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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: February 6, 2008 Kansas Profile - Now, That’s Rural  The aroma of the food smells delicious at this exclusive restaurant in New Orleans. The chef leaves the kitchen to greet a group of her customers who have assembled from around the nation. The chef proudly proclaims that she uses their product exclusively in her cooking. And what is that product? It is canola oil, from the canola crop grown by these farmers from across the country. Among these farmers is the President of the national association which promotes canola, and that farmer comes from rural Kansas. John Haas is the immediate past president of the U.S. Canola Association. His story is yet another in our series on national organizations whose presidents have come from rural Kansas. John farms near Larned where his family has farmed for three generations. He came back to the farm after graduating from K-State. He and his wife have built their farming operation up to 5,000 acres. John, a former 4-Her, got involved with his local Extension council and then the state council. He went on to become the founding chairman of the National Extension council and also served on the prestigious national Committee on Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching. One day John heard a congressional briefing by a K-State researcher who was developing new varieties of a crop called canola. As the researcher described the many benefits of this new crop, John became so intrigued that he asked where he could get some of that seed. The assistant to the Dean of Agriculture went to the seed house and got three bags of canola seed for John to try, and that was the beginning. John became involved with the U.S. Canola Association. The USCA was formed in 1989 to increase U.S. canola production to meet the growing public demand for healthy products. In the years since, U.S. canola production has gone from virtually zero to 1.2 million acres. Kansas farmer and banker Alan States was a key leader in the canola industry. When Alan’s time on the USCA Board ended, he was succeeded by John Haas. John would go on to be the national president of the organization in 2005-07. So what exactly is canola? John says with a smile, “Half the people think I say granola, but I tell them that’s the stuff you have for breakfast.” Canola is an oilseed crop, known for its brilliant golden flowers when in bloom. The seeds from that crop can be harvested and then crushed to produce canola oil for use in food or fuel. Canola oil has the healthiest fat profile of any oil in the marketplace. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that eating canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Canola oil has no cholesterol or trans fact. It is great for cooking, having a high smoke point, neutral taste and light texture. John says it is also the best feedstock for biodiesel, with a natural oil yield more than double that of soybeans. John considers canola an excellent crop for rural Kansas. He can use his existing drill and combine to plant and harvest the crop. Roundup Ready canola works especially well in rotation with wheat to help fight weeds and increase yields. John delivers his canola to elevators in rural places like Nickerson or Iuka, population 184. Now, that’s rural. A unique feature of the U.S. Canola Association is that the board was designed with representation not just from growers, but also from agribusiness and the food industry. John says, “We work together very cooperatively.” He says in reflection, “I’ve been very blessed in my family and in my opportunity to be involved.” It’s time to leave this restaurant where the aroma is wonderful, with food cooked in canola oil. We commend John Haas for making a difference with his service to the national organization which promotes this healthy crop. As he says, canola is good for every body. And there’s more. We’ll learn about another national ag leader from rural Kansas in our next column.
------------------------------------------------ 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
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