Soy Transportation Coalition elects officers for 2010
ANKENY, Iowa — The Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) announced its newly elected officers at its January board meeting.

Dean Campbell of Coulterville, Ill., was reelected its chair. He also sits on the Illinois Soybean Assoc. board of directors and belongs to the Illinois Corn Growers Assoc., Illinois Wheat Assoc. and Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation.

Dennis Feiken of LaMoure, N.D., was reelected vice chair. Feiken serves on the North Dakota Soybean Council. He is also active with the North Dakota Farm Bureau, serving on its Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee for three years.

Ed Ulch of Solon, Iowa, was reelected secretary-treasurer. Ulch is serving on the Iowa Soybean Assoc. board of directors, the National Biodiesel Board and held offices with the Agribusiness Assoc. of Iowa.

To learn more about the STC, visit www.soytransportation.org

Kansas policy specialist named new NAWG CEO
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Dana Peterson, a longtime policy staffer at Kansas Wheat, is the new CEO of the National Assoc. of Wheat Growers (NAWG).

As a policy and membership specialist at Kansas Wheat since 2001, Peterson has been intimately involved in key issues on the national and state levels for nearly a decade. Her experience includes participation in the last two farm bill debates, the push to increase research funding and give wheat producers access to biotechnology and the industry’s look at new uses and expanded markets for wheat and wheat byproducts, including cellulosic ethanol.

Kansas is frequently the top-producing wheat state and Kansas Wheat, which operates under a cooperative agreement between the Kansas Assoc. of Wheat Growers and the Kansas Wheat Commission, is one of NAWG’s larger affiliated state associations by budget and staffing.

Peterson is a double graduate of Kansas State University, having obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics. She grew up on a farm first homesteaded by her family in 1871, where two of her four brothers are now the seventh generation producing wheat, grain sorghum and cattle.

UT Institute of Agriculture professor named ASA Fellow

JACKSON, Tenn. — University of Tennessee adjunct professor and USDA soybean breeder Dr. Prakash Arelli has been named a 2009 American Society of Agronomy (ASA) Fellow.

The ASA is a prominent international scientific society whose members are dedicated to the conservation and wise use of natural resources to produce food, feed and fiber crops, while maintaining and improving the environment. Becoming an ASA Fellow is a tremendous honor, as less than 1 percent of active members may be elected. Fellows are nominated by their colleagues based on their professional achievements and commendable service.

Arelli has worked diligently to improve soybean lines. His studies focus on breeding soybeans for improved cyst nematode resistance. Much of his work takes place at UT’s West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson and the UT Research and Education Center at Ames Plantation in Grand Junction.

CAT announces winners of tractor demo contest
DUQUOIN, Ill. — Attending the “Experience the Color Revolution Challenger Road Show” is paying off nicely for two lucky people who will be spending 100 hours in new Challenger tractors.

Gary Tretter, G&J Farms, of Murphysboro, Ill., was drawn as the winner in a random drawing at Altorfer CAT in DuQuoin, Ill., and now has the opportunity to demo a Challenger tractor on his operation. Also, David Miers, Miers Farm Corp. of Greensburg, Ind., was drawn as the winner at MacAllister CAT in Carroll County, Ind.
Growers attending these events previewed the industry’s top-rated machines. They were part of a summer road show designed to bring the latest in tractor technology to America’s fields.

ICGA elects 2010 leadership and board of directors
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Strasburg corn grower Tim Lenz has been elected president of the Illinois Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) for 2009-10. Lenz, a Shelby County farmer, was elected at ICGA’s reorganizational meeting Dec. 17.

Lenz has served on the ICGA board for seven years, most recently as vice president. As District 11 director he represents growers in Christian, Shelby, Montgomery, Fayette and Effingham counties.
Joining Lenz in leadership roles are Vice President Jim Reed of Monticello, Treasurer Eric Kunzeman of Tremont and Secretary Dan Cole of Plainville. Elected to lead the Export Committee were Chair Paul Taylor of Esmond and Vice Chairman Andy Goleman of Divernon. Elected to serve on the Industrial Committee were Chair Jeff Scates of Shawneetown and Vice Chair Craig Buhrow of West Brooklyn.

Newly elected to serve on the state board is At-Large Director Tom Groppel of Rosedale.

Reelected to serve as directors on the state board are: District 3, Rob Elliott of Cameron, representing growers in Rock Island, Mercer, Henry, Henderson, Warren and Knox counties; District 6, Jeff Jarboe of Loda, representing growers in Ford, Iroquois, Champaign and Vermillion counties; District 9, Dan Cole of Plainville, representing growers in Hancock, McDonough, Adams, Schuyler, Brown and Pike counties; District 12, Mark Degler of Mattoon, representing growers in Marion, Jefferson, Clay, Wayne, Richland, Edwards, White, Lawrence and Wabash counties; and District 15, Jeff Scates of Shawneetown, representing growers in Randolph, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Williamson, Hamilton, Saline, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alex, Pulaski and Massac counties.

At-large directors elected are Wayne Anderson of Owaneco, interlocking director with the Illinois Farm Bureau, and Gary Hudson of Hindsboro.