MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Kansas State University’s (KSU) International Grains Program (IGP) and Bühler Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., hosted four experienced millers March 19-23 for the Bühler-KSU Expert Milling course given in English and 11 more participants March 26-30 for the Spanish version of the course.

Each of these participants had eight or more years of industry experience. Chris Miller, KSU milling instructor; Tobias Nänny, manager of the Bühler Training Center in Uzwil, Switzerland; and Ralph Linneman, flour milling expert from the Bühler training center in Uzwil, provided instruction for these courses.

“Ultimately, the goal is to have participants build on their past experience and to strengthen their knowledge and decision making ability,” Miller said. “This course should benefit participants because it is building on what they already know. Since they have been in the industry, the goal is to mainly connect the dots and to tie up the overall theory.”

Participants learned both through lessons and discussions in the classroom and through hands-on exercises in the Hal Ross pilot flour mill.

For Scott Roberts, 20-year milling industry veteran, the English course helped him find ways not only to improve his own understanding, but also to improve the understanding of the rest of his company.

“The course provided good technical information and application of equipment in mill flow design. It also provided techniques to teach the concepts and apply the information within our company,” he said. Roberts currently works for Cereal Food Processors in Utah.

Spanish course participant Estuardo Lehnhoff of Alimentos, S.A., in Guatemala, is also looking forward to pass on the information that he learned to the others in his company.

He said the most helpful thing was the comprehension and knowledge that he gained.

“I will be able to transmit this information that I have learned to all of the people who work for me,” he said.

This is just one example of the many partnership trainings offered through IGP. In addition to flour milling and grain processing, IGP offers trainings in grain marketing and risk management, and feed manufacturing and grain management. To learn more about IGP, visit the website at www.grains.ksu.edu/igp.