Summer 2014 - Kansas Soybeans

Rows
g
Strai ht
KANSAS
SOYBEAN
ASSOCIATION
Volume 18, Issue 4 | Summer 2014
KSA assesses this year’s legislative session
djourning on Day 79 and – for the first time in more than a
decade – concluding the “veto session” in the traditional three
days, the 2014 Kansas legislative session was the shortest in 40
years. Recently, the wrap-up has lasted 10 days to two weeks, and
it stretched into June last year. This year, the Legislature concluded
shortly after 2 a.m. May 3, reconvening May 30 for a brief ceremonial
adjournment sine die.
The final budget sent to Gov. Sam Brownback included $270,000
from the state’s general fund for the Kansas Department of
Agriculture’s (KDA’s) Division of Weights and Measures, which will
pay for additional KDA inspectors and spot-checks.
Another bill extended various KDA fees to July 1, 2018, and established the Local Food and Farm Task Force, which is responsible for
preparing a local food and farm plan containing policy and funding
recommendations to increase production of locally grown food.
The Legislature also clarified its intent for a 2006 law exempting certain commercial and industrial machinery and equipment
(CIME) from ad valorem property taxation. In determining classifications, county appraisers must follow the factors set forth in the personal-property valuation guide and conform to the definitions of real
and personal property provided elsewhere in Kansas law. Further,
taxpayers now may elect to have the Kansas Department of Revenue,
rather than their county appraisers, assess complex property.
A number of changes to the power, duties and functions of the
Court of Tax Appeals passed, aimed at making the body more responsive to taxpayers’ needs and treating it more consistent with
the Kansas Administrative Procedures Act. Essentially, the bill redesigned the court as a Board of Tax Appeals and renamed its officers
as board members instead of judges.
Another measure authorized community and technical colleges to
offer the skills test required to obtain a commercial driver’s license.
The State Sovereignty Over Nonmigratory Wildlife Act – based on
the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 2, Section
1, of the Kansas Constitution – established the state as having sole
regulatory authority to govern the management, habitats, hunting
and possession of prairie chickens within its borders. Any federal
regulation or executive action to regulate the prairie chicken, its
habitats, and farming practices or other activities that affect it are to
have no effect in Kansas.
The governor also signed a bill dealing with trespass liability. It
stated that anyone with any interest in real property, including an
owner or a lessee, owes no duty of care to a trespasser except for
those circumstances in which a common law or statutory right of
action exists July 1. Another provision gives a landowner priority
when the Wildlife Department disposes of confiscated wildlife killed
illegally on private property.
 KansasSoybeans.org
 KansasSoybean
The legislators addressed concerns about large loads that came to
light after the intermodal park in Edgerton opened in October 2013.
The bill specified signage requirements and required red flags on
all four corners for a vehicle operating with a special permit on any
highway. It went into effect April 26.
They also approved a bill related to implement dealers’ transporting farm implements on highways. The new law allows a dealer who
obtains a permit for an oversize or overweight vehicle to move or
transport farm tractors, implements of husbandry, combines, fertilizer-dispensing equipment or other farm machinery on certain highways in Kansas.
This year’s state House elections include the Aug. 5 primary and
Nov. 4 general election. The filing deadline for candidates was June
2, and all but 13 of the 125 incumbents are seeking re-election. There
are no state Senate elections this year. KSA photos
A
Top: Dwight Meyer (right), Hiawatha, and Gary Robbins (center), Emmett, welcome legislators and Statehouse staffers to the KSA legislative luncheon. It
was Jan. 28 outside the old Supreme Court chamber. Bottom: (From left) Bill
Niemann, Nortonville; Terry Reschke, Hiawatha; Meyer; and Sen. Dennis Pyle,
Hiawatha, converse at the “Wake Up to Kansas Agriculture” legislative breakfast. KSA co-hosted it with the corn, sorghum and wheat farmers’ associations
March 25, which was National Agriculture Day.
 KsSoybean
 KansasSoybean
 KansasSoybean
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Terry Reschke, Hiawatha, KSA 2014 president
Farmers provide stewardship, leadership
W
e farmers have a good story to tell.
