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Kansas
Grain Sorghum NEWS
KGSPA
NEWS
7-14-10--Kansas Growers See New Over the Top Sorghum Weed Control Field
Trials
7-7-2010--Loss of Atrazine Would Wipe Out 21,000 to 48,000 Jobs
Dependant on Agriculture
6-30-10--Farmers Plant 7.1
Million Acres to Feedgrains
6-2-10--Kansas Corn, Sorghum Planting Progresses with Warmer
Temperatures
5-14-10--Sorghum Checkoff to Sponsor Sorghum Food Conference
4-14-10--Kansas Corn and
Sorghum Partake in Earth Day Festivities
3-23-10--National Sorghum Checkoff
Program at Mid-America Farm Expo, Salina
3-10-10--Kansas Grain Sorghum
Producers Discuss Hot Topics at 2010 Commodity Classic
2-15-10--Kansas Corn and Sorghum Join in
Social Networking
1-21-10--AGRICULTURE GROUPS DEFEND ATRAZINE AGAINST AGENDA-DRIVEN
ATTACKS
1-15-10--Over 50 Ag Groups Call on EPA to Continue to Use Science, Not
Politics in Atrazine Review
1-14-10--Kansas
Sorghum Growers Recognized Nationally in Yield Contest
11-6-09--Kansas Corn, Sorghum Groups Boost Outreach Efforts with New
Staff Member
11-3-09--Comments on FIFRA SAP on Atrazine Review
10-01-09--Grower
Leaders Voice Atrazine Support
9-11-09--Kansas
Sorghum to Hit Record Yield in 2009 Crop
8-25-09--Kansas Growers Say Activist Groups Twist EPA Atrazine Data to
Alarm Consumers
4-24-09--Growers Say
Out of State Trial Attorneys Miss the Point in Kansas Atrazine Lawsuit
4-23-09--City of
Hillsboro Supplies Atrazine Lawsuit Records to Growers Associations
4-14-09--Kansas
Growers Ask Marion County Attorney to Investigate Open Records, Open
Meeting Violations
4-2-09--Kansas
Farming Communities Targeted by Trial Attorneys for Atrazine Lawsuit
Go To Archived News
Releases
7-14-10--Kansas Growers See New Over the Top Sorghum Weed Control Field
Trials
Kansas Growers See New Over the Top
Sorghum Weed Control Field Trials
A new trait that will allow over-the-top
weed control in grain sorghum was showcased at a field day a K-State
Research Farm at Ashland Bottoms near Manhattan on July 13. The field day
showed field plots treated with the new over the top weed control
technology.. The first new herbicide-tolerant
grain sorghum hybrids are expected to be available in a limited release
for the 2012 growing season.
The ALS-tolerant and
ACCase-tolerant Inzen traits will provide sorghum growers with non-GMO
over-the-top grass and broadleaf weed control options needed for more
versatile application timing. The trait was developed at K-State with
funding by the United Sorghum Checkoff Program. DuPont has developed
sorghum hybrids that can tolerate the herbicide
DuPont Technical
Representative Warren McDougal talked to the group about the new traits.
“All we want to show today is that the trait is here and it is viable,” he
said.
“The field trial was
impressive. The plots with the new trait had healthy plants with few if
any weeds,” according to Sue Schulte, communications director of the
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association. “Our growers are very excited
about the prospect of an over the top weed control option. Their checkoff
dollars, through United Sorghum Checkoff funded research to make this
possible.”
K-State Weed Scientist
Curtis Thompson told the growers at the field day that stewardship will be
important if growers want to keep this technology as a viable option over
the years. Crop rotation will be an important component. The technology
being used will work well with crop rotations, he said.
DuPont has been working
with K-State and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) to build
stewardship education programs to protect the long-term viability of the
new herbicide traits from developing resistance. For more information on
the sorghum checkoff, visit
www.sorghumcheckoff.com. For more information on the Kansas Grain
Sorghum Producers Association, visit
www.ksgrains.com
7-7-10--Loss of Atrazine Would Wipe Out 21,000 to 48,000 Jobs
Dependant on Agriculture
University of Chicago economist says even more losses would come when
sorghum, sugar cane and other crops are considered
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2010) – Banning
the agricultural herbicide atrazine would cost between 21,000 and 48,000
jobs from corn production losses alone, according to University of Chicago
economist Don L. Coursey, Ph.D.
Dr. Coursey announced his findings at a briefing sponsored by the Triazine
Network today at the National Press Club in Washington.
Coursey estimates atrazine’s annual production value to corn alone to be
between $2.3 billion and $5 billion. Atrazine’s additional value to
sorghum, sugar cane and other uses increases these totals.
“The economic data on atrazine are very clear. As a first-order estimate,
banning atrazine will erase between 21,000 and 48,000 jobs related to or
dependant on corn production, with additional job losses coming from both
sugar cane and sorghum production losses,” Coursey said. “The range is
wide because we have never before banned a product on which so many depend
and for which suitable replacements have a wide variety of prices and
application regimes.”
“If all of that job loss were concentrated in the agricultural sector, its
unemployment would grow by as much as 2.6 percent. Replacement costs for
corn farmers could reach as high as $58 per acre,” Coursey said.
Atrazine has been a mainstay of corn, sorghum and sugar cane production
for 50 years. The second most-used herbicide in the U.S., it controls a
broad range of yield-robbing weeds, is safe for the crop and supports a
variety of farming systems, including soil-saving conservation-till
agriculture.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) re-registered atrazine in
2006 based on the evidence of nearly 6,000 studies and more than 80,000
public comments. It began an additional, unscheduled review of atrazine in
late 2009.
“Atrazine is essential to U.S. agriculture. We appreciate Dr. Coursey’s
findings and will distribute them to our members, the EPA and to our
elected representatives. With unemployment still painfully high across the
nation, we can’t afford to lose as many as 50,000 jobs and the corn yield
that sustains them,” said Jere White, Triazine Network chairman and
executive director of the Kansas Corn Growers Association.
EPA cited a media report and claims by a longtime anti-atrazine group when
it announced the additional, unscheduled review. It was the first time in
history EPA did not cite sound science to initiate a review process.
