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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 26^th through 28^th, 2008. Sorghum-specific programming begins on February 25^th.

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