Bob Farmer, Lt. Gov. Elect Lynn Rogers highlights of 2019 Kansas Soybean Expo

Soybean farmers, researchers and attendees enjoyed a day filled with education, laughter and acknowledgement at the 2019 Kansas Soybean Exposition.

The one-day conference was Jan. 9 in Topeka, Kansas, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel’s Maner Conference Center. The event started off with KSA President Lucas Heinen, of Everest, and Kansas Soybean Commission Chairman Kurt Maurath, of Oakley, welcoming farmers, researchers and other attendees to the expo.

The opening session highlighted “The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System: What it means to Kansas,” presented by Thaddaeus Babb, waterways program manager for Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Other morning sessions included “Leading the Research Effort,” presented by Ed Anderson, executive director of the North Central Soybean Research Program.

To give attendees a brain-breather from morning sessions KSA welcomed Bob Farmer, of Farmer’s Almanac, with his “Down Home Humor.”

Farmer provided jokes upon jokes attendees could not get enough of.

“I just like good, down-home clean humor,” Farmer added during his presentation. “I’m not here to make fun of anyone, but to provide laughter and entertainment.”

After Farmer’s presentation, attendees made their way to Heritage Hall for the luncheon where Master of Ceremonies Tom Brand, the executive director for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, recognized many industry leaders at the event.

Lt. Gov.-Elect Lynn Rogers, gave insight on how he and Gov.-Elect Laura Kelley, are working hard to provide answers Kansans are seeking from the government.

“We have been at work since 8 a.m. the day after the election and it has been very eye-opening. The damage to many of our state agencies have been worse than what I feared and it’ll take many years for us to repair the damage,” Rogers said. “We have deep holes that need to be filled and we have a lot of debt that’s been incurred over that last few years that needs to be paid; so we must be cautious.”

Rogers noted that he and Kelly are going to be “fierce advocates for Kansas’ farmers and ranchers.”

The team is also looking deeper into keeping rural communities and hospitals afloat.

“We realize that the last eight years have devastated our economy on our rural schools, roads and small towns. Eighty-two of our 105 counties have been continually losing population growth and we need to turn that around. Rural hospitals are declining and we need to address that so we have adequate care throughout our entire state,” he said.

Other main areas Rogers said he and Kelly are focusing on are encouragement for development of rural housing; supporting rural hospitals; re-vitalizing main street; investing in rural Kansas’ infrastructure; incentivizing active tourism and agri-business.

“Our approach has always been to bring people together, and that’s exactly what I will do as lieutenant governor. I look forward to working with you to improve the state of Kansas so that Kansans have a state they can be proud of,” Rogers said.

Along with Farmer and Rogers, other KSA attendees were also recognized for their dedication to the association.

The Meritorious Service Award went to Charles Hamon of Valley Falls. Hamon was the first KSC chairman in 1977 and was elected as ASA president in 1981. Brand noted that Hamon remembered a time of eating a few of the famous jelly beans that were in a jar on President Ronald Reagan’s desk during a meeting about soybean issues.

Administrative Assistant Mary Lou Dillman, was thanked for her nearly 22 years of service to KSA and KSC. As administrative assistant, Dillman’s duties were many, such as being involved in youth-education presentations. She primarily taught third-and fourth-grade classes across Kansas about soybeans. She then donned the nickname “Soybean Lady.”

Along with Hamon and Dillman, Raylen Phelon of Melvern, Doug Shoup of Scranton, and Grant Webber of Sublett, were thanked for their time to the KSA board. The three are now retired of their duties to the board. Jim Zwonitzer of Horton, was recognized for his service to KSC since 2004.

2019 KSA officers were also elected. They are Dwight Meyer, president; Teresa Bradenburg, first vice president; Scott Gigstad, second vice president; Gail Keuser, secretary; and Gary Robbins, treasurer. Heinen, immediate past president, will now service as chairman.

Charles Atkinson, a farmer from Great Bend, Kansas, and an “at-large” member of the American Soybean Association Governing Committee, gave updates on where he and his team are at in terms of soybean issues.

Atkinson noted that, “2018 has been the farm year to forget.”

“Between all the harvest trouble we had and everything else in between, it wasn’t a great year,” he said. “But on the national scene, it was an interesting year.”

Other areas Atkinson and staff are working on are the tariff issue, the farm bill and the government shutdown.

“In 2019, we have to take a look at where our focus is since the farm bill has been passed. ASA is pushing administration to resolve this trade war with China, including the resending of section 31 duties and if China agrees to lift this 25 percent tariff on U.S. Soybeans. ASA is also pressing to open free trade agreement negotiation with other countries with the potential to import more soy and livestock,” he added.

Atkinson noted that the team is trying to work with the European Union, Great Britain and Japan. Other prospects they are working on is Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Atkinson said they are also remaining focused on extending the bio-diesel tax credit.

“That is very important for us as soybean farmers because it does add some dollars to your product and we’re trying to get that resurrected in 2019 and extend it to 2023. One other item that we are striving toward is to raise the soybean market system from $5 to $6.20,” he noted.

Brooke Haas-Just can be reached at [email protected].