Coursey’s statement can be viewed at
http://agsense.org/
6-30-10--Farmers Plant 7.1
Million Acres to Feedgrains
Kansas sorghum farmers planted 2.4 million acres of corn this spring,
according to the June acreage report released by Kansas Agricultural
Statistics Service (KASS). Kansas and Texas lead the nation in planted
acres at 2.4 million each and the two states represent 80 percent of the
nation’s 6 million planted sorghum acres.
The Kansas sorghum crop is on pace with last year and is 88 percent
emerged and is rated 74 good to excellent.
Kansas growers have good overall soil moisture. Statewide, subsoil
moisture is 83 percent adequate. Southwest Kansas is the driest section of
the state with subsoil moisture rated at 61 percent adequate, 23 percent
short and 15 percent very short.
Both corn and sorghum are used as feedstock for livestock, ethanol,
exports and other uses. Kansas farmers have planted 7.1 million acres of
these feedgrains this year.
6-2-10--Kansas Corn, Sorghum Planting Progresses with Warmer
Temperatures
According to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service Crop
Progress report, nearly a quarter of the state’s sorghum crop is in the
ground while corn planted is nearly completed. Temperatures were high
across the state last week, most areas reaching high 80’s and low 90’s.
Most of the precipitation fell in the central portion of the state and
in a few areas in the southwest. Favorable weather conditions allowed
for 4.6 days suitable for Kansas grain sorghum producers to continue
planting and for some corn growers to re-plant.
“I’ve had the opportunity to travel through
many areas of the state over the past week and it’s obvious the warmer
temperatures have really spurred the growth on the corn,” according to Sue
Schulte, communications director for the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers
Association and Kansas Corn Growers Association. “And with sorghum being a
warm weather crop, you can really see a lot of movement in getting that
crop planted now.”
Twenty-three percent of the grain sorghum
has been planted, behind 30 percent from last year. Eight percent of the
crop has emerged, one point ahead of last year. Of the national sorghum
crop, 50 percent has been planted, behind last year’s 54 percent.
Kansas corn growers planted 96 percent of
the corn crop by May 30, the same as last year, but a little behind the
5-year average of 98 percent. Ninety-seven percent of all U.S. corn has
been planted as of May 30, which is one point ahead of the five-year
average and 5 points above the slow 2009 planting season. The Crop
Progress report indicates that corn crop conditions are good, with 72
percent of the corn planted rated good or excellent. The report also
states that 81 percent of the corn planted in Kansas has emerged.
Crop progress and condition estimates are
based on survey data collected each week from early April through the end
of November. To view the USDA Crop Progress report, visit:
www.nass.usda.gov.
5-14-10--Sorghum Checkoff to Sponsor Sorghum Food Conference
The
Sorghum Checkoff, in conjunction with USDA/ARS, is sponsoring a sorghum
food workshop for food industry leaders on how to use sorghum in whole
grain and gluten-free applications. The workshop will be held June 2-3,
2010 in Manhattan, Kan., in recognition of the Whole Grains Council’s
“Sorghum Month”.
“Sorghum has been a staple
food in countries around the world for years and has just begun to
increase in popularity as a human food source in the U.S.,” said James
Vorderstrasse, sorghum producer and Sorghum Checkoff board member from
Hebron, Neb. “It is a gluten-free grain so it is an excellent choice for
those with Celiac disease and for diabetics because of its low glycemic
index. This conference will educate many of the major players in food
processing about sorghum’s benefits and potential in the human food
industry.”
An estimated 1.8 million
people suffer from Celiac disease, which is described as intolerance to
gluten found in wheat flour. This workshop will concentrate on the
research and developments that have been made with sorghum to determine
its health benefits as a whole grain human food source and a tool to fight
Celiac disease.
The first day of the
conference will be held at the USDA/ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health
Research in Manhattan, Kan. This portion will include presentations by
sorghum researchers from universities such as Kansas State University,
Texas A&M University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and USDA
researchers
Day two will be held at
the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan and will include hands-on
demonstrations and discussions about the opportunities sorghum provides in
the baking industry. For more information about the sorghum food
workshop, please visit www.sorghumcheckoff.com or contact USCP Executive
Director Virgil Smail at virgil@sorghumcheckoff.com.
The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a producer funded
organization that is dedicated to improving the sorghum industry through
research, promotion and education. For more information about the USCP
and other market development opportunities please visit
www.sorghumcheckoff.com.
4-14-10--Kansas Corn
and Sorghum Partake in Earth Day Festivities
In celebration of Earth Day, over 2,000 students from across the
state will receive educational materials from the Kansas Corn Growers
Association (KCGA) and Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association
(KGSPA).
Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is an excellent time to salute farmers.
“Corn and sorghum growers are full-time environmentalists. They
celebrate Earth Day everyday because they are dependent on water and
soil, which is vital to their livelihood,” said KCGA and KGSPA’s
communication specialist, DeEtta Bohling.
KCGA and KGSPA corresponded with several organizations across Kansas,
requesting presentations and materials for area Earth Day celebrations
for school-aged children.
Presentations by KCGA and KGSPA will take place in conjunction with
Neosho County Farm Bureau on April 22 and with Riley County Farm Bureau
on April 28.
“We greatly appreciate the opportunity to stress the importance of
agriculture and Earth Day to America’s future with the cooperation and
support of schools, parents, Ag in the Classroom, and the farm bureaus,”
said Bohling.
The KCGA and KGSPA are happy to provide materials for educational
purposes. Teacher’s materials and additional information on Kansas corn
and sorghum can be found at
www.ksgrains.com.
3-23-10--National Sorghum Checkoff
Program at Mid-America Farm Expo, Salina
The National Sorghum Checkoff Program (NSCP), will be among more than
325 exhibits at the 45th Annual Mid-America Farm Exposition March 23-25
in Salina, Kan.
The National Sorghum Checkoff has proved valuable due to declining
sorghum acres and production over the past years along with decreased
private investment in sorghum. The NSCP was created to bridge technology
gaps and improve the profitability of the sorghum industry through
research, promotion and information. For more information o the National
Sorghum Checkoff, visit
www.sorghumcheckoff.com
The Board of Directors of the NSCP is represented well by Kansas
growers. Bill Greving of Prairie View, serves as Chair and Jeff Casten
of Quenemo, serves as Secretary of the Board. Members of the board also
include Gary Kilgore of Chanute, Earl Roemer of Healy, and Greg Shelor,
of Minneola.