We produce a bounty of safe, wholesome, affordable food. That requires new
science, including seeds that are genetically
modified to produce more while resisting
pests, diseases and adverse weather conditions. Modern farming also requires reasonable chemical inputs, and we manage them
in ways that preserve topsoil and protect
water quality.
Our story will be more credible if the
public sees us as leading change rather than
resisting it.
Volume 18, Issue 4 • Summer 2014
Straight Rows
is published quarterly (spring, summer, fall and winter) by the
Kansas Soybean Association
1000 SW Red Oaks Place, Topeka, Kansas 66615
phone: 785-271-1030 | fax: 785-271-1302
toll-free: 800-328-7390 or 877-KS-SOYBEAN (877-577-6923)
www.KansasSoybeans.org | [email protected]
2014 Board of Directors
District 1................................................Lucas Heinen, Everest
District 2............................................. Raylen Phelon, Melvern
District 3...................................................Gail Kueser, Garnett
District 4........................................ Ron Westervelt, Columbus
District 5................................................Gary Robbins, Emmett
District 6..................................................... Cody Barilla, Turon
District 7............................................. Grant Webber, Sublette
At-large.............................................. Nicole Small, Neodesha
Dwight Meyer, Hiawatha
Teresa Brandenburg, Osborne
Atchison County..............................Bill Niemann, Nortonville
Barton County...........................Charles Atkinson, Great Bend
Brown County.................................. Terry Reschke, Hiawatha
Cherokee County.................................Roger Draeger, Galena
Doniphan County................................Kyle Jeschke, Highland
Labette County.................................... Marvin Wahl, Oswego
K-State Research & Extension..........Doug Shoup, Ph.D., Chanute
K-State Agronomy..................... Gary Pierzynski, Ph.D., Manhattan
Kansas Soybean Processors............Jerry Murphy, Emporia
Kansas Soybean Commission........Jerry Jeschke, Robinson
American Soybean Association..........Bob Henry, Robinson
DuPont Young Leaders...........................Brice Bunck, Everest
Josh Falk, Robinson
Kregg Rennie, Columbus
2014 Executive Committee
President............................................................ Terry Reschke
1st Vice President.............................................Raylen Phelon
2nd Vice President.............................................Lucas Heinen
Secretary........................................................... Dwight Meyer
Treasurer............................................................. Gary Robbins
Chairman.......................................................Charles Atkinson
Staff
Chief Executive Officer...............................Kenlon Johannes
Director of Field Services..................................Dennis Hupe
Director of Communications...............................Brad Parker
Director of Operations..................................Adam O’Trimble
Program Manager................................................Jancey Hall
Accounting Assistant.......................................Dawn Bradley
Administrative Assistant............................Mary Lou Dillman
2 Straight Rows
A recent example is food labeling. By
working with Rep. Mike Pompeo from
the 4th District and the Coalition for Safe
Affordable Food (see page 6), farmers are
leading the discussion about giving consumers clear, meaningful, accurate information.
Most Kansans still respect our state’s agricultural foundation, but many of our fellow
Americans are skeptical of, if not hostile to,
our way of life. And some of them work in
the federal government.
The rule makers within the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), for example,
would have our neighbors believe, unless
the federal government regulates it, water
is not protected at all. They do not seem
to acknowledge that small, local streams
and other waters are state-regulated. Nor
do they appear to understand that farmers
aggressively manage water use and quality
with new technologies and practices.
We do that not only to be better farmers
but also because we feel
a responsibility to future generations – both
on our farms and in the
cities. The interconnections of water, farming, jobs and the overall Kansas economy
are why our Kansas Soybean Association
(KSA) is working so hard for sound, rational, long-term water policy (see page 5).
Once again, we farmers already have been
and will continue to be leading the way. We
need to tell that story. Belonging to and supporting KSA are good ways to start.
Our Association is helping us tell our
stories by cooperating with the Kansas
Soybean Commission to support the
CommonGround Kansas agriculture-advocacy program and the new Kansas Soybean
Emerging Leaders Academy. Look for more
information about those initiatives in future
issues of Straight Rows, on the website and
through our social media. Directors complete spring agenda
T
he following are highlights from the Kansas Soybean Association Board of Directors
meeting convened March 17 in Topeka.
