develop, maintain, and expand international markets to enhance the profitability of U.S. wheat producers.” The activities of USW are made possible by producer checkoff dollars managed by 19 state wheat commissions and through cost-share funding provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. For more information, visit www.uswheat.org or contact your state wheat commission.