Nathan Larson Memorial Award Highlights Importance of Relationships in International Wheat Trade

International flour milling professionals gathered at Kansas State University’s IGP Institute in Manhattan, Kansas, in September for two weeklong courses designed to strengthen their understanding of U.S. wheat and improve flour milling operations.

Sponsored by U.S. Wheat Associates (USW), the IGP-KSU-IAOM Basic Milling Principles Course welcomed six millers from Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The course combined classroom instruction with hands-on experience, covering wheat quality evaluation, cleaning, conditioning, grinding and finished flour production.

The following week, experienced milling professionals from Taiwan and Morocco participated in the IGP-KSU-IAOM Advanced Milling Principles Course. The advanced course built on basic milling concepts, focusing on equipment adjustments, milling efficiency, flour quality and troubleshooting production challenges. Participants worked directly with U.S. wheat classes in the Hal Ross Flour Mill.

These technical education activities play an important role in USW’s international market development efforts by strengthening relationships between U.S. wheat farmers and customers around the world. Those relationships were especially meaningful during this year's advanced course, where participants celebrated the legacy of a Kansas wheat farmer who understood their importance firsthand.

During the course’s completion dinner, USW Chairman Gary Millershaski, who farms near Lakin, Kansas, presented the first Nathan Larson Memorial Award, recognizing a participant who exhibited great interest, goodwill and enthusiasm in the subject matter and the work of fellow attendees.

Larson was a devoted Kansas wheat farmer near Riley, just north of Manhattan, and a Kansas Wheat Commissioner. He frequently attended course dinners to visit with international millers, answer questions about wheat production and learn how customers around the world used the wheat grown by U.S. farmers.

Larson passed away unexpectedly in May 2026. The award honors his legacy as an ambassador for U.S. wheat farmers and his commitment to building personal relationships with international customers.

Wei-Lin Chou, Asian products and nutrition specialist in the USW Taipei Office, was selected as the award’s first recipient. Chou had met Larson two years earlier while attending the IGP basic milling course.

“He was incredibly kind and deeply passionate about wheat and farming,” said Chou. “I still remember listening to his stories about wheat production and seeing how his face lit up as he spoke. He was equally interested in learning how people in Taiwan use U.S. wheat in the foods we eat every day. I am very grateful to the Kansas Wheat Commission and the IGP Institute for recognizing me with an award that carries such special meaning.”

Chou’s work in Taiwan reflects the importance of maintaining strong relationships with international wheat customers. U.S. wheat currently holds up to an 80% market share in Taiwan, where technical education helps millers understand the quality and performance advantages of U.S. wheat.

“When millers understand the most effective techniques for processing each class of U.S. wheat, they can optimize their production lines and achieve more consistent results,” said Chou. “Over time, that technical knowledge can make U.S. wheat a natural fit for their operations and long-term production needs.”

Through programs like these, U.S. wheat farmers continue investing in the success of international customers. The Nathan Larson Memorial Award serves as a reminder that beyond technical expertise and wheat quality, personal relationships remain an important part of building lasting demand for U.S. wheat.