◆◆ Approved the fiscal year (FY) 2013 audit and FY ’15 budget.
◆◆ Affirmed the corporate-partnership plan for FY ’15.
◆◆ Discontinued the $10 entry fee for nonmembers to enter the Kansas Soybean Yield and
Value Contests.
◆◆ Commissioned a plaque for display in the Kansas Soybean Building to recognize the
yield-contest winners.
◆◆ Appointed Cody Barilla, Turon, as the District 6 director.
The next Board meeting will be July 26 in McPherson. Association members can contact
any director (see left) or Kenlon Johannes in the office to suggest agenda items. Make it a priority to tell
your conservation story
N
ow is the time to take stock of your conservation practices
and submit an entry in the Conservation Legacy Awards
program, presented by the American Soybean Association,
United Soybean Board, BASF, Monsanto and Corn & Soybean
Digest. The awards are open to all U.S. soybean farmers.
By describing your soil, water and input management; farmstead
protection; and conservation and environmental practices, you could join Gail Fuller,
Emporia, who won the national Conservation Legacy Award in 2013.
Three regional winners will receive expense-paid trips for two to the Commodity Classic,
Feb. 26–28, 2015, in Phoenix, Arizona. They also will be the subjects of video stories and a special insert in Corn & Soybean Digest. One of the regional winners will win the national award.
A brochure and the electronic application form are available at http://SoyGrowers.com/
conservation-legacy on the Web. Submissions are due Aug. 4. A Kansas Soybean Association membership benefit
Summer 2014
Thank you,
corporate partners
Corporate partners and advertisers are extremely important to the overall effort of the Kansas Soybean Association. They provide the association with
financial support and are links to the allied industries that provide soybean farmers with inputs and capital to manage our enterprises. KSA also relies
on corporate partners to keep us up-to-date with the latest breakthroughs in production technologies, and we all work together to create and implement
environmental and trade policies that benefit the soybean industry.
www.egebio.com
Summer 2014
A Kansas Soybean Association membership benefit
Straight Rows
3
MEET A KSA BOARD MEMBER
H
ello, Kansas Soybean Association
(KSA) members. I am Gary Pierzynski.
As head of the Department of Agronomy
at Kansas State University (K-State), I am
a Board member for your organization. It
is a mutually beneficial relationship that
provides a great opportunity for K‑State to
interact with farmers across Kansas.
I grew up in rural Michigan. As a teenager, I worked on a variety of farms, and
that sparked my interest in agriculture. My
most rewarding experience was with a large
certified-seed farm, where I was involved in
all aspects from planting through delivery. I
worked there until my second year in college.
Originally, I planned on farming, and I
actually rented a few acres for a couple of
years. At the time, interest rates were greater
than 10 percent, and I quickly realized it
wasn’t going to work.
While attending Michigan State, I found
a part-time job in a soil-science laboratory
and quickly became interested in academics. Fortunately, I had the grades to get into
graduate school and have been in academia
ever since. I joined the K-State faculty in
1989 and have enjoyed every day of my time
here. I am pleased to be part of the teaching,
research and Extension activities K-State
performs to support agriculture.
Beyond campus, I just finished a threeyear stint as president-elect, president then
past president of the Soil Science Society
of America. Before that, I served on its
board of directors and chaired the budget
and finance committee. I also serve on the
Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and
the Kansas Crop Improvement Association
board of directors. My personal interests are
reading, gardening, running and traveling.
Our family has been fortunate to live in
Kansas, to work and study at K-State, and to
be involved in agriculture. Both of our twins
are K-State graduates and have gone on to
further studies and successful careers. In my
travels around the country and world, I have
learned to appreciate the value of agriculture to Kansas and how the diversity of crop
and livestock enterprises makes it so strong.
KSA is an important part of that great agriculture picture in the state. I began my duties on the KSA Board of Directors in 2006
Courtesy photo
Agronomy head feels fortunate
to be part of Kansas agriculture
Gary Pierzynski, Ph.D., sends a tweet from a field day.
His Twitter handle is @KStateAgron.
when I assumed the role of interim department head. I became the permanent head
in 2007 and served until 2010, when I had
a brief (two and a half years) interruption
while filling the role of interim dean of agriculture. I resumed my duties as department
head, along with my role on the KSA Board,
in August 2012.
