Four participants traveled from Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Nicaragua to attend the course that was presented entirely in Spanish.
In its second year of being offered in another language, this course is a part of the flour milling short course series that is presented through the partnership between Kansas State University’s (KSU) Department of Grain Science and Industry and Buhler Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. The course was co-taught by Chris Miller, KSU milling instructor, and Ralph Linnemann, flour milling expert with the Buhler training center in Uzwil, Switzerland.
Participants of this course are required to have at least eight years of milling experience, which Linnemann explains is essential for the courses objectives.
“Our instruction focuses on learning about new machinery, energy savings and enhancing milling performance,” he said. “It covers the entire milling process and challenges these millers to become better decision makers and practice practicality in the mill.”
The convenience and comfort of having the course presented in his own language is what initially drew course participant Hector Recalde, a production manager for Molinos Miraflores from Ecuador to the course at IGP.
“I am here to learn all that I can, but one can only study and learn so much before they need to apply it,” he said. “Here you can do both. After this week, I can say that I feel comfortable practicing what I have learned.”
According to Linnemann, who is fluent in Spanish, English and German and was the translating instructor for this course, it is the support that the two entities are able to offer each other that makes unique opportunities like these, able to happen.
“The Buhler-IGP partnership is working very well. It is nice to have such an up-to-date mill here to help demonstrate practical works to course participants because it helps guarantee a good educational experience.”
This class is just one example of the many partnership courses offered through IGP. In addition to flour milling, IGP offers standard short courses in grain marketing and management, and feed manufacturing. For more information about IGP programs, go to the IGP websitewww.grains.k-state.edu/igp.
