September 2014
On November 12-13, the Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas will be held in Manhattan. This will be the third year the Kansas Water Office has hosted the gathering. From what I understand, the latest developments in the Governor’s 50-Year Water Plan will be presented. The content of the plan was gathered from listening sessions and discussion meetings throughout the state. I’ve watched with interest the activities surrounding the governor’s 50-year water plan and made it a priority to sit in on some of these meetings. What [...]
Thinking Outside the Box to be Theme of the 2014 Kansas Farmers Union State Convention, December 4-6 in Manhattan
Kansas Farmers Union (KFU) will celebrate its 107th year with its annual meeting and convention December 4‐6, 2014 at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Manhattan. “The convention theme, Thinking Outside The Box reflects our diverse membership,” said KFU President Donn Teske. “Convention goers will enjoy a broad collection of speakers and tours, as well as debate KFU policy and enjoy fellowship with other KFU members from across the state.” A detailed agenda will be posted on the KFU website soon. Some convention highlights include: A tour of the Flint [...]
Central Kansas Family Farm Specialty Products Tour scheduled for October 11 in Newton Area
Kansas Farmers Union and Kansas Beginning Farmers Coalition will host a Central Kansas Family Farm Specialty Products Tour, on Saturday, October 11 in the McPherson and Newton, KS areas. KFU and KBFC representatives were very impressed by the diverse number of producers and products available in central Kansas, and felt it would be an ideal location for an educational tour for members and the public. It is our hope a quality tour like one that can be offered in central Kansas will inspire beginning farmers interested in raising specialty products [...]
NFU Withdraws from Beef Checkoff Group
The National Farmers Union board of directors voted on Saturday, September 6 to formally withdraw from the beef checkoff working group. NFU President Roger Johnson said in a statement: After three years of pushing for real reforms in the beef check-off program, NFU has decided that the process has become a bridge to nowhere and a waste of time and resources. The working group was designed to bring together vested parties from across the beef industry and to attempt to reach a consensus on substantial reforms that would make the [...]
Kansas Budget Presentations Continue Across State This Month
Kansas Farmers Union and a group of county chapters are hosting four state budget education presentations featuring former Kansas State Budget director Duane Goossen during the month of September. All presentations are open to KFU members and the general public. Goossen served as state budget director for 12 years in the administrations of three governors — Republican Bill Graves and Democrats Kathleen Sebelius and Mark Parkinson. More recently, he served as Vice President for Fiscal and Health Policy for the Kansas Health Institute. Drawing on his long experience in both [...]
KFU Out & About: August
On August 15, Donn participated in a Kansas Health Institute study report on the health effects of large-scale hog production on a rural community. Large-scale hog production has been a major topic in Kansas agriculture for many years now, and KFU is deeply concerned about the economic and health implications this type of production has on the state and its citzens. On August 21, Mary helped with the Mid Kansas WRAPS Cover Crop Tour held in Westmoreland, KS. Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) is a planning and management framework [...]
Seven Kansas Members Participate in National Farmers Union Fall Fly-In
Kansas Farmers Union members and nearly 250 fellow farmers, ranchers, and fishermen from across the country met in Washington, D.C., Sept. 8 to 10, 2014, for the National Farmers Union annual Fall Legislative Fly-In. “Meeting with our representatives in Congress allowed us to personalize the issues currently affecting rural Americans,” KFU President and NFU Vice President Donn Teske said. “This was especially important considering the fact that important legislation is under attack, and there are oversight hearings about the new Farm Bill. Having the opportunity to voice our concerns directly [...]
Oct 31 & Nov 1: Fall Forage Tour, Courtland
Cattlemen and producers are invited to the Fall Forage Tour, Friday, October 31, 2014 and Saturday, November 1, 2014. The tour will begin at 1:00 p.m. on both days at the Dale Strickler Farm, one mile south of Courtland on the west side of the highway. Two audiences will benefit from participation in the Fall Forage Tour–cattle producers and those interested in utilizing cover crops to improve soil health. The tour will focus on improving soil productivity by using of cover crops, forages, and perennial grasses. According to Strickler, ranchers [...]
Amazing Grazing 2: News Bites from Mary Howell
Amazing Grazing II kicked off with the return of Jim Gerrish to Kansas August 13-14 in Topeka and August 15-16, 2014 in Manhattan. Two 2-day workshops were conducted for different animal types with separate topics for each one. Ranch Management for Successful Winter and Year Round Grazing of Beef Cattle was held with 45 in attendance at Topeka. The goal for this workshop was to find ways for ranchers to make their operations more profitable by managing cow costs. Gerrish teaches that cows are lousy business managers, and that “The [...]
Mother Earth News Fair Returns to Kansas in October: Come and See Us!
Love to learn? If so, you don’t want to miss the Mother Earth News Fair coming to Topeka next month. With more than 75 practical, hands-on workshops taught by leading experts in the areas of renewable energy, organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, green home building and more, you’ll be sure to walk away with new knowledge and skills. While at the fair, be sure to stop by the Kansas Farmers Union booth to play Is the Price Right? Based on NFU’s Farmer’s Share of the Retail Food Dollar, this interactive game [...]