Your Association provides valuable advocacy for soybeans in Topeka and Washington,
D.C., and represents Kansas interests in the
overall soybean industry. Your Board members are outstanding ambassadors for soybeans across the state and nation. Editor’s note: K-State just named “Dr. P” a
university distinguished professor, its highest
faculty honor. Congratulations!
Soybean industry applauds approval of waterways bill
B
File photo
oth chambers of Congress approved the Water
Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) by wide
margins – 412-4 in the House
and 91-7 in the Senate. The
president signed it into law
June 10. The legislation provides more than $8 billion
in funding for upgrades and
Inland waterways transport 60 percent
of the country’s export-bound grain.
maintenance to the nation’s
inland waterways and port
infrastructure, which transport 60 percent of export-bound grain,
supply U.S. farmers with fertilizer and give them a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
Implementation of the waterways law will result in $6 billion in
total cost savings and important reforms to ensure the reliability and
strength of the nation’s inland waterways and ports. It funds dozens
of new ventures, prioritizes projects and incentivizes on-time, onbudget performance.
Further, the legislation requires the Army Corps of Engineers to
work with other agencies to monitor snowpack and soil moisture in
the upper Missouri River basin. That is a commonsense, science-based
approach to planning for and mitigating future floods along the river.
4 Straight Rows
Also addressed were the Environmental Protection Agency’s
spill prevention, control and countermeasure (SPCC) regulations
for farms and ranches. The new rules allow farms with aggregate
storage capacities of less than 20,000 gallons and individual tank capacities of less than 10,000 gallons to self-certify instead of working
with professional engineers. Until the completion of a study to identify the lowest threshold at which farms will be completely exempt,
farms with less than 6,000 gallons of storage will not be subject to
the rules.
The WRRDA was a priority for soybean farmers, who rely on inland waterways to export their product. More than half of every U.S.
soybean crop travels to foreign markets. The system’s efficiency is key
to keeping soybean as the nation’s leading agricultural export.
In related news, both the Kansas Soybean Association and
American Soybean Association have expressed their support for a
9-cent increase in the user fee that barge and towing companies pay
into the Inland Waterways Trust Fund to modernize the system. The
user fee – currently 20 cents per gallon of fuel used while operating
on inland waterways – is matched by Treasury funds and is dedicated to new construction and major rehabilitation.
The 300 commercial operators who pay the fee also supported the
increase. The entire nation benefits from the related hydropower,
municipal water supplies, recreational boating, fishing, flood control, national security and waterfront property development. A Kansas Soybean Association membership benefit
Summer 2014
EPA, Corps create controversy with ‘WOTUS’ proposal
M
KSA photo
any believe the proposed
Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry
rules the U.S. Environmental
Moran joined many of their colleagues in sending a letter to EPA
Protection Agency (EPA) and Army
Administrator Gina McCarthy,
Corps of Engineers recently issued
calling on her agency to abandon
under the Clean Water Act are the
the plan. The lawmakers highmost significant expansion of water
lighted its negative consequences
regulation in decades. Despite
for farms, small businesses, energy
federal officials’ assurances that
production, commercial developthe proposal merely clarifies what
ment and individual landowners’
are “waters of the United States”
private-property rights.
(WOTUS) without expanding the
“We urge you to change course
scope of regulation, agricultural
by committing to operating under
groups, agribusinesses and state
the limits established by Congress,
authorities nationwide disagree.
Dwight Meyer (left), Hiawatha, KSA secretary and policy-committee chairEPA emphasizes it has alleviated man, discusses the WOTUS proposal at a roundtable with agricultural stake- recognizing the states’ primary
role in regulating and protecting
many concerns by exempting more holders. He sat next to EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks.
their streams, ponds, wetlands and
than 50 common conservation
other bodies of water,” the letter said.
practices. Close examination of those exemptions, however, reveals
Roberts went further June 19 by co-sponsoring the Protecting
they are rather limited.
