Michigan Wheat Program board elections, appointments

LANSING, Mich. — Gov. Rick Snyder announced his appointments to the Michigan Wheat Program’s (MWP) board of directors, filling the three terms that expired in 2017. He made two reappointments and one new appointment.

Reappointed were David Milligan of Cass City, representing District 7, and Sally McConnachie of Deckerville, representing District 5. A new member, Marc Hasenick of Springport, was appointed in District 2 to replace outgoing charter board member Carl Sparks of Cassopolis.

Milligan has chaired the MWP and been on the board since its inception in 2011. He is the newly elected secretary of the National Assoc. of Wheat Growers, where he has been a board member since Michigan joined in 2013.

McConnachie is also a member of Michigan Farm Bureau and Michigan Corn Growers Assoc., and was initially appointed to the board of the MWP in 2014.

Hasenick farms with his father and brother and is part owner of Hasenick Brothers, LLC, a 67-year-old family farm in Springport. He is also the tactical logistics manager and pesticide application technician for Hasenick Brothers, LLC. The family farm’s 100 percent no-till operation uses a combination of tools to improve soil, including cover crops and variable rate applications.

A charter member of the MWP board, Sparks served since it was created in 2011.

All gubernatorial appointments to the Michigan Wheat Program board are for three-year terms, and are subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate.

The MWP board also elected officers for the 2017-18 program year. Milligan was reelected chair and Dean Kantola of Kantola Farms, Inc. in Ravenna was reelected vice chair. Frank Vyskocil of New Lothrop will continue to serve as board treasurer, and Art Loeffler of Frankenmuth was reelected secretary.

“We continue to have a great team in place that has the experience and vision to ensure the Michigan Wheat Program meets the needs of Michigan’s wheat farmers,” said Executive Director Jody Pollok-Newsom. “The board will continue its strong focus on research, particularly projects that lead to improved yield and quality in the state.”

Michigan Soy partners to promote better rural bridges

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. — Michigan farmers depend upon rural bridges to efficiently deliver their commodities to the local elevator or processing facility. The structural integrity of this infrastructure is essential to farmer profitability.

Unfortunately, an increasing number of rural bridges in the state are load-limited, requiring vehicles transporting agricultural commodities to detour – often at significant distances. This results in additional costs being inserted in the nation’s food delivery system and diminished profitability for Michigan farmers.

While the need to maintain and upgrade rural bridges is on the increase, available resources to address this challenge remain insufficient. In an effort to promote better evaluation and management of the state’s rural bridges, the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee and the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) have partnered with the Midland County Road Commission (MCRC) in central Michigan on an innovative project designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of load testing technology when assessing the condition of rural bridges.

“When managing and maintaining our county bridge inventory, motorist safety is the No. 1 priority,” said Terry Palmer, managing director of the MCRC. “However, what we have learned is that the sole reliance on visual inspection of bridges can result in a percentage of bridges being unnecessarily load-limited or identified for rehabilitation or replacement.”

The partnership – funded by all three entities – employs the use of load testing sensors attached to the underside of the bridge. After the sensors are installed, test loads are driven over the various segments of the surface to determine a precise understanding of the capabilities of the bridge.

“The objective of load testing is to remove much of the subjectivity from the traditional visual inspection approach,” said Palmer. “In doing this project, it is our goal to highlight to Michigan counties and municipalities that this technology can be a cost-effective tool when managing and maintaining their bridge inventory.”

The joint project began in the spring and has resulted in the testing of three Midland County bridges. Each originally had been load-limited due to a perceived concern via the traditional visual inspection approach; however, after evaluating the bridges via sensors, it was determined each did not require a load limit and could safely accommodate all legal loads for trucks operating in Michigan. Additional rural bridges will be evaluated in upcoming months.

“Given that our children and grandchildren are using these rural bridges on a daily basis, safety is most important,” says Andy Welden, a soybean farmer from Jonesville, Mich., and director on the STC.

NCGA accepting applications for the 2019 Corn Board

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — The National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA) Nominating Committee is now accepting applications from members for the 2019 Corn Board. Visit http://bit.ly/2hqlQzm for the application, which also provides complete information on requirements, responsibilities and deadlines.

"I have had the privilege of working with so many talented, dedicated volunteers who step forward to lead this organization during my years on the Corn Board," said NCGA Chair and Nominating Committee Chair Wesley Spurlock. "Their willingness to step forward as volunteer leaders plays a crucial role in building NCGA's future successes.

“As a true grassroots organization, we rely upon farmers to volunteer to lead, helping to shape policy and drive efforts. Serving on the Corn Board empowers farmers to play a proactive role in determining the collective future of our industry."

The NCGA Corn Board represents the organization on all matters while directing both policy and supervising day-to-day operations. Applications are due Jan. 5, 2018. Nominated candidates will be introduced at the March 2018 Corn Congress meeting, held in conjunction with the Commodity Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

Corn Board members will be elected at the July 2018 Corn Congress in Washington, D.C., and the new terms begin Oct. 1. For more information, call Kathy Baker at NCGA's St. Louis office at 636-733-9004.