Monte Murkle and other members of the Nebraska Wheat Board met Sen. Pete Ricketts in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy photo
The Nebraska Wheat Board met in Alliance in December and toured the Greenhouse in the Snow, a sustainable, year-round growing system powered by low-grade geothermal energy. As a bonus, board members had the chance to tour the facility and learn more about this unique piece of agriculture.
Last August, as a part of his role on the Nebraska Wheat Board, Monte Murkle of Clatonia hosted a group of people at his farm from the Philippines.
“They were here visiting and doing tours throughout the United States in wheat country,” he said. “It worked out well. They did some stuff in Lincoln at the university. They went to an elevator and then they came to my farm, and we had a little barbecue.”
Murkle said everyone in the group had milling companies in the Philippines and had an interest in wheat. Although their visit did not coincide with the Nebraska wheat harvest, they toured throughout the state.
He was appointed to the Nebraska Wheat Board in August 2024 for his first term representing District 6. Murkle grew up in Lincoln, and in 1983 started farming in northwest Gage County, renting land from his grandparents while attending college. He has two daughters and two grandchildren, and today he raises wheat, corn and soybeans on both irrigated and rain-fed acres.
Murkle said he enjoys raising wheat because it brings diversity to his farming operation in many ways.
“It provides another grain to take to the market that has a completely different harvest time than corn and soybeans. Wheat also provides benefits to the soil,” he said.
There are seven board members from throughout the state.
According to the website, the mission of the Nebraska Wheat Board is to increase both domestic and foreign consumption of wheat and wheat food products through marketing and research, as well as to help develop and maintain both domestic and international export markets for the Nebraska wheat producer.
Board members work with staff to invest in five areas as directed by the Nebraska Wheat Resources Act: international marketing, domestic marketing, research, federal farm policy, education and promotion.
Royce Schaneman, executive director of the Nebraska Wheat Board, hopes there could be other foreign visitors this summer.
The Facebook page for the Nebraska Wheat Board provides information to producers and educates consumers. For example, in December they posted “the average American enjoys 26 cookies during the holiday season, and it all starts with wheat grown by hardworking farmers. From wheat to sweet, Nebraska flour helps make those holiday favorites we leave out for Santa.”
Other facts are also posted: Did you know 3,000 loaves of bread can be made from an acre of wheat?
For more information, go to the Nebraska Wheat Board Facebook page.
The Nebraska Wheat Board met in Alliance in December and toured the Greenhouse in the Snow, a sustainable, year-round growing system powered by low-grade geothermal energy. As a bonus, board members had the chance to tour the facility and learn more about this unique piece of agriculture.