Water and Property Rights Act to prevent EPA and the Corps from
The Kansas Soybean Association (KSA) executive and policy
finalizing their proposal.
committees and staff have been tracking the WOTUS proposal. KSA
“I want to make sure that the expansion of regulatory jurisdicSecretary Dwight Meyer, Hiawatha, who chairs the policy committee, and CEO Kenlon Johannes attended a May 12 meeting in
tion over ‘waters of the United States’ is shelved for good,” he said.
Topeka with EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks, who lives in
“This straightforward legislation prohibits the administrator of the
Lawrence and also is a University of Kansas professor of environEnvironmental Protection Agency and the secretary of the Army
mental history.
from finalizing the rule or trying a similar regulation in the future.”
“There are grave concerns with those who have reviewed the proKSA also joined six other producer and agribusiness organizaposed rules and spoken with agency officials,” Meyer said. “Despite
tions, coordinated by the Kansas Cooperative Council, in filing comments about an interpretive rule tied to the proposal. The coalition
what EPA is saying, it is planning to expand its authority to cover
requested the withdrawal of both. A link to that letter is at http://
more territory that could include ditches and other places where water may stand for a while.”
KansasSoybeans.org/policy on the Web.
After the meeting with Brooks, as part of the Kansas Agriculture
EPA has extended the comment deadline for the WOTUS proposal until Oct. 20. KSA encourages you to take the time to share your
Alliance, KSA supported a letter to Gov. Sam Brownback, Attorney
input at http://j.mp/wotus-comments on the Web. Contact KSA for
General Derek Schmidt and the Kansas congressional delegation. It
starter language you can modify to fit your situation because comdetailed the alliance’s concerns about the rule, its provisions and EPA’s
ments are more effective when you tell your own story. process, then it asked those officials to help oppose the proposal.
Associations seek applicants
for national leadership program
F
or more than 30 years, the DuPont
Young Leader Program has identified
and developed farmer-leaders who would
shape the future of agriculture. The Kansas Soybean Association (KSA), American
Soybean Association (ASA) and DuPont
currently are encouraging applicants for the
2015 class.
“The program inspires upcoming leaders for local communities, the soybean
industry and all of agriculture,” said KSA
Chairman Charles Atkinson, Great Bend,
who completed it in 2002 with his wife,
Inga. “Regardless of age, participants benefit
from industry-leading, real-world leadership training in an environment that builds
lifetime friendships.”
Summer 2014
Phase 1 for the next class of DuPont
Young Leaders will take place at the DuPont
Pioneer headquarters in Johnston, Iowa,
Nov. 18–21. Phase 2 will be Feb. 24–28,
2015, in Phoenix, Arizona, in conjunction
with the 20th annual Commodity Classic
convention and trade show.
Participants will strengthen their natural
leadership skills, expand their agricultural
knowledge and network with other soybean
farmers from across the country.
Those interested must apply at http://
SoyGrowers.com/young-leader-program
on the Web by Aug. 1. KSA, ASA and
DuPont will work together to identify a
farmer or farm couple to represent Kansas
in the program. A Kansas Soybean Association membership benefit
Applicants for the 2015 class of the DuPont Young
Leader Program must apply online by Aug. 1 this
year. The electronic application is accessible from the
“Learn” tab on the ASA website.
Straight Rows
5
Courtesy photo
Legislation, coalition aim to ease consumers’ confusion
Rep. Mike Pompeo (KS-4) discusses food labels, food
safety and consumer education with agriculturists. He
met with them May 13 on a farm near Clearwater.
R
ep. Mike Pompeo’s introduction of legislation to establish a federal voluntary
labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was
welcome news for the Kansas Soybean Association and American Soybean Association (ASA).
The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling
Act would direct the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) to provide guidance for companies that wish to label their
products for the presence or absence of
GMOs; make mandatory an FDA safety review of all new GMO traits before they are
brought to market; enable FDA to mandate labels on any product shown to pose
a health, safety or nutrition risk; and direct
FDA to define the term “natural” for use on
food labels.
Also, the bill would ease confusion among
consumers by establishing FDA’s labeling
guidance as the national standard and preventing states from enacting a patchwork of
conflicting requirements. Economic studies
show the average family of four would pay
about $500 more per year for groceries under the mandatory GMO-labeling schemes
some states are considering.
