[ Briefly in agriculture ]

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Mar 1, 2001 by Capital-Journal

- Briefly in agriculture

- Niehues named sales manager for Dedicated Grains program --- Gary J. Niehues has joined the Farmland Grain Processing team as sales manager for the Dedicated Grains program. Niehues is responsible for marketing the Dedicated Grains system to local cooperatives, producers and processors of grains.

Niehues has been a part of the Farmland Cooperative System for 11 years, and most recently he was feed territory manager for central and western Nebraska.

Dedicated Grains is an online traceability application for identity-preserved or trait-specific crops. Using Dedicated Grains, producers or cooperatives submit grain samples to an independent testing laboratory. Quality information is then posted on the secure Dedicated Grains Web site, where buyers can search for grain lots meeting their exact requirements.

- Ethanol pilot project sponsored in Lawrence --- Some Lawrence city employees are driving ethanol-powered cars, thanks to help from the Kansas Corn Commission. The commission is sponsoring a pilot project to bring ethanol fuel to some vehicles in the city's fleet. Representatives of the city and the Kansas Corn Commission recently visited the ethanol fueling site in Lawrence.

Lawrence City Garage Superintendent Steve Stewart worked with staff from the Kansas Corn Commission to set up the program to add flexible fuel vehicles to the city's fleet. The city has three flexible fuel Ford Taurus cars running on a mixture of up to 85 percent ethanol fuels to test the performance of the vehicles and the fuel. Two other flexible fuel cars are operating on regular fuel to allow city official to compare the performance of the cars and fuels. Results will be logged through June.

The Kansas Corn Commission provided the ethanol fuel, pump and tank for the pilot project.

- Horse show scheduled --- Kansas State University's Horseman's Association and Purina Mills Gold Dealers will present an equine education workshop and KSU bred and donated horse program horse sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 10, at KSU Weber Arena in Manhattan.

Sessions include Fundamentals of Jumping, Feeding the Performance Horse, Foundation of a Reining Horse, Fundamentals of the Cutting Horse and Hangin' Tree Cowdog Clinic. The horse sale begins at 4 p.m.

Admission is $5 in advance at Purina Gold Dealers or $8 at the door. There is no admission charge after 3 p.m.

- Kansas Beef Expo upcoming --- The 23rd annual Kansas Beef Expo and Trade Show will be open for business March 7-10 in Hutchinson. Through the years, it has become the state's largest multi-breed beef cattle event, featuring shows and sales for seven breeds. The Expo is expected to draw 4,000 people from across the country to the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

Sales for the participating cattle breeds are the main attraction. More than 300 cattle have been consigned for the event.

- Ag Hall of Fame to open this month --- The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame will open for the 2001 season on March 19, the beginning of National Agriculture Week. The center, federally chartered, serves as the national museum of agriculture and a memorial to farming leaders.

The center offers a variety of special events and educational programs that promote a greater sense of appreciation of the importance of agriculture in each of our daily lives. Some relate to America's rural agricultural heritage and others tell the story of America's abundance of wholesome inexpensive foods.

The center is open seven day a week from mid-March through November except major holidays. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The center is located near the interchange of Interstate 70 and Kansas Route 7 in Bonner Springs. Admission fees apply. For more information, call 913-721-1075 or visit the Web site at www.AgHallOfFame.com.

- Group studying feasibility of ethanol plant --- A favorable pre- feasibility study, optimistic economic projections and on-site tours of two new producer-owned ethanol plants have organizers of East Kansas Agri Energy excited about the potential of building a producer- owned ethanol plant at Garnett.

More than 50 people attended a recent meeting of the East Kansas Agri Energy. EKAE is a 47-member producer alliance that is investigating the feasibility of building an ethanol plant in the Garnett area.

The group is continuing to raise funds to move forward with a formal feasibility study for the ethanol plant. EKAE also is in the process of creating a more efficient working business structure as it progresses through the feasibility study.

- Kansas Beef Council re-elects leaders --- Producer members of the Kansas Beef Council have re-elected Ron Estes of Atchison to serve as chairman of the group for the coming year.

Estes co-owns and operates Atchison County Auction Co., Estes Cattle Inc., and Estes Ranch Inc. He also grows soybeans, corn and brome hay. He is a member of the Livestock Marketing Association and the Kansas Livestock Association. Estes holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University. He and his wife, Kathy, have three children.