Four agricultural commodity councils seek board members

 ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) will conduct a mail ballot election to fill board vacancies for Minnesota’s barley, beef, corn, and soybean research and promotion councils. Elected members serve three-year terms, directing the investment of their councils’ check-off program dollars. Candidates will be selected through mail ballot elections scheduled for April 2017.

Those interested in running for an opening should contact the nominating committee chair from their respective council, listed below. The candidate registration deadline is January 31, 2017.

Barley Research and Promotion Council vacancies:

District 3: Becker, Big Stone, Chippewa, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Lac Qui Parle, Ottertail, Pope,
Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd, Traverse, Wadena, Wilkin

Barley Research and Promotion Council office: 800-242-6118 or 218-253-4311

Beef Research and Promotion Council vacancies:

District 1: Becker, Clay, Clearwater, Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau

District 4: Big Stone, Chippewa, Douglas, Grant, Lac Qui Parle, Ottertail, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine

District 5: Benton, Carver, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Morrison, Renville, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Todd, Wadena, Wright

District 7: Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock

District 8: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Rice, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan

Beef Research and Promotion Council office: 763-479-1011

Corn Research and Promotion Council vacancies:

Districts 1, 2, 4: Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Chippewa, Clay, Clearwater, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine

District 7: Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock

District 8: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Rice, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan

District 9: Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona

Corn Research and Promotion Council office: 952-233-0333

Soybean Research and Promotion Council vacancies:

Districts 1, 2, 3: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Hubbard, Itasca, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, St. Louis, Cook, Lake

District 4: Big Stone, Chippewa, Douglas, Grant, Lac Qui Parle, Ottertail, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Wilkin, Yellow Medicine

District 5 & 6: Aitkin, Anoka, Benton, Carlton, Carver, Chisago, Crow Wing, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, Ramsey, Renville, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Todd, Wadena, Washington, Wright

District 7: Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock

District 8: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Rice, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan

Soybean Research and Promotion Council office: 888-896-9678 or 507-388-1635

NWRSDP Seeks Members in NW MN to Serve on Board of Directors

CROOKSTON, Minn. – Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (NWRSDP) is seeking community members in Northwestern Minnesota to serve on its board of directors. 

Each of the five Regional Partnerships (Southeast, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Central) is citizen-driven, building community-University partnerships that create new opportunities and solve problems in Greater Minnesota. The Partnerships are a division of University of Minnesota Extension.

According to Linda Kingery, executive director, board members function as a team, working with local communities to identify and implement projects that foster sustainability in agriculture and food systems, tourism and resilient communities, natural resources, and clean energy.

Members of the NWRSDP board also:

•          solicit, evaluate, and vote on proposals

•          participate in regular boards and focus area work group meetings--both in-person and by conference calls--contributing time, energy, and insight to projects 

•          serve for three years with mileage and honorarium for agreed upon meetings and special assignments.

Board membership is open to residents of Greater Minnesota and University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and students. To be considered for a position, please submit your application by Friday, May 15, 2015 for terms starting in July of 2015.

 For more information, see "Board members information and application" at http://RSDP.umn.edu. 

Minnesota commodity councils elect new leadership

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Agriculture producers in Minnesota have elected new members to serve on the barley, corn and soybean commodity research and promotion councils.  Each board membership position serves a three year term.

The councils play an important role in developing and promoting Minnesota farm products, including grains and meats.  “Commodity council elections allow producers a say in how their check-off dollars are spent. It’s very important they take advantage of this opportunity and I want to thank all the candidates and producers who took the time to cast a ballot,” said Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner, Dave Frederickson.

2014 commodity council elections for barley, corn and soybean:

Barley Research and Promotion Council

Brian Lacey, Wendell

Corn Research and Promotion Council

District 1, 2 & 4 - Dwight Mork, Bellingham

District 7 - Richard Peterson, Mountain Lake

District 8 - Jerry Demmer, Clarks Grove

District 9 - Marty Amundson, Zumbrota

Soybean Research and Promotion Council

District 1, 2 & 3 - Drew Parsley, Warroad

District 4 - Patrick O’Leary, Benson

District 5 & 6 - Patrick Sullivan, Franklin

District 7 - Craig Bangasser, Garvin

District 8 - Rochelle Krusemark, Trimont

Consumers, parents and others sought for state mental health boards

The State Advisory Council on Mental Health and the Subcommittee on Children's Mental Health are accepting applications for membership through Feb. 6.

The council and subcommittee advise the Governor and state departments on policies, programs and services affecting adults with mental illnesses and children with emotional disturbances. Each group consists of 30 members representing a variety of perspectives on the mental health system. Every two years, the council and subcommittee file a formal report of their recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. As a federally mandated council, the council also provides input on the state’s mental health system for the federal government. The council also assists in coordinating the work of local advisory councils.

Terms of membership are four years. The following positions are up for appointment:

State Advisory Council:

Three consumers of mental health services
Two family members of persons with mental illnesses
A parent of a child with an emotional disturbance
A representative of the discipline of psychology
A representative of the discipline of nursing
A metro county commissioner

Children’s Subcommittee:

Two parents of a child with an emotional disturbance
A person knowledgeable about the needs of children who have emotional disturbances of minority races and cultures
A hospital-based provider of children’s mental health services
A provider of mental health services for pre-adolescent children
A present or former consumer of adolescent mental health services
A rural county commissioner
A state legislator

Any Minnesotan is eligible for membership. Appointments to the State Advisory Council are made by the Governor; appointments to the Children’s Subcommittee are made by the State Advisory Council.

The council and subcommittee meet on the first Thursday of the month in St. Paul. In addition to reimbursement for travel, lodging, and meal expense, there is a per diem payment of $55 per meeting.

Applications are available the Secretary of State’s Office at http://www.sos.state.mn.us/, Open Commissions and Appointments. You may now apply online at http://www.sos.state.mn.us/index.aspx?recordid=41&page=19.

Applications should be received by February 6.

If you have questions, contact Bruce Weinstock at Bruce.Weinstock@state.mn.us or 651-431-2249.