“American families deserve safe, abundant and affordable food,” said Bob Henry,
Robinson, an ASA vice president, “and U.S.
farmers rely on technology to deliver that
Online accounts ensure
convenient access
T
echnology updates offer American Soybean Association (ASA) members options and valuable
time-savers on the Web. Simply complete the onetime setup of your online account.
The ASA Web portal allows you to have more control over your membership account so you can pay
dues online whenever it is convenient and update
your contact information and member profile.
If you have not set up your ASA Web portal already,
spend a few minutes at http://imis.asa-samms.com/
public to do so. You need an online account to access
member services and benefits on the Web. 6 Straight Rows
sustainably. A federal approach to labeling
would boost consumer confidence.”
GMOs have fostered a revolution in U.S.
agriculture that has benefited consumers
domestically and globally. With the world’s
population expected to reach 9 billion by
2050, it will need 70 percent more food production to keep pace.
Urging Congress to seek a federal solution that would establish standards for the
safety and labeling of foods and beverages
from GMOs, U.S. farmers and a diverse
group of almost 30 organizations, including
ASA, recently formed the Coalition for Safe
Affordable Food (CFSAF).
CFSAF is dedicated to providing policy
makers, news media, consumers and all
stakeholders with the facts about GMOs. It is
an advocate for commonsense policies that
will further enhance the safety of such crops
and protect the vital role they play in today’s
global food supply. Learn more at http://
CFSAF.org and http://FactsAboutGMOs.org
on the Web. Belonging brings rewards
P
articipate in the AchieveLinks Rewards Program offered by the Kansas Soybean Association (KSA) and American Soybean Association (ASA) as a member benefit, and you
will earn rewards for
yourself and your
business just for shopping online for the
things you buy every
day. When you enroll
for free in the AchieveLinks Rewards Program and order online from your favorite
merchants, you will earn Links® reward points.
Redeem your Links for merchandise, travel, gift cards and much more for yourself, your family or your business. You also can use Links to pay your KSA–ASA
membership dues.
KSA–ASA members can enroll in AchieveLinks to earn and redeem Links in
three easy steps.
1. Activate your free account at http://www.AchieveLinks.com and indicate the
Kansas Soybean Association.
2. Shop with your favorite merchants in the AchieveLinks online Shop &
Earn Center.
3. Redeem Links you have earned for thousands of unique reward options.
You earn 500 Links points upon activation of your account and 500 bonus Links
on your first purchase.
Activating your AchieveLinks account is free and is a benefit of your KSA–ASA
membership. Sign up today, and start earning rewards.
You can earn additional rewards faster with your own ASA–AchieveLinks Visa
credit card. With it, you get everything you expect with a Visa card, and you earn
additional Links on all purchases made with the card, including when you shop
online through the AchieveLinks merchant partners.
If you have questions, contact ASA at 800-688-7692. A Kansas Soybean Association membership benefit
Summer 2014
Member benefit supports planning
The American Soybean Association (ASA) has a
partnership with eLegacyConnect to offer an important tool to help members protect their farms and
family legacies. eLegacyConnect is a subscriptionbased, online succession-planning community. ASA
members receive a 20 percent discount on an annual
subscription when they sign up with the promotional
code available from their ASA Web portals.
eLegacyConnect gives subscribers the opportunity
to participate in activities necessary to preserve, promote and pass their family farms to a well-prepared
next generation. It engages users in successionplanning activities that generate results and provides
resources that encourage open discussion among
family members and professional advisers.
“Succession planning is one of those things that
producers tend to put off until later but never get it
addressed,” said Bob Worth, a soybean farmer from
Minnesota and chairman of the ASA membership and
corporate relations committee. “eLegacyConnect is a
great service to assist members take the first step in
protecting their farms and their legacy.”
eLegacyConnect provides educational resources,
action plans, community forums and a number of
meaningful experiences to help farm families achieve
their succession-planning goals. It is a division of
Legacy by Design, a company dedicated solely to succession planning in the agricultural community.
For more information, visit http://SoyGrowers.com/
membership-benefits on the Web.
Registration is open for ‘5 Keys’
I
Courtesy photo
s your family’s farm legacy protected? If you answered “no” or “not yet,” and you
want to know where to start, you should attend an American Soybean Association (ASA) succession-planning workshop.
