Funds to go for KARL’s Cooperative Education 101 Program

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Many Kansans or U.S. consumers are unaware that asparagus can be picked today and be on store shelves at this time tomorrow. They may also not be aware that a lot of that fresh asparagus is coming from Peru. One of the 35 largest private companies in the United States has joined hundreds of contributors supporting the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program to share that story first hand.

“We are pleased to announce the Cooperative Education 101 program component of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) Program will be awarded a grant in the amount of $10,000,” said CHS Foundation president William Nelson in a statement.

In an application to the CHS Foundation, KARL, Inc. president and KARL program director Jack Lindquist shared the information detailing the 2009 free trade agreement with Peru: “Prior to that agreement, barely a sprig of asparagus was produced in Peru. The U.S. has great demand for asparagus well outside of our domestic production cycle. Peru had the right soils and climate to meet that demand and started working with food cooperatives like Green Giant to propagate, produce, process and ship product by air to meet that demand.”

“KARL Class XI will be going to Peru in March to study the agricultural industry and other food, technology and other consumer product production and marketing methods,” Lindquist added. “As honorary good will emissaries for Kansas, as designated by the Governor of Kansas, the 36-member team will also be learning about the culture and policy development practices that enhance our trade relationship and people to people exchange.”

“We will take the KARL class to the fields and processing plants to see the food we will be consuming at home and will be visiting with the producers and marketers about future opportunities. Thanks to the trade relationship, entire communities are growing and the quality of life is improving as an advance team of KARL board members discovered during a planning trip last year. Peruvians in turn, are buying Kansas beef and other products in the exchange of goods,” Lindquist wrote.

The CHS Foundation (www.chsfoundation.org) is the major giving entity of CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com), one of the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperatives which is based in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. As a part of the CHS stewardship focus, the CHS Foundation is committed to investing in the future of rural America, agriculture and cooperative business through education and leadership development.

CHS supplies energy, fertilizer, grain marketing, livestock feed, food and food ingredients, along with business resources including insurance, financing, commodity brokerage and other risk management services. The company operates petroleum refineries and pipelines and manufactures and distributes Cenex® brand refined fuels, lubricants, propane and renewable energy products. The initials in the company’s name come from a corporate forerunner: Cenex Harvest States, which itself was formed in a 1998 merger between two regional agricultural cooperatives — Cenex, Inc. and Harvest States Cooperatives. As a result of the merger, the company’s roots extend back to the early 1930′s.

What a wonderful New Years surprise when Jay & Jill Garetson, Sublette, notified us of a pledge of $10,000 each of the next two years.  The first deposit arrived the first week of January and proved to be the largest single gift by any alum in our 23 year history.  Jay asked that the donation from this year and next be invested in the KARL Foundation equally divided in the names of The Garetson Family Endowment Fund and Jack & Lindy Lindquist Endowment Fund.  Jay is a Class V graduate and recent leadership includes the Kansas State Board of Agriculture.

Thank you to the Garetson’s and all KARL graduates that understand what it means to “pay it forward”.

At this time we have over 110 candidates in the nominee pool. We would like to expand that pool to 150 or more to help diversify the potential exchange and learning experiences of the 30 members that will make up KARL Class XII (2013-2015). Please send your nominee(s) name, address and email contact details, and mobile phone if available, to Class XII coordinator, Al Davis (adavis@ksu.edu) and copy karl@ksu.edu. Nobody knows the desired character and caliber of leaders to engage in the KARL experience like our alumni, board members and donors. Your support to personally assist with our marketing efforts is appreciated.

In December we will notify all nominee candidates that the open application period begins January. All application materials will be on-line rather than mailed so it is critical that we have the address on hand to mail reminder postcards. The applications must be completed and on file (along with reference letters) by April 15. The board will screen down the pool of applicants to 45 for interviews the first full week of May and the class will be identified by mid May, then announced June 1.

As soon as you submit your nominee(s) please contact them and inform them of the process. If applicable, when we have a seminar or area update in your region, invite them and bring them to the dinner and program. Also encourage them to visit our website and follow along with the KARL activities on Facebook and Twitter, linked in the upper right corner of our homepage. Feel free to forward the attached pdf flyer to your candidate as well.

Also, if you have not contributed to KARL Class XI but intended to, your support leading into the winter seminars is needed and GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Thank you again for helping us expand the prospect pool for the next generation of KARL Family members.

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/story/KSProfileHaselwood082912.aspx

CONTACT: Dan Haley Director, Corporate Communications  303-793-2239  dhaley@cobank.com

COBANK donates $10,000 TO Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership

 MANHATTAN, Kan. (JULY 11, 2012) — Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership (KARL) has received $10,000 from CoBank on behalf of Ronald J. Rahjes, a member of the cooperative bank’s board of directors. Rahjes is a partner in a family farming corporation that produces wheat, corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum, and is owner of R&C Tax Service, an accounting and tax firm in Kensington, Kansas.

KARL is a two-year program that provides intensive study, training and travel opportunities for emerging leaders in the state’s agriculture and rural communities. Since 1990, the non-profit has helped develop decisive, informed spokespeople to be effective representatives for the ever-changing farming and ranching industries.

Costs for each class are about $500,000. “The generosity of donors such as CoBank is critically important to the continuation of our efforts to create ambassadors for rural communities, agriculture and the way of life associated with each of those,” said Jack W. Lindquist, president of the KARL. “This gift will benefit the current Class XI and future program classes.”

Rahjes was a member of KARL’s first class. Since then, more than 300 participants have received more than 5,200 hours of training both nationally and internationally. “I had the distinct privilege of being selected to participate in this program and what I learned has been invaluable to me over the years,” he said. “CoBank’s donation will help KARL in its mission to develop strong, progressive leaders for our community.”

The contribution is part of CoBank’s corporate giving program, which allows employees and board members to direct bank donations to their choice of non-profit organizations and programs. Through the program, CoBank donated more than $1.2 million last year to benefit local communities where its employees and directors live and work.

About CoBank

CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states.
CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy. In addition to serving its direct retail borrowers, the bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 70,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.
Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore. For more information about CoBank, visit the bank’s website at www.cobank.com.

###

At this time we have over 110 candidates in the nominee pool.  We would like to expand that pool to 150 or more to help diversify the potential exchange and learning experiences of the 30 members that will make up KARL Class XII (2013-2015).  Please send your nominee(s) name, address and email contact details, and mobile phone if available, to Class XII coordinator, Al Davis (adavis@ksu.edu) and copy karl@ksu.edu.  Nobody knows the desired character and caliber of leaders to engage in the KARL experience like our alumni, board members and donors. Your support to personally assist with our marketing efforts is appreciated.

In December we will notify all nominee candidates that the open application period begins January.  All application materials will be on-line rather than mailed so it is critical that we have the address on hand to mail reminder postcards.  The applications must be completed and on file (along with reference letters) by April 15. The board will screen down the pool of applicants to 45 for interviews the first full week of May and the class will be identified by mid May, then announced June 1.

As soon as you submit your nominee(s) please contact them and inform them of the process.  If applicable, when we have a seminar or area update in your region, invite them and bring them to the dinner and program.  Also encourage them to visit our website and follow along with the KARL activities on facebook and twitter, linked in the upper right corner of our homepage.  Feel free to forward the attached pdf flyer to your candidate as well.

Also, if you have not contributed to KARL Class XI but intended to, your support leading into the winter seminars is needed and GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Thank you again for helping us expand the prospect pool for the next generation of KARL Family members.