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Passing the Reins

Wednesday, January 1, 2025
filed under: News

South Dakotan Chuck Todd Elected NSA Board President, With Colorado’s Tom Kirkmeyer Transitioning to Chairman

        Chuck Todd was first appointed to the boards of the South Dakota Oilseeds Council and the National Sunflower Association, he had a list of things he wished to accomplish. Nearly a decade later, he’s still working on that list — but he’s proud of the progress made so far.
        “We’ve spent a lot of money!” Todd jokes. But he quickly adds that it’s been money well spent. The NSA has invested in research and infrastructure. “We’ve invested in a lot of study on Phomopsis.
I think that research has helped producers who have struggled with that disease for a long time. We’ve also helped fund the ARS to get some new buildings, so they have more space for research.”
        Perhaps what he’s most excited about is the breeding initiative. Todd hopes that it might lead to more new varieties of sunflower — and that might lead to increased acres.
        “As producers, we need new varieties of sunflower,” Todd affirms. “We’re often dealing with older varieties that are just not keeping up quite as well. I don’t think our yields are rising at the same level as they were before. But things have changed — including the yields we expect. We used to think a 1,200-lb yield was a pretty good accomplishment. Now, in central South Dakota at least, a 2,000-lb yield isn’t that great of a yield anymore.”

        Todd knows a thing or two about sunflower. The crop has been a regular part of his rotation since the 1970s. Chuck and his dad, Tony, started planting sunflower on their farm near Onida, S.D., back then because they knew they needed another crop that would work in a drought. These days, Todd plants high-oleic sunflower; but he’s tried confections and conoils over the years. He’s learned that high-oleics just work best for him.
        As he moves into the role of NSA board president, Todd’s adding a few things to his list. At the top: he’d like to find new products that use sunflower.
        “I'd like to see us do a little bit more in trying to find other uses for sunflower. The soybean groups have done that and had great success,” Todd explains. “Are there other uses for sunflower besides just oil and birdseed? Maybe there are other uses that might create more demand — which, of course, would then encourage more producers to add sunflower to their rotation.”

        Todd is taking over the job of NSA board president from Colorado’s Tom Kirkmeyer.
        The Brighton, Colo. producer was first appointed to the NSA board in 2017.
      “I have sat on many boards, including my local school board, a local co-op board, and I currently sit on the local elevator board. I always say if you’re going to complain, you better get involved,” Kirkmeyer says. “So, when I was approached to be Colorado’s rep on the NSA board, it wasn’t long before I was voted in as president.”
      As president, he’s had a chance to get an up-close look at how the industry works and how the NSA can help producers. It’s a group he’s proud to be a part of. His time on the board has taken him to Washington, D.C., several times and twice to Spain.
        “In Spain, just having the chance to meet with people about buying U.S. sunflower and the discussions are so helpful,” Kirkmeyer relates. “They consume sunflower seeds in a totally different way. It’s a totally different ball game over there. They’re very picky on the quality and the size of their seeds. They like a really big seed. And the way they eat them is different than how we eat them here in the U.S. They eat them one by one, not by the handful like we do. That was really interesting to see for myself.
        “As for the trips to Washington, D.C., everything happens in Washington,” says Kirkmeyer. “If you want anything done, you have to be out there. It’s a lot of politics. You need a presence out there or else you don’t have much of a chance of getting anything done long term.”

Tom Kirkmeyer

       Speaking of long term, Kirkmeyer says he’d like to see funding for the sunflower breeding initiative, emphasizing that the development of new varieties is key to growing sunflower acres.
        “Trying to expand the breeding and develop some new hybrids that work better in different areas of the United States [is crucial],” Kirkmeyer states. “What works in North Dakota might not necessarily work the best in Colorado. We’d love to get some breeds that are developed for specific geography and would produce better oil content.”
        As he transitions from board president to board chairman, Tom Kirkmeyer says he’s glad he accepted the nomination to be a member of the board. Through his work on the NSA, he’s met producers from different parts of the country, bounced ideas off them, and learned how their operations vary from his own.
          “It’s just really beneficial to compare notes with people who do the same thing as you, but in a different part of the world. What works for one guy doesn't necessarily work for the other,” he says. “For example, with Minnesota and Colorado you have two completely different worlds; diseases are different, weeds are different. But, by having a chance to network, we’re able to share our concerns and solutions and maybe help another grower.” — Jody Kerzman