11/24/08 Farm Bureau leaders re-elected; WSU wheat breeding update

Washington Ag November 24, 2008 Voting delegates at the Washington Farm Bureau Annual Meeting last week in Wenatchee re-elected Steve Appel, a wheat and barley grower from Whitman County, to lead them into 2009. First elected in 1994 Appel is the longest serving state president in Washington Farm Bureau's history. Wenatchee area grower Brit Dudek was re-elected First Vice President and Dean Farrens of Walla Walla will serve a tenth term as Second Vice President, which focuses on Farm Bureau policy development. Washington State University is ready to move forward in the search for a new winter wheat breeder and a new spring wheat breeder. Rich Koenig, chair of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences says the job descriptions have been agreed upon. Koenig: "The notice of vacancy has been drafted. We are seeking approval at the university level right now. We are finalizing the search committee. We expect to launch the process by mid-December. Go to advertising for approximately 60 days and then begin screening applications at that time. Ideally we will begin interviewing late winter, early spring." July 1st is the target date to have the two new breeders in place. I'm Bob Hoff.