3-10-10--Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Discuss Hot Topics at 2010 Commodity
Classic
Grain sorghum farmers heard tips on improving their yields, technology
that will provide over the top grass and weed control and the role of
sorghum in the ethanol industry at the 2010 Commodity Classic.
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association members and staff joined over
4,000 of the country’s top sorghum, corn, soybean, and wheat producers
and representatives from leading agribusinesses at the Commodity Classic
in Anaheim, Calif.
The General Session of the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) featured
Kansas grower, Gerald Long of Clifton, Kan., who placed second mulch
till, non-irrigated division in the National Sorghum Yield and
Management Contest. Long sat on a panel along with two other winners to
discuss his farming practices and answer questions from the audience.
Long uses no-till practices and told the audience that he doesn’t treat
his sorghum as a second crop.
“I fertilize my sorghum at the same rate as my dryland corn,” he
explained. Long said in his area, a dryland sorghum yield of 150 bushels
per acre should be the norm, not the exception.
Producers learned that sorghum seed with non-GMO over the top grass and
weed control technology could hit market in two to three years. DuPont
Crop Protection’s Wayne Schumacher, said the work of Kansas State
University funded by the Kansas grain sorghum checkoff was key to the
development of over the new sorghum traits. He credited the United
Sorghum Checkoff Program for their work to bringing the effort together.
Schumacher said growers should see at least one trait on the market in
2012. The non-GMO seed traits would provide tolerance to ALS and
quizalofop herbicides.
“This isn’t just about weed control in sorghum. We are looking at how we
manage weed control on the whole farm enterprise, helping the total
rotation,” Schumacher said. “Bringing new actives for sorghum will help
break resistance problems for the entire rotation.”
Growers also heard about the prospects for continued growth in the use
of sorghum in ethanol production. Most ethanol produced in Kansas in
2009 was made from grain sorghum.
"As much as a third of grain sorghum production is going to be utilized
for ethanol production in the near future," according to John Ashworth
of National Bioenergy Center. "Plus, I see huge potential for the use of
forage sorghum for cellulosic ethanol production as we improve the
technology for this process."
Sorghum Check Board Chairman, Bill Greving of Prairie View, Kan. said
grain sorghum is giving corn a run for its money as a viable source for
ethanol production. Greving said in the past year, the price
differential has greatly benefited the bottom line of ethanol plants
using grain sorghum as a feedstock.
The 2010 Commodity Classic provided growers an opportunity to discuss
and promote agriculture by bringing producers and media staff together.
Throughout the event, Kansas growers played a key role in discussing
efforts to promote positive images of the sorghum industry while
advocating for public policy that provides and maintains opportunities
for growers.
2-15-10--Kansas Corn and Sorghum Join in
Social Networking
By DeEtta Bohling, KCGA/KGSPA Communications Specialist
Agriculture has found a place within social media. The Kansas Corn
Growers Association (KCGA) and the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers
Association (KGSPA) join thousands of people discussing agriculture each
day.
2009 was a year of change and growth for social media sites. According
to Computerworld Magazine, Facebook has more visitors than any other
social networking site. Facebook finished 2009 with 112 million visitors
and Twitter finished the year with 20 million visitors, up from just 2
million in 2008.
“When we are posting on social media sites, we don’t just talk about
grains. We also work to support our customers, like livestock and
biofuels, as well as products our farmers rely upon, like the herbicide
atrazine. Agriculture is often under attack on social media sites and
it’s up to us to share accurate information,” according to Sue Schulte,
director of communications for KCGA and KGSPA.
Ag media, associations, farm organizations, agri-businesses, farmers,
and consumers are discussing and learning from each other. Tom Tibbits,
a farmer from Minneapolis, Kansas, shares his knowledge and experiences
through Facebook, Twitter, and his blog.
“Social media is a tool to connect with both farmers and non farmers. We
can have conversations our farms and farming practices and reassure
people that we are good stewards of the land and natural resources while
providing safe food,” says Tibbits.
Tibbits tells farmers to “Talk about your farm. Let your defenses down
when asked a hot button topic such as antibiotic use in livestock or
biotech crops. People want to learn more about them.” Tibbits’ blog can
be found at http://farmertimes.blogspot.com/
“Social media sites are an innovative way to communicate with the world.
If farmers don’t tell their story now, activist groups will. People now
turn to social media to gain information and form opinions. As farmers,
I encourage you to take a little time to create an online presence. This
is a business decision—a decision to help protect your livelihood,” says
DeEtta Bohling, KCGA and KGSPA communications specialist.
1-21-10--AGRICULTURE GROUPS DEFEND ATRAZINE
AGAINST AGENDA-DRIVEN ATTACKS
53 groups representing tens of thousands of farmers in nearly every
state and commodity call for decisions based on science, not politics
Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of agriculture groups have written
to Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
in defense of the herbicide atrazine, which has become the target of a
coordinated attack by environmental groups seeking to eliminate its use.
See copy of the letter to the EPA here:
http://www.ksgrains.com/corn/Lisa%20Jackson%20Agriculture%20Letter%201-15-2010.pdf).
Atrazine, a critical tool in growing crops as diverse as corn, sorghum,
sugar cane, and citrus, has been used safely in over 60 countries for 50
years.
The EPA will begin a re-re-evaluation of atrazine as part of a series of
Scientific Advisory Panels, which will begin on February 2nd. Recent
media events by agenda-driven organizations such as the Natural
Resources Defense Council, Land Stewardship Project and Pesticide Action
Network North America suggest a coordinated campaign to call atrazine’s
safety into question and politicize what should be a scientific process.
In fact, in an unprecedented move, the EPA itself identified NRDC
material as part of its justification to launch the new review.
“We want to set the record straight on the agriculture community’s broad
support of this very effective herbicide that has been used by farmers
for more than 50 years,” said Jere White, executive director of the
Kansas corn and grain sorghum growers associations. “Atrazine is used on
more than one-half of all U.S. corn and two-thirds of sorghum. It is one
of the primary elements that make American agriculture so phenomenally
productive. Every EPA Administration since the EPA was founded –
Republican and Democrat – has endorsed atrazine’s safety and that is why
we join together to pledge our support and confidence in this product.”
“Atrazine is the foundation for weed control programs in Florida
sugarcane and has withstood thorough scientific testing in the U.S. and
around the world,” said James M. Shine, Jr., Agriculture Division Vice
President for Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida. “Extensive
research conducted by scientists inside and outside the government have
weighed all the data and concluded that it is safe for the environment,
human health, and crop protection. Our communities should feel confident
that rigorous science has determined its safety.” It is estimated that
atrazine is used in 90 percent of U.S. sugar cane production.
