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Kansas Wheat Commission elects new officersKansas At its annual meeting in Hutchinson Aug. 6, the Kansas Wheat Commission elected Mike Brown, Colby, chairman. Rounding out the 2008-09 officer team is Doug Keesling, Chase, vice-chairman, and Richard Randall, Scott City, is secretary-treasurer. Brown and his wife, Jeanene, grow dryland wheat, grain sorghum and corn. A commissioner since 2002, he has served on a number of the commission's committees and has played an integral part of the KWC's joint operating agreement with the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. Brown represents the KWC's first district. "I look forward to continuing to represent the best interests of the state's wheat producers. The Kansas Wheat Commission continues to move forward, building on its strong history," he said. Keesling is the fifth generation to operate Keesling Seeds, a certified seed business. In addition, he grows wheat, corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and has a cow-calf operation He has been an at-large commissioner since 2003 and has served on a number of state and regional KWC committees, including the advisory board of the International Grains Program and vice president of Plains Grain, Inc. He has two young children. Randall and his wife, Glenda, have a diversified crop farm near Scott City, growing dryland and irrigated wheat and corn and dryland grain sorghum. An at-large commissioner since 2005, Randall has served on a number of state KWC committees. The Randalls' have two grown children. The KWC also gave recognition to Dean Stoskopf, outgoing chairman of the organization. For six years, Stoskopf has spent countless hours working on behalf of Kansas wheat producers. Also during the annual meeting, Commissioners discussed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hard White Wheat Development Program, a provision of the 2008 Farm Bill. Providing the funds are available, the USDA will devote about $35 million earmarked for the program from 2009-2012. The HWWD program is designed to boost production to 240 million bushels by 2012. The program includes incentives of 20 cents-per-bushel incentive and $2 per acre. Kansas leads the nation with more than 233,000 acres planted to Hard White Wheat from 2005-07; most of which is planted in western Kansas. Millers and bakers in many countries prefer hard white wheat to hard red wheat, but supplies of hard white wheat are often inconsistent. Kansas Wheat believes the program should be targeted to seed and production, to ensure that ample supplies of wheat get into the marketing chain. The Kansas Wheat Commission is a grower-funded, grower-governed wheat products advocacy organization working to secure the future of Kansas wheat in the global market through international trade research, export system studies and continually improved varieties of wheat. Its mission is to increase wheat producer productivity and profitability through research, education and domestic and international market development. 8/18/08 Date: 8/14/08
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