Succession is the watershed issue facing America’s family farmers. Planning
for a smooth ownership transition and preparing the next generation to lead are
tough. Providing financial security and avoiding the estate tax can be complex
and confusing.
At each of six regional workshops, titled “Five Keys to Effective Succession
Planning,” Kevin Spafford, the founder of Legacy by
Design, will explain the planning process, good communication strategies and how to overcome obstacles.
ASA’s goal is to help families retain their farms, provide financial security and offer career options for future generations.
For Kansans, the nearest workshop will be July
30 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center in South
Dakota. Other dates and locations are listed at http://
Kevin Spafford
SoyGrowers.com/succession-planning-workshop on the
Web. Each one-day workshop will start at 9 a.m. They are open to all soybean farmers, but you must register online.
ASA is offering the workshops in partnership with eLegacyConnect, which also
provides tools to help protect farm families’ legacies (see sidebar). Accountability to Our Fellow Farmers
Farmer Involvement
The Kansas Soybean Commission is a peer-elected, volunteer organization of active soybean farmers who make checkoff decisions to benefit their fellow soybean farmers.
Animal Agriculture – Supporting your #1 soybean-meal customer
Livestock and poultry farmers represent the largest domestic
customer for U.S. soybean meal. That means
helping animal agriculture thrive directly benefits
the soybean farmers who feed America’s poultry,
swine and cattle.
Biodiesel – Fueling a billion-gallon market
From the start, your soybean checkoff played a major role in
developing the U.S. biodiesel industry. Biodiesel
used about 4.5 billion pounds of U.S. soy oil in
2012 to help meet the federal renewable-fuel
standard.
Soybean Exports – Creating global preference for U.S. soy
Your soybean checkoff works in major overseas markets like China,
Mexico, and Japan to build record demand for your crop. Soy is the
#1 U.S. ag export. With the checkoff’s help, the
United States exported more than 1.3 billion
bushels of soy, valued at more than $29 billion, in marketing year 2012.
Production Research – Protecting your crop
Soybean checkoff-funded production research plays a crucial role
in helping scientists and soybean farmers
identify and combat yield-robbing diseases
and pests. Such efforts have helped grow the
U.S. annual soybean harvest from 1.98 billion
bushels in 1991 to 3 billion bushels in 2012.
Thanks to your support, the soybean checkoff continues to increase
demand and build a stronger future for all U.S. soybean farmers.
www.UnitedSoybean.org
877-KS-SOYBEAN
www.KansasSoybeans.org
©2013 Kansas Soybean Commission and United Soybean Board.
Summer 2014
A Kansas Soybean Association membership benefit
Straight Rows
7
Rows
g
Strai ht
KANSAS
SOYBEAN
ASSOCIATION
Volume 18, Issue 4 | Summer 2014
1000 SW Red Oaks Place
Topeka, Kansas 66615-1207
Calendar of events
July 8–10
July 10–11
July 10–12
July 12
July 15–18
July 18–20
July 22–23
July 22–23
July 24
July 26
July 30
Aug. 4–5
Aug. 5–8
Aug. 13
Aug. 14
Aug. 19–21
Aug. 21–22
Aug. 26
American Soybean Association board of
directors meeting, Washington, D.C.
World Initiative for Soy in Human Health
meeting, Washington, D.C.
3i Show, Dodge City
Tractor Daze, Bonner Springs
United Soybean Board meeting, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Four State Farm Show, Pittsburg
North Central Soybean Research Program board of directors meeting, Ankeny, Iowa
U.S. Soybean Export Council China & northern Asia briefing,
Chicago, Illinois
Women in Ag, Bonner Springs
Kansas Soybean Association Board of Directors meeting, McPherson
American Soybean Association succession-planning workshop,
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Soy Transportation Coalition meeting, Portland, Oregon
No-till “Points South” Bus Tour, Salina
Biotechnology Roundtable, Washington, D.C.
Kansas Soybean Commission meeting, Topeka
Kansas Soybean Emerging Leaders Academy: Phase 2
Risk & Profit Conference, Manhattan
Kansas Cooperative Council leadership roundtable, Manhattan
See more at http://KansasSoybeans.org/events