Request Mail Ballot to Participate in Minnesota Wheat Council Elections

It’s time once again to elect the producers who will serve on the Minnesota Wheat Council Board of Directors. Elections will take place in March through a mail ballot process. In order to receive a ballot you have to request one.

Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson says council members work for producers and help carry the torch for their commodity and all of Minnesota agriculture. He encourages farmers to request ballots and send them in.

“Council members make decisions at a local level that are important to producers’ interests,” Commissioner Hugoson said. “It is important that producers get involved with these elections. The representatives they elect will be fellow producers who are able to understand their commodity’s needs and are willing to develop quality strategies to meet those needs.”

Deadline to Request Ballot is March 1
Farmers who voted last year will automatically receive ballots in the mail this year. Those who didn’t vote last year will need to request a ballot in order to vote. Ballots can be requested from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s website at www.mda.state.mn.us or by requesting a ballot from the Minnesota Wheat Council at 1-800-242-6118.

Deadline to request a ballot is March 1, 2002.

You will need to supply your name, address and which council election you wish to vote in (wheat, barley, corn or barley).

Three Positions Open on Wheat Council
Three positions are up for election this year on the checkoff funded Minnesota Wheat Council.

One position in Area One, one in Area Two and one in Area Three (see map).  Following are profiles of each of the candidates seeking election:

Area 1 Candidates

Kevin Amiot, Red Lake Falls, MN, Red Lake County – Kevin operates a 2,150 acre farm growing wheat, soybeans, barley, canola, sunflowers, and corn.

Kevin is a member of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, FarmConnect, Knights of Columbus, Minnesota Barley Growers Association, Former Red River Valley Emerging Leadership Couple.

Kevin feels that having been farming for twenty years, in that time he has had the opportunity to work in a financial capacity as a contract worker for FmHA and in production as a field reporter for the ASCS. He also worked as a local staff person for Congressman Collin Peterson and most recently served eight years as a Red Lake County Commissioner.  He believes being on the Research and Promotion Council would allow him to be involved in the growth of one of the major commodities he raises.

Kenneth Asp, Thief River Falls, MN, Pennington County —  Kenneth operates a 1,850 acre farm growing wheat, barley, sunflowers, canola and soybeans.

He is a member of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, Minnesota Barley Growers Association, FSA County Committee, St. Hilaire Lions, Civil Air Patrol, American Legion, Methodist Church, Emerging Lender 2000, Conservation Farmer and Pioneer Farmer

Kenneth feels that good producer representation on the check-off boards is very important. He has always had an interest in wheat issues because wheat is such a major crop in our area. We may not always be satisfied with the price of our commodity, however, wheat is a world commodity and price is influenced by many different factors. We need to live within the current parameters of world trade, but as a group we can work to enhance our position in the world wheat markets by promoting the benefits of our quality wheat and by influencing trade agreements and consumers worldwide.

Ellsworth Danielson, Fosston, MN, Polk County – Ellsworth operates a 1,300 acre farm growing wheat, barley, corn, soybeans and navy beans.

He is a member of the Hope Lutheran Church, Fosston Community Club, Farmers Co-op Elevator, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association, Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, Minnesota Barley Growers Association, and is currently Vice-Chairman of the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council.

Ellsworth has served 9 years on the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council. He strongly believes in the present check-off system as it allows our producers a means to have input into the direction of research and promotion which is extremely important to our future and profitability of Minnesota agriculture. If we, as producers, don’t get involved and try to improve upon the issues we face in agriculture, no one else will do it for us.

Tom Koop, Thief River Falls, MN, Pennington County – Tom operates a 1,000 acre farm growing wheat, canola, sunflowers, soybeans and barley.

Tom is a member of the Land O’Lakes Board, Thief River Falls Eagles, and the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers.

Tom wants to be more involved in directing the research that is needed to keep wheat production in Minnesota competitive. In addition, he wants to help promote more uses of wheat so that we can get a better price for the wheat we produce.

It is very important that all producers feel like they are represented on the Minnesota Wheat Council. Pennington County and eastern Marshall counties have never had a local producer representing them on the Wheat Council board. I would like to represent this area as well as all wheat producers in the common goal of producing wheat more competitively and selling more wheat at a better price.

Area 2 Candidate
Cliff Keller, Fergus Falls, MN, Otter Tail County – Cliff operates a 1,200 acre farm growing wheat, soybeans, and corn.

He is a member of the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, Supervisor of West Otter Tail Soil and Water Conservation Board, Crop Improvement Association, Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, Minnesota Barley Growers Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Soybean Association, Spring Wheat Bakers, South Dakota Soybean Processors, PHENIX, ProGold-Golden Growers, Harvest States, and B.E. of Eastern North Dakota.

Cliff wants to promote better wheat quality, to promote more research on wheat disease and better wheat varieties, to promote better and more wheat usage’s both domestically and in the foreign market place, which would result in higher wheat prices.

Area 3 Candidate
Francis Buchette, Renville, MN, Renville County – Francis operates a 1,500 acre farm growing wheat, sugarbeets, corn and soybeans.

Francis is a member of the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, Minnesota Corn Growers, Minnesota Soybean Growers.  Served as Chairman of Board of Co-op County Farmers Elevator, Renville, MN. Served on Renville City Chamber of Commerce, member of American Coalition for Ethanol Board, and on Renville County Farm Bureau Board.

Francis feels at this time of a distressed farm economy, his past experience on the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council can be valuable. We need to continue to find alternative uses for wheat and make it a valuable crop in our rotation.