"The use of atrazine and the triazine family herbicides in citrus
production have dramatically reduced the need for cultivation and water
applications, provided protection against freeze damage, and created a
better quality product," said Joel Nelsen, President of California
Citrus Mutual. "Their loss would have a devastating impact on our
growers."
The coalition of agriculture groups will be actively involved in the EPA
re-evaluation of atrazine and will insist that transparent,
peer-reviewed science utilizing accepted practices govern regulatory
decision-making.
For more information on this coalition or on atrazine, please contact
Sue Schulte at sschulte@ksgrains.com or 785-448-6922.
Over 50 Ag Groups Call on EPA to Continue to Use Science, Not
Politics in Atrazine Review
Jan. 15, 2010--Agricultural groups from Kansas and across the nation
signed onto a letter to EPA clarifying growers’ support for atrazine.
The letter was sent to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson today. Earlier
this month, environmental activist groups submitted a letter to EPA
saying growers oppose the use of atrazine.
“It is truly disheartening when political agendas attempt to overturn
scientific process,” the letter states. “Such is the case in the January
5th letter submitted to the EPA by a handful of special interest groups
misrepresenting themselves as the voice of the agriculture community in
an attempt to negate the overwhelming support and confidence in the
herbicide atrazine and to gain media attention for themselves.”
Jere White, executive director of the Kansas corn and grain sorghum
growers associations said farmers have been involved in EPA’s reviews of
atrazine since the mid-1990s. The groups that signed the letter in
support of atrazine represent a very large number of farmers and
agricultural producers.
“Over 50 national, state, and local grower and agricultural groups
signed on to this letter which reaffirms their support of the use of
atrazine. These groups represent hundreds of thousands of farmers from
Hawaii to Pennsylvania,” White said. “Many of these grower groups have
been involved in the EPA’s repeated studies and reviews of atrazine for
more than 15 years. I don’t think the environmental activist groups
understand that there are trade-offs. For example, removing atrazine
would actually hinder many of our row crop farmers’ efforts to use
conservation no-till and reduced-till practices. Without atrazine, many
would have to return to tilling their land, increasing the risk of
erosion and runoff.”
The groups signing the letter asked EPA to understand that the majority
of farmers support the use of atrazine and asked EPA to use science, not
politics, to arrive at a decision on the safety of atrazine.
The letter states: “Our growers have actively participated in the
process and supported the safety and scientific approval of atrazine by
the EPA over the last fifteen years and three White House
Administrations. Mainstream agriculture has participated in every
Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) concerning atrazine since the beginning
of the Special Review in 1994. As stated clearly to the November 3, 2009
SAP, we strongly believe the scientific weight of evidence, based on
EPA's own analysis for decades, shows atrazine to be both safe and
effective and that it is the best kind of tool that farmers can have.
We are troubled by the activist forces that seem to be guiding the very
intensive and urgent re-evaluation (actually a re-re-evaluation) of
atrazine despite its recently completed re-registration, which provided
for its continued safe use.
. . . The benefits of atrazine use to agriculture are well documented
and part of existing EPA record. Recent efforts to downplay these
benefits in the media are simply the wishes of activists who suggest
they have better insight on producing abundant food, fuel and fiber from
their comfortable desk than the farmer who has been doing it all his
life. It should be noted that our farmers consider themselves the
ultimate conservationists, for without the careful cultivation of their
land...their own livelihoods are at risk.”
Read the Ag Groups' Letter to EPA Here
1-14-10--Kansas Sorghum Growers Recognized Nationally in Yield
Contest
The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) has announced winners of its 2009
Sorghum Yield and Management Contest. Kansas sorghum growers are among
the cream of the crop and are showcasing some of the nation’s best
management practices.
Gerald Simonsen, chairman of the NSP Board of Directors, congratulated
the winners, saying that each farmer who entered the contest brought a
great value to the competition.
“These winning yields represent high personal achievement for these
farmers,” said Simonsen. “Every producer who entered the contest was
measured against a county average yield, which levels the playing field
and ensures that the contest honors the best yields compared to local
averages and conditions. Producers who choose to enter the NSP Yield and
Management contest represent a commitment to this crop and the business
of farming.”
The NCP yield contest varies from many other contests. The contest
levels the playing field by scoring a contestant’s yield against his
county’s 5-year county average yield.
Ki Gamble, of Kiowa County, was awarded second place in the Reduced-Till
Irrigated with a yield of 210.73 bushels per acre, beating the county
yield by 107.73 bushels per acre. Stanely Brandyberry Farms, of Graham
County received second place in the No-Till Non-Irrigated category with
a yield of 165.16 bushels per acre, beating the county average by 105.36
bushels per acre. From Saline County, Clayton and Louanne Short obtained
second place in the Conventional-Till Non-Irrigaged category with a
yield of 170.32 bushels per acre and surpassing the county average by
101.02 bushels per acre. In the Conventional-Till Irrigated category,
Bibb-Nighswonger, of Comanche County, received third place with a yield
of 197.75 bushels per acre which was 115.45 bushels per acre over the
county average.
National, state and county yield contest winners will be honored with a
dinner at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, California on March 5, 2010. In
addition, winners will receive plaques and first place national winners
will be highlighted in the Spring issue of Sorghum Grower magazine.
Kansas overall sorghum production was estimated at 224.4 million
bushels, up from 214.5 in 2008. Full contest results are posted at
www.sorghumgrowers.com
11-6-09--Kansas Corn, Sorghum Groups Boost Outreach Efforts with New
Staff Member
GARNETT, Kansas (Nov. 6, 2009)- DeEtta Bohling from Greenfield, Iowa
recently joined the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Grain
Sorghum Producers Association as Communications and Marketing Associate.
The associations represent Kansas sorghum and corn producers in
legislative and regulatory issues.
“Our goal was to find a
person who could help us beef up our communications efforts while
boosting our association’s internet presence, especially in social
media,” according to KCGA/KGSPA Director of Communications Sue Schulte.
“DeEtta is a great fit and brings a lot of enthusiasm and knowledge in
these areas.”
Bohling is a 2009
graduate from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Here she received her
Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Public
Relations. She received a minor in Business Administration and a
Leadership Education Program certificate.
