
The Kansas Farm Bureau’s (KFB) Campaign School will hold its comprehensive two-day training at the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce on April 16 and 17. It also will offer seven mini sessions around the state from March to September. The sessions are for current officeholders, future candidates, campaign managers and volunteer leaders on how to mount a successful campaign.
This nonpartisan, unbiased program offers in-depth instruction from national, state and local political experts on topics such as strategy, tactics, selecting issues, budgeting, fundraising and identifying voters. The KFB Campaign School was designed to give potential candidates a solid foundation as they seek elected office. It also offers incumbents an opportunity to enhance their campaign skills.
The two-day KFB Campaign School is limited to 20 participants. Farm Bureau members of Kansas can attend for $300, and nonmembers can join for $350.
Mini sessions are condensed opportunities to learn the fundamentals of campaign management skills and cost $60 for KFB members and $85 for nonmembers. Up to 20 participants can take part in each session. They will be offered on the following dates and locations:
March 5, Minneapolis Public Library, 519 Delia Ave., Minneapolis
March 27, NCCC Ottawa Campus, 900 E. Logan St., Ottawa
April 30, Scott County Library, 110 W. Eighth St., Scott City
May 13, Kansas Oil Museum, 383 E. Central Ave., El Dorado
July 10, Jackson County Courthouse Memorial Hall, 400 New York Ave., Holton
July 16, Huck Boyd Community Center, 860 Park St., Phillipsburg
Sept. 4, American Ag Credit, 5634 10th St., Great Bend
To learn about KFB’s Campaign School or to register for any of the upcoming sessions, visit www.kfb.org/CampaignSchool.
Updated BQA National Manual now available
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, recently updated the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) National Manual, a resource for science-based cattle production information. The manual is available for free at bqa.org/resources/manuals.
More than 30 cattle producers, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the country spent the last year updating the manual based on the latest science-based research, including the most recent National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA). The NBQA, conducted about every five years, continues to drive continuous improvement in the cattle industry.
An abbreviated “Field Guide” version of the manual will be updated and available for cattle producers and on-farm/ranch workers in the summer. For more information and to view the updated National Beef Quality Assurance Manual, visit www.bqa.org/resources/manuals.
Enrollment open for 2025 U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and Climate Smart Cotton Program
U.S. cotton growers can now enroll in the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol and apply for the Climate Smart Cotton Program for the 2025 crop year. The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is the voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton growers and traceability platform for all U.S. cotton.
The Trust Protocol provides growers with data and resources to choose practices that are best for their land and business. By tracking key metrics such as water use, land use and greenhouse gas emissions, growers gain valuable insights into their farm’s environmental footprint. This information empowers them to make informed decisions, optimize practices and demonstrate progress toward a more sustainable future.
The Climate Smart Cotton Program, led by the Trust Protocol, offers additional financial support, with three levels of involvement:
Level 1 — U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol membership: This foundational level provides $5 per acre up to 706 acres for enrolling in the Trust Protocol, uploading bales to the Protocol platform, and exploring the feasibility of new climate-smart practices.
Level 2 — Implement a climate-smart practice change: Growers can receive up to $45 financial risk-share for up to three years for adopting a new climate-smart agriculture practice change such as cover crops, no-till, strip-till or a nutrient management plan.
Level 3 — Carbon inset payment: This level allows growers to contract for carbon inset sales based on the verified emission reductions achieved through their climate-smart agriculture practices.
Grower enrollment specialists are available to provide personalized, regional-specific support, answering questions and guiding farmers through the process for both the Trust Protocol and Climate Smart Cotton Program. Visit TrustUSCotton.org or email [email protected] to learn more.
Upcoming events
Winter can be a time to improve your knowledge and network with other farmers at seminars and conferences around the state. Be sure to keep these on your calendar:
Cover Your Acres. This winter conference will take place Jan. 21 and 22 at The Gateway in Oberlin, Kan. The full program will be offered both days, and registration includes lunch and educational materials. Speakers will cover a range of topics, from forage management to fertilizer management and more. Walk-in registration is $80 per day, cash or check. Learn more at wkrec.org/events/cover_your_acres.
Alternative Crop Schools. Learn more about raising and marketing canola, camelina and cowpeas at one of three locations of the Alternative Crop School. The seminars are presented by staff of the Kansas State Research and Extension Southwest Research Extension Center, Garden City. Locations include at 6 p.m. Jan. 28 in Ulysses, at noon Jan. 29 in Cimarron and at noon Jan. 30 in St. John.
K-State Soil Fertility Schools. Learn about new K-State soil fertility interpretations and fertilizer recommendations, as well as fertilizer additives and their role. Dates and locations include 9:30 a.m. Jan. 29, Russell County 4-H Building, Russell; 9:30 a.m. Jan. 29, United Christian Church, Osborne; 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29, Walnut Valley Sr. Citizen Court, Rush Center; 9:30 a.m. MST Jan. 30, Community Activity Building, Sharon Springs.
Southwest Cotton Physiology Conference. This three-day meeting from Feb. 11-13 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Lubbock, Texas, will offer updates from cotton researchers and Extension personnel.
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