News Release
January 17, 2007
Contact:
Lisa Taylor
Director of Communications
Kansas Department of Agriculture
(785) 296-2653
lisa.taylor@kda.ks.gov
Grain commodity commission ballots are in the mail
The Kansas Department of Agriculture today announced that ballots to elect commissioners to the state's five commodity commissions - corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers and wheat - have been mailed to registered voters in districts seven, eight and nine in the eastern third of the state.
District seven includes Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley and Wyandotte counties.
District eight includes Anderson, Chase, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Johnson, Linn, Lyon, Miami, Morris, Osage, Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties.
District nine includes Allen, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Greenwood, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties.
The wheat and sunflower commissions have combined the three districts, so only one commissioner will be elected to represent them. The corn, grain sorghum and soybean commissions will elect commissioners for each of the three districts.
Candidates for the Kansas Corn Commission
District seven - Kenneth McCauley, who produces corn and soybeans in Doniphan County. He currently serves on the Kansas Corn Commission, he is a member of Kansas Corn Growers association and is the current president of the National Corn Growers Association. McCauley has an associate degree from Highland Community College, and he also attended Kansas State University.
District eight - Patrick Ross, who produces corn, soybeans and wheat in Douglas County. He is active in his community church and has served nine years on local co-op board. He is a past director of his local 4-H foundation and chamber of commerce, and he currently serves as the director of the Farmers' Coop in Ottawa. Ross is a member of several agricultural associations, including the Kansas Soybean Association, the Kansas Corn Growers Association and the Kansas Livestock Association.
District nine - Bob Timmons, who produces corn, soybeans and wheat in Wilson County. He has served two terms on the Kansas Corn Commission, is on the board of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and is active in the National Corn Growers Association. Timmons graduated from Baker University with a degree in business administration.
Candidates for the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission
District seven - Kurt Staggenborg, who grows corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers and wheat in Marshall County. He is a member of Kansas Farm Bureau and is active in his local church, school board and 4-H activities.
District eight - Jeff Casten, who produces corn, grain sorghum, soybeans and wheat in Osage County. He currently serves on the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission and is active in his local Farm Service Agency county committee and basin advisory committee. Casten graduated from Kansas State University with a degree agronomy, and he is a member of the 2000 Master Farmer class.
District nine - No candidates are running for commissioner.
Candidates for the Kansas Soybean Commission
District seven - James Zwonitzer, who farms corn, grain sorghum and soybeans in Atchison County. He currently serves on the Kansas Soybean Commission, is a member of Kansas Soybean Association, the Kansas Livestock Association and his local rural water district. Zwonitzer has a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from Kansas State University.
District eight - Robert Haselwood, who produces corn, soybeans and wheat in Shawnee County. He currently serves on the Kansas Soybean Commission and is a member of the Kansas Corn Growers Association and Kansas Soybean Association. Haselwood has an associate degree from Cowley County Community College. He also is a graduate of the Kansas Agricultural and Rural Leadership class.
District nine - Ron Westervelt, who produces corn, soybeans and wheat in Cherokee County. He currently serves on the Kansas Soybean Commission, is a past president of the Kansas Soybean Association and is a member of Kansas Farm Bureau. Westervelt has a degree from Pittsburgh State University.
Candidates for the Kansas Sunflower Commission
No candidates are running for the commissioner position representing districts seven, eight and nine.
Candidates for the Kansas Wheat Commission
District seven, eight and nine - Jay Armstrong, who grows corn, soybeans and wheat in Atchison County. He is a member of several commodity associations and has served on the state fair board. He is a past president of his local watershed district. Armstrong is a graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in agricultural economics.
Eligible voters who registered before December 31, 2006, or who voted in the 2004 commission election, will receive a ballot. Eligible voters are Kansas residents who reached age 18 before the election, have grown corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers or wheat during the last three years, and who have properly registered to vote.
Votes must be cast or postmarked by March 1. The names of candidates-elect will be announced in mid-March and the elected will take office April 1. Elected commissioners serve three-year terms.
More information may be obtained from any of the following: Kansas Corn Commission at (785) 448-2626 or at www.ksgrains.com/kcc/; Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission at (913) 294-4314 or at www.ksgrains.com/KGSC/; Kansas Soybean Commission at (785) 271-1030 or at www.kansassoybeans.com/; Kansas Sunflower Commission at (785) 868-3831; Kansas Wheat Commission at (785) 539-0255 or at www.kswheat.com/; or, Kansas Department of Agriculture at (785) 296-3556 or at ../../kansas_agriculture/content/152.