Bohling has been an
active member of 4-H, FFA, Adair County Youth Action Committee, Friends
of the Library, Wartburg College Student Senate, Entertainment ToKnight,
the Volunteer Action Center, Tower Agency Public Relations, Wartburg
Television, and served as an ambassador for Wartburg College.
In 2003, Bohling
received the Iowa Governor’s Youth Leadership Award. In 2004 she was
inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame and in 2007 she was
awarded with a Wartburg College Nobility Award for her service and
leadership.
Before joining the Kansas corn and sorghum associations, Bohling was the
Marketing and Social Networking intern for the Iowa 4-H Foundation in
Ames, Iowa.
Comments on FIFRA SAP on Atrazine Review
Docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0759-0001
November 3, 2009
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, my name is Jere White. I am the
executive director of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas
Grain Sorghum Producers Association and also serve as chairman of the
Triazine Network. My expenses to be here are covered by Kansas farmers.
The Triazine Network was formed in 1995 as a response by growers of over
30 commodities and from over forty states, to provide input to the US
EPA special review of the triazine herbicides. Our objective is to
ensure that EPA has and utilizes the best science. That's why we are
here today. We have participated in every SAP concerning atrazine since
the beginning of the Special Review in 1994. We believe the scientific
weight of evidence shows atrazine to be both safe and effective and that
is the best kind of tool that farmers can have.
Last month EPA announced their decision to pursue a very intensive and
urgent reevaluation (actually a re-reevaluation) of atrazine, in
disregard to it’s recently completed reregistration which provided for
its continued safe use. It clearly appears the normal process which
included internal review (i.e. data evaluation records) of new studies
by EPA, and when deemed appropriate, a further review by its SAP, has
been cast away. It seems now that the an NRDC seeded story in the New
York Times is all the peer review needed in order to tee up a minimum of
five SAPs in just over a year (four indicated in the FR Notice and a
minimum of one additional in FY-2011 indicated in the Agency's
stakeholder conference call).
The Agency describes this as a "kickoff" meeting which was certainly new
terminology in my fifteen years of participation. This seems highly
unusual. Perhaps even festive and goal oriented.
Some countries abandon science in their process and subscribe to a
precautionary principal that puts at risk their own people. The benefits
of atrazine to agriculture are well documented and part of existing EPA
record. Recent efforts to downplay the benefits in the media are simply
the wishes of activists who suggest they have better insight on
producing abundant food, fuel and fiber from their comfortable desk than
the farmer who has been doing it all his life. It should be noted that
farmers have been some of the best early adopters.
The Triazine Network is disappointed that there appears to be a major
departure in process at EPA in regards to the recently announced SAPs
re-reassessing atrazine. However, we commit to engage all processes and
all options in order to see a science based outcome continue during all
Administrations and keep all those we represent and all that represent
us informed of the progress.
Oct. 1,
2009--Grower Leaders Voice Atrazine Support
Growers from Kansas and four other states left their combines this
week to talk to leadership from Syngenta Crop Protection about the
importance of atrazine to their farming operations. A roundtable
meeting was held at the National Corn Growers Association office in
Chesterfield, MO, followed by an informal meeting at the Keith Witt
farm in Warrenton, MO.
While atrazine was successfully re-registered by EPA in 2006, recent
attacks by environmental activists including the Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC) have brought the issue to the forefront. Trial
attorneys also continue their efforts for legal action against the
makers of atrazine.
Growers represented at the meeting included four past NCGA Presidents:
Ron Litterer, Iowa; Ken McCauley, Kansas; Dee Vaughan, Texas and Fred
Yoder, Ohio. Three past presidents of the National Sorghum Producers
were present: Greg Shelor, Kansas; James Vorderstrasse, Nebraska, and
Bill Kubecka, Texas.
Atrazine is used to help farmers grow crops in a way that protects the
environment, especially with no-till practices, McCauley said.
“Environmental activists would like you to believe that farmers don’t
need atrazine, so we might as well get rid of it. Nothing could be
further from the truth. Not only is it important to our growers’
bottom lines, it is vital to the practices we use to protect the
environment,” McCauley said. “The NRDC says we can use another
chemical, but ask NRDC what chemicals they do approve of.”
Southwest Kansas sorghum producer Greg Shelor told the group that his
no-till practices would not be possible without atrazine. “I can’t
no-till without atrazine,” he said. “With no-till there is not near
the runoff and without no-till I will have 50 or 60 bushel sorghum
instead of the 100 to 120 bushels I have now.”
Iowa grower Ron Litterer said many people don’t understand atrazine’s
role in reducing rates of herbicides. “For me atrazine is an enhancer
for weed control. Years ago, my dad used it as his sole product. Now
we use much lower rates and have better weed control. As an enhancer,
atrazine has allowed us to reduce the rates of other chemicals and has
made them more effective.”
Atrazine allows Nebraska sorghum farmer James Vorderstrasse to use
moisture conserving no-till practices on his farm. “There is no
alternative to atrazine,” he said. “Every time you till the soil you
lose an inch of moisture. Without atrazine, you’d have to till two or
three times pre-plant plus cultivate a couple of times and that
amounts to a loss of 5 inches of moisture.”
Ohio Grower Fred Yoder said atrazine has been important to his family
farm for years. “I’m trying to remember if we have ever grown corn
without atrazine. It’s been around such a long time. But does that
mean we need to look at something else? I don’t think so,” he said.
Syngenta CEO Mike Mack and President of Crop Protection Valdemar
Fischer participated in the roundtable discussion by phone. Travis
Dickinson, Vice President of Marketing; Tim Pastoor, Principal
Scientist; Steven Goldsmith Senior Communications Manager and Todd
Barlow, State Government Relations Manager participated in a meeting
with growers at the National Corn Growers Association offices in
Chesterfield, MO. The Syngenta executives reaffirmed their commitment
to defending the use of atrazine.
9-11-09--Kansas Sorghum to Hit Record Yield in 2009 Crop
The September 11 crop production report pegs the Kansas grain sorghum crop
at 221.4 million bushels with a record yield of 82 bushels per acre.
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association Executive Director Jere White
said the sorghum crop looks good across the state.
“All you have to do is drive down the road to see the quality of this
year’s sorghum crop. You can see some beautiful sorghum fields across the
state,” White said. “Sorghum has always been a popular choice for Kansas
growers because it can produce a crop in the worst years. This year, it is
really shining because of the excellent conditions throughout the growing
season in most parts of the state.”
