WASHINGTON, DC, US — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made six appointments to the United Sorghum Checkoff Program board of directors, which advances research, promotion and education efforts for the sorghum industry.
Five of the appointees will serve three-year terms and one will serve a two-year term. The three-year terms begin this December and will end in December 2026. The two-year term begins immediately.
The newly appointed members are James Jay Haase of Eads, Colorado, US, at-large; Ethan J. Miller of Columbia, Missouri, US, at-large; Tracy Zink of Indianola, Nebraska, US, at-large; David K. Schemm of Sharon Springs, Kansas, US, Kansas member; Brian Adamek of Victoria, Texas, US, Texas member; Scott Irlbeck of Lubbock, Texas, Texas member, two-year term.
The 13-member United Sorghum Checkoff Program board is composed of nine sorghum farmers who represent the three states with the largest sorghum production — Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma — and four at-large national representatives. More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) United Sorghum Checkoff Program website and on the board’s website, sorghumcheckoff.com.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.
