|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note to Editors: Adapted from the Kansas Profile radio series, this column profiles a different Kansan, Kansas community or Kansas-based company every Wednesday, as a regular feature of the K-State Research and Extension News lineup. A photo of Ron Wilson is available at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/RonWilson.htm. Released: January 9, 2008 Kansas Profile - Now, That’s Rural  National president. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Yes, it is big responsibility to serve as a leader for a national organization, and it is an honor when someone from your state takes on that responsibility for the entire country. Today, we’ll meet a man who recently concluded a year of service to his national organization. He’s based in rural Kansas. Greg Shelor is from Minneola, Kansas. Greg recently completed a term as president of the National Sorghum Producers. National Sorghum Producers is the nationwide association of growers of grain sorghum across the country. Greg grew up on a farm in southwest Kansas. Today, he and his family farm some 1,700 acres, of which 250 is irrigated. The farm is near Minneola, a town of 721 people south of Dodge City. That’s rural, but check this out. The farm is located west of the unincorporated settlement of Bloom, Kansas, with a population of 15 or 20 people. Now, that’s rural. Of course, a great strength of rural Kansas is agriculture. Greg is a lifelong farmer in the region. He grows grain sorghum in rotation with wheat and summer fallow. He says, “It’s a drought-tolerant crop that fits in very well out here.” In fact, Kansas is the largest producer of grain sorghum in the entire nation. In 2006, Kansas produced 145 million bushels of sorghum for grain, valued at more than $487 million. Greg says, “Grain sorghum has predominantly been a livestock feed, but now it is growing into the ethanol market. Sorghum is usually about 80 to 82 percent the price of corn, but now it’s running about the same. Getting these ethanol plants in here has helped. Sorghum will yield about the same amount of gallons per bushel as corn, and the feed quality of the distillers grain is excellent.” Greg says that the industry is expanding into other new uses also. He says, “Some sorghum is going into wall board and pet food, and now producers are raising food grade sorghum for flour.” This has health benefits for people who are allergic to wheat gluten. Sorghum gluten can be used as a substitute so these people will not have an allergic reaction. Greg is quite an ambassador for sorghum producers. In the 1980s, Greg was appointed to the state board which oversaw the sorghum checkoff and became active in the sorghum producers organization after that. In February 2005, he became president of the National Sorghum Producers. His national one-year term has ended, but his service continues at the state level. He also serves as president of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association. Greg and his wife have three sons: Matthew, who is a research assistant in the K-State animal sciences department; Justin, who is in Minneola; and Derrick, who recently graduated from K-State. Greg sees the importance of producers investing in research to benefit the industry. He says, “We’re working on a national checkoff for grain sorghum which could generate funds for additional research into better varieties and appropriate herbicides.” It was a very interesting time to be president of the national organization, with planning for the new farm bill getting underway during his year. There were other ag and policy issues in which his organization was involved, so he found himself testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management. Greg says, “We’re lucky to have excellent representatives from Kansas in Congress.” National President. It does have a nice ring to it. Yes, it is an honor when someone from your state serves in national office. But it is not just the honor of serving at a national level, it is also a commitment, a sacrifice, and a responsibility. We commend Greg Shelor for making a difference with his service as president of the National Sorghum Producers. And there’s more. Kansas happens to be home to several individuals who, like Greg, are serving in a national leadership capacity with their agricultural organization. In coming weeks, we’ll learn about more national agricultural leaders from rural Kansas.
------------------------------------------------ K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus in Manhattan. For more
information: |