Image courtesy of USW.
U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Chairman Jim Pellman was pleasantly surprised by the number of USW directors and state wheat association staff able to brush off Winter Storm Fern and make it to Washington, D.C. for the 2026 Joint USW/NAWG Winter Board Meeting.
But he was not surprised at how productive the Jan. 26-29 meeting turned out to be.
“Many things in the nation’s capital shut down for the week, but the wheat industry was able to gather in the middle of it all and have some very good discussions and meetings,” said Pellman, a North Dakota farmer who is no stranger to harsh winter conditions. “We really appreciate the speakers who presented during our meeting, and we appreciate our industry partners who joined us in D.C., despite conditions that some described as ‘North Dakota-style’ weather.”
A Joint Effort by the U.S. Wheat Industry
Holding the meeting jointly with the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) allowed USW to successfully hold Budget, Long Range Planning, and Wheat Quality committee meetings – and hold a Joint Policy Plenary Session with NAWG – on Jan. 27.
The next day, leaders from state wheat associations and NAWG staff led visits to legislative offices on Capitol Hill. USW President and CEO Mike Spier, along with USW’s officer team, joined NAWG for a meeting with senior White House staff to learn about the administration’s support for U.S. wheat farmers. The group met directly with Julie Callahan, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs. Callahan is considered a key figure in advancing U.S. agricultural interests around the world.
“We were also grateful for insights from Deputy Secretary Stephen Alexander Vaden, who oversees USDA operations and implements policies that strengthen America’s food and farm systems,” Spier explained. “It was important for them to hear from the U.S. wheat industry. It was rewarding to share our perspectives.”
The day was topped off at the Senate Russell Building, where the National Wheat Foundation’s “Wheat 101” brought together the entire wheat industry for an educational event. USW, NAWG, the Wheat Marketing Center, the North American Millers’ Association and other organization’s from across the wheat supply chain each set up booths to meet with professionals from the industry and staff from congressional offices.
“There is a lot of value in coming to D.C. this time of the year and joining NAWG’s grower leaders to just talk about issues and topics that affect us, both as farmers and as farmer leaders,” said USW Secretary-Treasurer Mike Carstensen, a farmer from the state of Washington who was participating in the Joint Winter Meeting for the first time as a member of the USW Officer Team.
Valuable Input from USDA
In addition to updates from the full USW officer team, the board meeting featured a host of speakers, including USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Dan Whitley, who offered his agency’s perspective on the year ahead.
USW Market Analyst Tyllor Ledford, who will take on her new role this spring as assistant regional director for South and Southeast Asia in USW’s Manilla Office, gave a U.S. and global market update, sharing recent movements – both positive and negative – in the world’s wheat market. Ledford’s supply and demand presentation put on display the importance of working with both established and emerging wheat customers.
Joe Bippert, also recently promoted to the position of USW regional director for South and Southeast Asia, shared highlights from that region and some of the strategic plans USW is building to strengthen several important markets, including the Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
USW Officer Team Elected
The USW Board of Directors also conducted the election of the organization’s officer team for 2026-2027. Mark Jossund, representing the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, was elected as the new USW secretary-treasurer along with the rest of the new USW officer team – Gary Millershaski (Kansas) as chairman, Mike Carstensen (Washington) as vice chairman and Pellman as past chairman. The officers will be installed at USW’s Summer Board Meeting in Fargo, North Dakota, in June.
Read more from USW here.