U.S. Wheat Industry Mourns Loss of Dr. Craig Morris
Dr. Craig Morris.
Earlier this week, on Monday, October 25, 2021, the U.S. wheat industry lost a highly respected member of the wheat family. Dr. Craig Morris was the director of the Western Wheat Quality Laboratory in Pullman, Wash., for more than 30 years, influencing the quality of wheat in the Pacific Northwest (PNW).
Morris had a significant impact on the region’s wheat breeding program, the Wheat Quality Council and outreach to the overseas milling industry. Everyone knew “Craig” because he was passionately engaged in whatever meeting or wheat event he was attending. Craig was most at home when he was talking about wheat and its magical quality and versatility.
Earlier in 2021, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) asked Morris to take overseas buyers on a virtual tour of the Washington State University Plant Growth Facility as part of the PNW Wheat Quality Summit. He was in his element, passionately explaining how the 49,000 square foot facility would revolutionize wheat breeding and assuring that PNW farmers would have the highest quality wheat in the world. Most notably, Morris was a steadfast promoter of soft white wheat quality through the Wheat Quality Council, helping to include overseas wheat buyers in the variety evaluation process.
In 2017, Dr. Craig Morris (pictured center) led a blind udon noodle sampling with a Korean milling team to highlight the U.S. soft white wheat variety (Ryan) and a soft durum variety that Craig bred himself.
The wheat family around the world will deeply miss him.
Header Photo Caption: Dr. Craig Morris (pictured third from the left), previously traveled with USW for its annual Crop Quality seminars to Taiwan, Korea and Japan. USW’s Steve Wirsching said, “Everyone already knew Craig from their trade team visits to the Pacific Northwest, and he did a great job explaining the SW and Club wheat crop. Craig is pictured here during a trip to Korea in the middle with a big smile.”
