Grain prices mostly up for the week

Prices paid for grain at the Ellsworth Co-op at the end of the business day, Monday, July 8, were:

Wheat, bu. — $4.11, up 2 cents from July 1.

Milo, bu. — $3.60, up 24 cents.

Soybeans, bu. — $7.33, down 11 cents.

Corn, bu. — $4.10, up 24 cents.

The co-op has locations in Ellsworth, Black Wolf, Farhman, Hitschmann, Holyrood and Kanopolis.

Reporting deadline is July 15

Producers are reminded that July 15 is the deadline to certify all corn, milo, soybeans, feed and other spring crop acreages. Filing an accurate and timely acreage report for all crops and land uses can prevent loss of benefits for a variety of programs. In addition to reporting spring crops, all remaining crop uses also must be reported by July 15.

Farm Service Agency officials realize it’s a busy time for producers in the county; however, they encourage producers to stop by the office at your earliest convenience, and prior to the acreage reporting deadline, to ensure a timely report is filed and eligibility for program benefits is retained.

Assistant ag secretary named

Kelsey Olson has been named assistant secretary of agriculture at the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Olson began serving in the new role on July 1.

“I’m excited to add Kelsey to the team,” said Secretary Beam.“Her knowledge of the diverse agriculture sectors in Kansas, experiences with constituent services, and passion for rural Kansas makes her a perfect fit at the Kansas Department of Agriculture.”

Olson will assist in leading the agency by serving as a liaison between the agency and industry stakeholders, assisting the Secretary with attendance and participation to meeting/event invitations, participating in regulatory and legislative policy deliberations, and coordinating special projects and initiatives of KDA.

Olson has been with Syngenta in Junction City since 2010, specializing in portfolio management, trend analysis, investing and sales within the agriculture industry. She also worked in the office of U.S. Congressman Jerry Moran as a district agricultural representative.

Olson grew up in Norton, Kan., then attended Kansas State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in international agribusiness and master’s degree in agricultural economics.