Efforts are underway to improve sorghum through research funded by the
United Sorghum Checkoff Program. The checkoff completed its first year of
existence in July. Research is a priority with the checkoff which hopes to
make sorghum more profitable by improving genetics and making improvements
in areas like cold tolerance, nitrogen use, and new herbicide options.
The U.S. sorghum harvest is expected to be at 389.6 million bushels, with
a national yield of 65.5 bushels per acre. Kansas is the leading producer
of grain sorghum, and will harvest more than 56 percent of the nation’s
crop this year.
Sorghum remains an important part of many Kansas growers’ crop rotations
and is valued by ethanol plants and livestock producers and has a strong
export market.
The Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association is a member-based
organization that represents growers on the state and national level. For
more information, visit www.ksgrains.com.
8-25-09--Kansas Growers Say Activist Groups
Twist EPA Atrazine Data to Alarm Consumers
Three media events on
August 23-24 highlighted activists’ efforts to raise public concern
about the herbicide atrazine. The New York Times, Huffington Post and
National Resources Defense Council all release reports about atrazine
on Sunday and Monday. The stories were based on data from a monitoring
program that Syngenta, the maker of atrazine, entered into with EPA in
2003. The Atrazine Monitoring Program (AMP) is an intensive monitoring
program currently focusing on about 100 community water systems
located primarily in the Midwest.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level (MCL)
for atrazine at 3 parts per billion (ppb) based on an annual average
in public drinking water. Atrazine is among a list of 87 drinking
water contaminants routinely monitored by the EPA. Jere White,
executive director of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas
Grain Sorghum Producers Association said results of the two testing
programs should not be used to confuse consumers. READ MORE!
“The focus of the AMP program is different than the normal water
sampling that is done to determine the annual MCL for drinking water
systems,” White said. “This study is focused on areas with higher
atrazine usage—basically a closer look. The EPA set a guideline under
this program of 37.5 ppb atrazine plus three metabolites (breakdown
products) over a 90-day period as a benchmark for a level of concern.”
The activist groups used two sets of data to cause concern among
consumers, White said.
“You can do anything with numbers. There are spikes, but those spikes
were taken into consideration by EPA when the 3 parts per billion
annual drinking water level for atrazine was set. That’s why it is an
annual average and not a daily or weekly number. But to then take data
from an entirely different program, and suggest that the levels were
above the EPA’s MCL for atrazine is simply misleading.”
In its July 2009 update, EPA stated, “Through its review of this data,
the Agency has confirmed that none of the systems have exceeded OPP's
level of concern, a 90-day average of 37.5 parts per billion (ppb) of
atrazine and its degradates. Concentrations below this 90-day average
are considered to be safe.”
“If you look at the data, you see that atrazine levels in raw
(untreated) water have decreased. Farmers are using practices that
reduce the amount of runoff from fields, and that keeps chemicals out
of surface water,” White said. “This is actually very good news, which
has gone unreported.”
Atrazine is crucial to the success of no-till farming operations that
have a wide range of environmental benefits. No-till is a practice
that leaves crop residue, like corn stalks, in the field to cut down
on soil erosion and runoff of fertilizers and farm chemicals.
“When you talk about soil conservation and reducing runoff, you have
to talk about no-till farming practices,” White said. “This practice
is making a real difference when it comes to conservation. But many
growers say without residual weed control that atrazine offers, they
would not be able to continue their no-till practices. Farmers have a
good story to tell, producing more with less. For example, look at
what corn producers have done in the last 10 years. For the same
bushel of corn produced in 1987, today our land use is down 37
percent, soil loss is down 69 percent.”
For more information and
background on this issue, visit this
Atrazine Blog
4-24-09--Growers Say Out of State Trial
Attorneys Miss the Point in Kansas Atrazine Lawsuit
Two out-of-state law firms are now saying that two Kansas grower groups are
simply trying to protect the financial success of a Swiss chemical company
after the corn and grain sorghum associations blew the whistle on an effort
to sign up Kansas towns to join a lawsuit against the maker of atrazine.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, according to Jere White, executive
director of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Grain Sorghum
Producers Association. Instead, corn and sorghum farmers are working to
protect access to an important herbicide that has been safely used to
control weeds on Kansas farms for years.
“The financial success we are concerned about is a lot closer to home. It is
in the corn and sorghum fields of Marion County, Kansas,” White said. “A
frivolous lawsuit like this can result in taking atrazine off the shelves in
Kansas and throughout farm country. That would have far reaching
consequences with our growers who rely on atrazine for weed control and
conservation tillage.”
KCGA and KGSPA were surprised to learn earlier this month that the farming
communities of Hillsboro and Marion had signed on to a lawsuit against the
makers of atrazine alleging contamination of their drinking water. Atrazine
levels in the drinking water of both cities are well below the 3 parts per
billion drinking water standard set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In a statement to the media, the trial attorney firms of Baron and Budd,
P.C. and Korein Tillery claimed that Kansas corn and sorghum farmers are
only interested in protecting the financial interests of a Swiss company.
“Law firms whose office locations include Dallas, Chicago, Beverly Hills and
St. Louis are claiming that they are just trying to protect the little guy
in Marion County? I find that hard to swallow,” White said.
According to published reports, the law firms, headquartered in Dallas and
St. Louis, will retain a third to a half of all the winnings if the lawsuit
is successful.
“It sounds to me like these big city lawyers are the ones protecting their
financial interests in this case,” White said. “They are in Kansas trolling
for water systems to sign on to their lawsuit because it is in their
financial interest to do so.”
Kansas farmers use atrazine to control broadleaf weeds in corn and sorghum.
Growers have funded research in Kansas to develop best management practices
that help keep atrazine on the fields and away from sources of drinking
water. In addition, atrazine is a crucial tool for conservation tillage in
Kansas.
“We’re in this to protect our growers’ interests,” White said. “Atrazine is
a safe, effective and affordable herbicide that helps our growers control
weeds in their crops. What’s more, our growers are using practices that are
keeping the levels of atrazine well below EPA’s drinking water standard.
That means even according to EPA’s extremely strict standards, atrazine at
these levels presents no threat to drinking water.”
The trial attorneys have told cities they are only after compensation from a
foreign herbicide maker and no one else will be hurt by this lawsuit.
