Formation
CWRF was formed by the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee in 1988, to further educational and scientific programs related to wheat. CWRF was the first entity to place Plant Variety Protection with the Title V option on publicly-developed wheat varieties, which requires sale only as a class of Certified Seed. This allowed CWRF to start collecting seed royalties, which began in 1995 with the release of ‘Halt’, a variety with resistance to the Russian Wheat Aphid.
Innovation
The formation of CWRF helped the CSU Wheat Breeding Program grow, flourish, and adopt new technologies quickly. Colorado growers have benefitted from innovations like Clearfield®varieties, novel end-use quality traits, new resistance genes for wheat streak mosaic virus, CoAXium® varieties, molecular markers and doubled haploids.
PlainsGold
In 2012, CWRF developed the PlainsGold brand and began utilizing our genetics platforms across a wider geography than just Colorado. Today, our varieties consistently hold over 80% market share in Colorado and are grown in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.
2025-2026 CWRF Board of Directors
Nick Midcap
Wiggins (CAWG)
President
Shelby Britten
Haswell (CAWG)
Vice President
Mark Linnebur
Byers (CWAC)
Secretary - Treasurer
Jerry Cooksey
Roggen (CWAC)
Board Member
Jim Mertens
New Raymer (CSGA)
Board Member
Steve Beedy
Genoa (CWAC)
Board Member
Brian Brooks
Walsh (CAWG)
Board Member
Dustin Cooksey
Strasburg (CSGA)
Board Member
Cary Wickstrom
Orchard (CWAC)
Board Member
About Colorado Wheat
Colorado Wheat is a strategic alliance that houses three distinct but cooperating organizations working together to advance wheat and serve the state’s wheat growers.