Grainnet

Terry Garvert, Ph.D.

Manhattan, KS (March 4, 2010) -- Kansas State University graduate, Terry Garvert, has been honored as a K-State College of Agriculture Alumni Fellow.

He spent Feb. 25 on K-State´s campus in Manhattan as a guest lecturer and meeting with administrators, faculty members and students. An evening banquet at the K-State Alumni Center in his honor, capped the day´s activities.

Garvert grew up on a farm near Plainville, Kan. and began a career with Cargill after earning dual degrees in feed science and chemistry at K-State in 1977. He has held several commodity merchandising, market development and risk management positions in his 33 years at Cargill. He also had oversight of the company´s wheat breeding business, Goertzen Seed Research from 1994 until Goertzen was sold in 2002.

"It is evident in his actions, the level of commitment Terry has to K- State and to fostering a more diverse learning environment," said Zelia Wiley, assistant dean for diversity programs in K-State´s College of Agriculture. "We truly appreciate the ongoing relationship we have with Cargill and especially Terry."

Although his current position with Cargill entails working with the company´s clients in risk management with corn and soybean meal, Garvert said that much of his career has been spent in the wheat part of the business.

"Wheat breeding ... the whole production, processing and utilization of wheat has been a passion of mine," he said, adding that he grew up on a wheat farm and that most of his trading and merchandising positions at Cargill have involved wheat.

That background has given him a certain perspective on the industry.

"Basically something needs to be done in wheat to help turn on genetic improvement," Garvert said in a radio interview. "The long term wheat yield trend is flat compared with some of the other commodities grown in the Midwest and basically, I think the industry is a little bit concerned that if we don´t find some solutions, growers are going to move toward the other commodities."

He said that although some end use clients are reluctant to accept biotech wheat: "I just think that (biotechnology) is going to have to be used in order to solve some of the problems that wheat as a commodity has."

The new K-State Alumni Fellow served as a member of the Kansas City Board of Trade from 1994 to 1997 and from 1995 to 1996 was a KCBOT director.

Over the years since his graduation, Garvert has returned to K- State´s campus to work with students who participate in the Multicultural Academic Program Success, part of the Project Impact Summer Bridge Program. Cargill is a sponsor of the program. MAPS is designed to prepare high school students for the academic rigor of the university environment by bringing them to campus for college classes during the summer.

His advice to students: "Think global, act local." He also encourages them to learn a second language, adding that in his years with Cargill he has had opportunities to visit wheat customers and their mills in 46 countries. Being able to speak with a customer in their native language would have made some of those discussions with customers so much richer, he said.

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