“I’m not so sure that is true,” White asserted. “The contract entered into
by the cities of Marion and Hillsboro states that damages may be sought not
only from the maker of atrazine, but also anyone who sells it. They are
talking about the ag retailers in our state, the local dealers like farmers
cooperatives who provide our farmers with their crop protection tools.”
The Baron and Budd and Korein Tillery law firms asserted that cities are
required to add filtration systems just to get atrazine levels within
federal standards.
“If your atrazine levels are well within the federal standards anyway, why
would you invest in new filtration systems to meet those standards,” White
said. “Their premise is flawed in that they believe water should be
completely free of all levels of contaminants. The list of contaminants that
EPA monitors is six pages long with a total of 87 contaminants with maximum
contaminant levels designated. That’s good news for Baron and Budd and
Korein Tillery—once they are done with atrazine, they have a lot of other
moneymakers to go after.”
The trial attorneys in their statement asserted that Syngenta, one of the
makers of atrazine is boosting its efforts to sell the herbicide in the U.S.
since they no longer sell it in Europe.
“I listen to a lot of ag radio and read a lot of ag publications, and I
can’t remember the last time I heard or saw an ad for atrazine,” White said.
“It’s an ingredient in several herbicide products, but you just don’t see
companies out there pushing atrazine on our farmers. Ads are focused on
newer technologies. Farmers are already aware of atrazine because they have
used it safely for years.”
City officials claim that their communities’ drinking water is safe, but are
seeking damages in a lawsuit that claims that atrazine at any level makes
drinking water unsafe.
“Hillsboro and Marion are suing on the assumption that the drinking water is
contaminated with atrazine. The cities signed on to the lawsuit over
drinking water contamination, but then say their water is safe. They are
right, their water is safe because atrazine levels are far below the federal
drinking water standard. So why are they in this lawsuit?”
The law firms also commend the cities for their compliance with the Kansas
Open Records Act and Kansas Open Meetings Act. The growers associations have
formally requested that the Marion County Attorney’s office investigate
alleged violations of the open meetings and records act.
“It shouldn’t take almost a month and filing a formal complaint to get
public documents,” White said. “If these out-of-state law firms think that
is commendable, maybe they need to become more familiar with Kansas law.”
The growers associations are continuing their dialogue with cities and water
systems in Kansas. “We are encouraging cities and other water systems to
talk to the experts at EPA or the Kansas Department of Health and
Environment before jumping onto the trial attorneys’ bandwagon,” White said.
4-23-09--City of Hillsboro Supplies Atrazine
Lawsuit Records to Growers Associations
After nearly a month of efforts, the Kansas Corn Growers Association and
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association received information used by the
Marion and Hillsboro city councils when they joined a lawsuit against the
makers of the herbicide atrazine.
On April 13, the associations asked the Marion County Attorney to
investigate alleged violations of the Kansas Open Records Act, and the
Kansas Open Meetings Act by the cities of Marion and Hillsboro. The city
councils met in a closed session last month to discuss entering into a
lawsuit against the manufacturers of atrazine. Later, both cities voted in
open sessions to join the lawsuit being initiated by the Texas law firm
Baron and Budd, P.C.
“I made an informal request to Hillsboro city manager Larry Paine for
certain meeting materials on March 27. On April 2, I mailed to both cities a
formal request asking for the materials in accordance with the Kansas Open
Records Act,” White said. “The City of Marion denied the existence of
documents, and the City of Hillsboro denied us access, although the
documents were given to the local newspaper. This led to our request to the
Marion County Attorney for an investigation into open records and meetings
violations.”
The associations received the requested materials from the City of Hillsboro
on April 23. The City of Marion has told us through their legal counsel that
certain requested items were not retained after the March 12 meeting.
It is a fundamental right to all Kansans to have access to records and
meetings of their elected officials in a timely manner. The state law gives
only a small set of circumstances in which access may be denied and the
state law requires that public bodies respond to an open records request
within three business days.
“We began requesting these materials nearly a month ago, and we were ignored
until we asked for an investigation by the county attorney,” White said.
The growers associations are hoping other communities that are contacted
make better informed decisions on the atrazine lawsuit.
“We are trying to let other communities know about this issue so they can
make informed decisions on whether to join the lawsuit, urging them to talk
to experts at EPA or the Kansas Department of Health and Environment who
understand the drinking water standards,” White said.
In his request to the Marion County Attorney, White also questioned the
legality of the two councils meeting together in a closed session to discuss
the lawsuit. To date, the Marion County Attorney has not responded to the
association’s request, but County Attorney Susan Robson told the Marion
County Record that she is looking into the matter.
“Regardless of the recent receipt of materials, we fully expect that the
issue of compliance with our states “sunshine” laws will be explored and
determined,” added White. “Citizens should not have to jump through so many
hoops to have access to public documents.”
4-14-09--Kansas Growers Ask Marion
County Attorney to Investigate Open Records, Open Meeting
Violations
The Marion County Attorney has been asked to investigate
alleged violations of the Kansas Open Records Act, and the
Kansas Open Meetings Act by the cities of Marion and
Hillsboro. Kansas Corn Growers Association Executive Director
Jere White made the request on Monday. The city councils of
Marion and Hillsboro met in a closed session last month to
discuss whether to enter into a lawsuit against the
manufacturers of atrazine, a herbicide used by corn and grain
sorghum farmers.
White requested from both cities copies of all materials
relating to the health effects of atrazine that were provided
to the Councils. The City of Hillsboro did not respond to the
formal request, but in response to an earlier informal
request, City Administrator Larry Paine said the documents
were reviewed in executive session and were protected by
attorney-client privilege. The City of Marion denied the
existence of any documents.
“Although one city official denied the existence of documents,
and another denied us access, these documents were provided to
the local media,” White said. “You can’t pick and choose. You
can’t deny one person the documents, and then give them to
someone else.”
White also requested and did not receive a response to his
request for a copy of the contract that the City of Hillsboro
entered into with the law firm. In his letter to the county
attorney, Susan Hobson, White also challenged the legality
under the Kansas Open Meetings Act for two separate councils
to meet together in executive session.
“I’ve served in local government myself and I understand how
important it is to follow the open records and open meetings
laws,” White said. “We have tried to do things properly by
making formal requests for information to the cities. When we
were denied or ignored, we talked to the Kansas Attorney
General’s office which recommended asking the Marion County
Attorney to investigate the matter.”
The Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Grain Sorghum
Producers Association became involved when the two cities
agreed to join in a lawsuit against the makers of atrazine.
Both towns’ water systems fall well below the 3 parts per
billion drinking water standard for atrazine. City officials
were reportedly told that atrazine is more dangerous at even
lower levels. White, who has been involved in EPA’s Special
Review of atrazine since 1995, said he had not heard any
substantiated research to back those claims.
“Basically you’ve got trial attorneys looking to make some
money by convincing people their drinking water is unsafe,”
White said. “EPA sets stringent standards for safe drinking
water and the water that is provided to the people of Marion
and Hillsboro is well within those standards. Instead of
taking the word of these Texas trial attorneys, the city
councils should have also consulted with the Kansas Department
of Health and Environment or EPA.”
4-2-09--Kansas Farming Communities
Targeted by Trial Attorneys for Atrazine Lawsuit
News that two Kansas agricultural communities have signed on
as participants in a class action lawsuit against the maker of
the farm herbicide atrazine came as both a surprise and a
disappointment to the Kansas Corn Growers Association and the
Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association. The cities of
Hillsboro and Marion were selected by a group of Texas trial
lawyers seeking drinking water systems to sign on to their
case.
Jere White, executive director of KCGA and KGSPA has been
involved with atrazine issues on a national level since 1995
when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a
Special Review of the triazine herbicides including atrazine.
“What concerns me is that these city councils only heard
one-sided information provided by the Texas law firm of Baron
and Budd, which will reportedly collect a third of any
winnings of the lawsuit,” White said. “Why not also get
information from experts that don’t have a monetary interest,
like Kansas Department of Health and Environment or EPA?”
In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency gave a favorable
risk assessment to the triazine herbicides including atrazine
concluding that they pose no harm that would result to the
general U.S. population, infants, children or other consumers.
After the EPA’s positive science-based findings on atrazine,
activists have turned to the legal system in hopes of finding
another way to ban the herbicide, White said.
“When we became involved in the Special Review of atrazine, we
simply wanted EPA to make a decision on scientific fact
regardless of the outcome,” he said. “Now the debate has moved
into the legal arena, where fear and misinformation can
sometimes carry more weight than proven scientific fact. EPA
assembled numerous expert science panels to review and advisee
the agency in its decision. Their science is sound.”
Media reports state that the city officials were told their
communities had nothing to lose by getting involved in the
lawsuit.
“From reading the news reports, it appears the councils had
been convinced that no one loses in this lawsuit except for a
big foreign-owned chemical company. That could not be further
from the truth. Farmers rely on atrazine for safe and
economical weed control, and lawsuits like this threaten their
ability to buy and use this product. Any costs incurred with
this lawsuit will be borne by farmers, regardless of the
outcome,” White said. “The Texas trial attorneys made it sound
like the lottery—but the jackpot will go to Baron and Budd.”
Water testing shows that both communities fall well below the
3 parts per billion standard for atrazine in drinking water.
This Federal standard is an annual average based on lifetime
exposure. However, Hillsboro city manager Larry Paine was
quoted in news stories saying that even lower levels of
atrazine are a concern to public health, claiming that lower
levels seem to be more dangerous to higher levels.
“I have personally been involved in the EPA Special Review and
Reregistration of atrazine since 1995. I have heard a lot of
wild claims, but I have never heard anything like that,” White
said. “EPA performed a science-based review of atrazine that
spanned well over a decade and concluded that atrazine does
not pose a risk even at levels three times higher than those
reported at Hillsboro.”
Communities and their water systems also have a stake in
making sure that water standards are science-based.
“It is in the best interest of water systems and to public
safety to have standards that are set by science-based
methods, rather than litigation,” White said. “Water systems
themselves add chemicals to the water to make it safe to
drink. Those water disinfectants create contaminants, yet
within the standards, they are considered safe. If
science-based standards are not protective in the eyes of
Hillsboro and Marion city leaders, how can they expect their
constituents to accept their assurance that their drinking
water is safe? Water consumed by their citizens will always
contain more than hydrogen and oxygen.”
Cities should be wary of trial lawyer’s tactics and seek
information from a neutral party, like KDHE or EPA. “There are
volumes of peer reviewed science available on atrazine that
were generated throughout EPA’s Special Review of the triazine
herbicides, which include atrazine,” White said. “Our growers
have worked for years to make sure that we are using atrazine
responsibly on our fields. We have funded research at K-State
to establish and implement practices to keep atrazine from
running off our fields into rivers and streams. Now we have
trial attorneys from Texas coming to our rural Kansas towns
and apparently feeding them a lot of misinformation to get
them to sign on to their lawsuit. Cities and other water
systems in Kansas should use diligence if approached by trial
attorneys on any issue, including this one.”
12-14-09--Kansas
Growers Excel in NSP Yield Contest
Kansas had a first or second place winner
in each of the major categories in NSP's
Yield and Management Contest. Contestants entered the contest in one of
five production categories, and each entry must have harvested for contest
purposes a plot of at least five contiguous sorghum acres. The Yield
Contest is hosted annually by NSP to recognize outstanding production
practices and yield accomplishments by sorghum growers nationwide.
This
year’s national winners from Kansas include: In the Conventional-Till
Irrigated Category, Ki Gamble, of Kiowa County placing second; in
Conventional-Till Non-Irrigated, Clayton and Louanne Short of Saline
County placing second; in Mulch-Till Non-Irrigated, Steve Richard of Cloud
County, Kansas placing first; in No-Till Non-Irrigated, Jarrod Spillman of
Sheridan County, Kansas; and in Reduced-Till Irrigated, Roger Johnson of
SheridanCounty placing 2nd. Mike Fischer of Thayer County, Nebraska took
home the first place price nationally in the Food Grade category.
Each
national winner will receive a trophy and will also be honored at a dinner
at Commodity Classic with the NSP Board of Directors and staff. A
breakfast awards ceremony for all county, state and national honorees will
be held during Commodity Classic, the premier convention and trade show of
the U.S. sorghum, corn, soybean, and wheat industries. The 2008 Commodity
Classic will be held in Grapevine, Texas at the Gaylord Texan resort and
hotel February 26th through 28th, 2008.
Sorghum-specific programming begins on February 25th.
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