Kansas Soybean Commission invites growers to lead checkoff direction

Oct. 30, 2023 – Farmers in Kansas with an interest in the soybean supply chain have an opportunity to make their mark on the industry. The Kansas Soybean Commission invites leadership-oriented individuals involved in soybean growing to campaign for a seat on the checkoff board.

The nine-member KSC board invests soybean checkoff dollars collected in Kansas and sets the direction for industry growth in the state. Available boards seats for the 2024 election are the combined District I, II, III position comprising the western-most third of Kansas and two at-large positions.

The District I, II, III election is managed through the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Interested individuals must gather 20 signatures from eligible growers and meet the Nov. 30 filing deadline to be included on the ballot. No more than five signatures from any one county can be used to qualify a candidate. According to KDA, eligible growers are Kansas residents who will reach age 18 before the election and who have grown corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers or wheat for the last three years.

The petition and instructions are available online at www.agriculture.ks.gov/kgcvoter or may be completed on paper or a combination of both. Once signatures are collected and submitted by Nov. 30, the election occurs in early 2024.

The two at-large seats on the KSC board are appointed during the Spring board meeting that coincides with the KDA election of District I, II and III. Individuals interested in filling these appointed positions should submit the application available at www.kansassoybeans.org/forms by February 3, 2024.

The Commission seeks to ensure, to the best of its ability, that board members reflect the diversity of the farmers it serves in terms of farm size, experience, production methods, and marketing strategies. All elected or appointed positions officially begin at the summer Annual Meeting.

Commissioners volunteer their time to oversee the investment of checkoff dollars to improve profit potential for all soybean farmers in Kansas. They attend three meetings annually and participate in conference calls between those meetings. The soybean checkoff reimburses Commissioners for travel and other expenses related to their service.

Further details about the role of the checkoff may be directed to KSC Administrator Kaleb Little by email at little@kansasoybeans.org or by calling the Kansas Soybean office at 785-271-1030.