Kansas Soybean Commissioners are gearing up to make important decisions for the next year at their Dec. 5-7 meeting. The board convenes at the Kansas Soybean Office in Topeka to analyze funding proposals for the 2026 fiscal year and conduct regular business.
Commissioners analyze funding requests that were submitted for consideration through a request for proposal process and select potential projects for further presentation at the meeting. Project proposals range from agronomic and new use research to youth education and industry development initiatives.
Project leads who receive approval are asked to make formal presentations at the December meeting before final funding decisions are made. Meetings begin at 8 a.m. each day with presentations slated for the first two days. The third day is reserved for regular business, discussion and final funding decisions.
Research is integral to the Kansas Soybean Commission’s goal to improve farmer profitability. On-farm and industrial research projects funded through the checkoff add value by improving soybean traits and building demand for the crop.
Also in the pipeline for KSC is the annual commodity commissions election process managed by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. KSC invites leadership-oriented individuals involved in soybean growing to campaign for a seat on the checkoff board.
The nine-member KSC board invests soybean checkoff dollars collected in Kansas and sets the direction for industry growth in the state. Available boards seats for the 2025 election are districts seven, eight and nine comprising the eastern third of the state. Interested individuals must gather 20 signatures from eligible growers and meet the Nov. 30 filing deadline to be included on the ballot. No more than five signatures from any one county can be used to qualify a candidate. According to KDA, eligible growers are Kansas residents who will reach age 18 before the election and who have grown corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers or wheat for the last three years.
The petition and instructions are available online at www.agriculture.ks.gov/kgcvoter or may be completed on paper or a combination of both. Once signatures are collected and submitted by Nov. 30, the election occurs in early 2025.
The Commission seeks to ensure, to the best of its ability, that board members reflect the diversity of the farmers it serves in terms of farm size, experience, production methods, and marketing strategies. All elected or appointed positions officially begin at the summer Annual Meeting.
Commissioners volunteer their time to oversee the investment of checkoff dollars to improve profit potential for all soybean farmers in Kansas. They attend three meetings annually and participate in conference calls between those meetings. The soybean checkoff reimburses Commissioners for travel and other expenses related to their service.
For questions related to December meeting business or board elections, contact KSC Administrator Kaleb Little at [email protected] or call the office at 877-KS-SOYBEAN (877-577-6923).
