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Wheat growin' folks should be pals at last
By Larry Dreiling
U.S. Wheat and NAWG should be friends,
Oh, U.S. Wheat and NAWG should be friends.
One group goes around the globe, the other likes to stay near home,
But that's no reason why they cain't be friends.
Wheat growin' folks should stick together,
Wheat growin' folks should all be pals.
Homeguys dance with worldguys' daughters,
Worldguys dance with the homeguys' gals.
--With apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein
Taken from Oklahoma! "The Farmer and Cowman"
Just like the farmer and cowman, it seems like all these years U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers have put up this indescribable show that indicates they don't get along.
Although I did my share of high school musicals and once thought I'd make a great Curly in this classic musical about the early days of the Sooner State, allow me to make like Aunt Eller for a minute and make a plea to the folks in the two groups I mention in my rehashed lyrics.
Get along.
That's it. Get along. Stop fighting amongst yourselves. Stop worrying about turf. Put away the parliamentary procedure manuals and keep the parliamentarian hired guns at home. Do what's best for everyone in the Wheat industry and complete the road to consolidation.
We now have a third iteration of the Wheat Industry Consolidation Committee at work on a plan to present to the boards of USWA, NAWG and the Wheat Export Trade Education Committee. A third time ought to be charm to hammer out a plan of consolidation so the members of each group's board can vote on it.
There ought to be no argument about the quality of who is sitting on this new committee. We have the chief executives of each group, an officer from each body and other leaders, too.
Heck, there are two NAWG past presidents and the immediate past chairman of USWA on this committee. A past chairman of the Wheat Foods Council is chairing it. Surely, they can bring this thing to a successful conclusion.
To make it a success, everyone should pitch in and say: "Face it. The votes are there for consolidation. There are only so many of us in the Wheat industry these days. In order to keep our strength in Washington and around the globe, we need to do this."
As you may have seen in the Journal's special Wheat Industry Conference supplement, Atlanta marked a real change for the Wheat industry. An upcoming meeting in Washington will give producers an early look at this new committee's plan for consolidation.
Let's hope this time, after two other tries, we'll be looking fine--in Oklahoma--and everywhere else Wheat growers care about their industry.
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