13 Apr KGFA celebrates 126th annual meeting in Wichita
Highlighted by hours of networking, valuable speakers and a windy afternoon on the golf course, Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) celebrated its 126th annual meeting April 11 – 12, 2022 in Wichita.
The annual event attracted nearly 150 of KGFA’s active capacity and associate members in 2022 to learn from Kansas’ Fourth District Congressman Ron Estes and Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Senior Economist Dr. Cortney Cowley.
“We were fortunate to book such timely, knowledgeable speakers to address our members this year,” KGFA President and CEO Ron Seeber said. “Congressman Estes and Dr. Cowley did a wonderful job of updating us on the current issues facing agriculture domestically and abroad, as well as breaking down the economy and painting a pretty clear picture as to what we should prepare for moving forward.”
KGFA also bestowed its most prestigious honor, the Sunflower Award, to longtime association supporter, Gary Beachner. Beachner has spent more than three decades in the grain business and has worked tirelessly to oversee more than 30 grain elevator and agricultural retail operations in Kansas and Oklahoma. He also served two stints on KGFA’s board of directors, first spanning from 1992 to 2001, holding the title of Chairman from 1997-98. Beachner was re-elected to the KGFA board of directors in 2013 and completed his second nine-year term at the annual meeting in 2022.
The association also completed its annual business of a report on membership activities, board of director elections and financial status. KGFA membership re-elected Troy Presley (CoMark Equity Alliance), Devin Schierling (Producer Ag, LLC) and Allen Williams (ADM) to its board of directors, while Alex Gerard of Gavilon Grain joined the board as a new nominee.
Throughout the event, members enjoyed networking inside hospitality suites sponsored by: AgTrax; Ardent Mills; Cargill Inc.; ProValue Insurance; BarnesCo; Central States Fumigation; Drake, Inc.; Hammel Scale a Mettler Toledo Brand; McPherson Concrete Storage Systems; Norwood Contracting LLC; and Rolfes @ Boone. The event wrapped up with a windy outing to Terradyne Country Club where more than 85 golfers participated in a tournament.