Thirty Kansans were named to the 12th Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership, Inc. (KARL) class at a celebration over the weekend.

“Big shoes will be needed to walk in the path of those that stepped up before us,” said Al Davis, president of KARL, in announcing the class roll. The program is a two-year educational experience offering intensive study, training and travel for emerging leaders in agriculture and rural communities.

Davis said the newest KARL class represents both the small Kansas community and urban viewpoints.

“The class members were incredibly excited to get the notice calls and humbled by the selection due to the competitiveness of the candidate pool,” Davis added.

The class average age has risen from 32 for Class XI to 35.3 for Class XII, and will include 12 women, and the most farmers and ranchers in years – with 20 full- and part-time producers.

The class will participate in nine in-state seminars, Lindquist said. Study tours over the two years include a national blue chip seminar, which is an executive review of a Fortune 500 corporation’s strategic management processes; a tour to Washington, D.C. to study decision making on the federal level; and an international study tour will be the capstone event in 2015.

“The blue chip seminar will be hosted by Burlington Northern Santa Fe in Waco, Texas, while the international study tour will take the group to South Africa,” Davis said. “South Africa is rapidly growing into a major competitor and partner in feeding the world.”

The new KARL class members will soon begin attending seminars, with the first year focused on economic literacy instruction, communications training, conflict management exposure and the development of contacts at the local, state and national levels. The second year includes sessions on biosecurity, energy, water conservation, food safety, trade balance issues and ends with a study tour to experience the culture, political system and agriculture of a competitor and trading partner.

“By learning about the world, as well as local and national issues, KARL graduates are prepared to take on today’s critical challenges,” Davis said.

The new KARL class was introduced at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure Conference Center west of Salina. The KARL board of directors, graduates and donors were on hand to celebrate the announcement of the 30 newest members of the statewide leadership training experience.

KARL’s mission is to provide leadership development for agricultural and rural stakeholders by designing and offering education and enrichment programs as well as a forum for continuous engagement.

KARL training carries a value of nearly $20,000 per person. Since tax revenues are not used for the program, funding is provided by contributions from the private sector. Donations from individuals, organizations, companies, corporations and foundations provide more than 80 percent of the program’s budget. The participants pay a tuition fee of $2,000 each of the two years for the remaining costs.

People wishing to invest in their future by supporting the program can make tax deductible contributions directly to KARL at 101 Umberger Hall, Manhattan KS 66506. Call (785) 532-6300 or go to the program website www.karlprogram.com for more information.

KARL Class XII members –

Atchison – Matthew Symns
Beloit – Tony King; Heather Hartman
Cedar Point – Sara Dawson
Chanute – Wade Collins
Colby – Tanner Brown
Danville – Riley James Ellerman
Dexter – Shannon Martin
Dodge City – Sarah Farlee
Garden City – Jonathan D. Lightner
Goodland – Timothy Franklin
Hepler – Kyra O’Brien
Horton – Gregory Paul Rodvelt
Ingalls – Ryan Jay Brady
Kansas City – Joseph Thomas
Kiowa – Miranda Walz-Allen
Lawrence – Wade Wilbur
Manhattan – Andrea Stroberg Kitch; Greg Legleiter; Brett Esau
Marysville – Travis Mason
McPherson – Shane Michael Eck
Moundridge – Grant Good
Natoma – Teresa Chrilser
Newton – Matthew Voth
Park City – Lesley Schmidt
Spring Hill – Susan Mackey
Topeka – Chelsea Kay Good
WaKeeney – Scott (Bronc) Barrows
Washington – Rebecca Frerking

Two men were injured in a crash on I-70 in Ellsworth County on Monday evening. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol,  “Alexander Shea Krcmarik, age 20, of Ft. Collins, Colorado was driving a 2004 Honda westbound on I-70 at Mile Post 206, the Wilson Exit, when he struck the rear of a traffic attenuator truck, which was protecting a crew working on the shoulder. The Honda spun into the center median where it came to rest.  Krcmarik was taken to the hospital in Ellsworth. A passenger in the Honda, Dillon M. Cosgrove of Wheat0n, Illinois was transported to Salina Regional Medical Center. The truck driver, 31-year-old Kenneth Eugene Purnell of Wichita was not injured.”

(AP) — Kansas farmers have been planting row crops where field conditions allow amid the recent spate of heavy rain, high winds and tornadoes.

Monday’s weekly update from the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service reports corn planting is about 96 percent finished.

Seven percent of the emerging corn crop is rated in excellent condition. The agency says 54 percent is rated good, 32 percent is in fair condition and 7 percent is rated poor to very poor.

Sorghum planting is 28 percent finished and soybean planting is 52 percent complete. About 13 percent of the sunflower crop is now in the ground.

Ninety-three percent of the winter wheat crop has headed. Wheat condition is rated 4 percent excellent, 24 percent good, 27 percent fair, 21 percent poor and 24 percent very poor.

Vocci Italian Food Products, a Kansas City, Mo. establishment is recalling approximately 2,025 pounds of lasagna products because of misbranding and an undeclared allergen. The products are formulated with bread crumbs that contain egg, a known allergen, which is not declared on the label.

The products subject to recall include:

• 5-lb. steamer tin pans of “VOCCI ITALIAN FOODS BEEF LASAGNA” bearing the establishment number “EST. 5789” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label.

• 20-lb. cases containing four, 5-lb. steamer tin pans of “VOCCI ITALIAN FOODS BEEF LASAGNA” bearing the establishment number “EST. 5789” inside the USDA mark of inspection on the label.

The products were produced on various dates between Nov. 16, 2012 and May 8, 2013 and were sold to foodservice institutions in the Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo. metropolitan area. The product is intended for use in restaurants or institutional food operations; it is not sold in retail grocery stores.

The problem was discovered by an FSIS inspector who conducted a label review prompted by the April 30, 2013, release of FSIS Notice 29-13. FSIS took the step of issuing the notice in an effort to protect vulnerable consumers after observing an increase in the number of products recalled from 2008 through 2012 due to the presence of undeclared allergens or other ingredients. FSIS personnel are responsible for verifying that establishments are actively labeling the eight most common food allergens.

FSIS and the company have received no reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about a reaction should contact a healthcare provider.

FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.

Consumers and media with questions about the recall should contact Chuk Lowry, a company consumer contact, at 816-221-2026.

Consumers with food safety questions can “Ask Karen,” the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. “Ask Karen” live chat services are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) is available in English and Spanish and can be reached from l0 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday through Friday. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.