Montana Wheat and Barley Committee releases second grain lab video

Press release

GREAT FALLS — As part of its efforts to promote Montana’s world class wheat and barley, the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee released a second educational video aimed at helping buyers understand the grain sampling and grading process from start to finish.

The footage was produced as one of four videos in a series focused on demonstrating the steps taken by Montana’s certified federal grain inspectors to guarantee grain grades that are exactly proportionate to purchase prices. Since the onset of COVID-19, marketing efforts are primarily taking place through virtual channels. The MWBC staff and board members are utilizing the video series during international conferences and virtual trade shows as a means for helping buyers understand how the State Grain Lab guarantees consistent, reliable grain grades 

“In a typical growing season our schedules are packed with visits from prospective buyers from all over the world,” said Cassidy Marn, executive vice president for MWBC. “Coronavirus has forced us to cancel in-person trade team visits for the foreseeable future, so these videos are an effective and timeless way for us to showcase Montana’s quality wheat and barley crops, and to help people understand the grain grading process. They share an inside look at some of the lesser known parts of the process, like rail car probing, falling numbers, and what inspectors look for while issuing grade certificates.”

The first two videos in the series highlight how samples are collected from rail cars and processed at the State Grain Lab. They are now available for viewing on the MWBC website https://wbc.agr.mt.gov/Home/News . The third video in the series will feature one of the most important grading factors for millers and bakers, the falling number test, and will be released Monday, Oct. 5. The final video in the series will be released the following Monday, Oct. 12, and will follow along as a federal grain inspector examines a sample and issues a grade certificate. MWBC expects these videos will be used as education and marketing tools for many years to come.

The Montana Wheat and Barley Committee is a producer-funded and directed check-off organization for wheat and barley growers in the state. Its mission is to protect and foster the health and prosperity of the Montana wheat and barley industry. Visit http://montanawbc.com for more information.