[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 201 (Wednesday, December 6, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   RECOGNIZING MID KANSAS COOPERATIVE

 Mr. MARSHALL. Madam President, I rise today to recognize the 
Mid Kansas Cooperative and honor them for their reception of the 
esteemed Retailer of the Year Award, presented by the Agricultural 
Retailers Associations, ARA.
  I am extremely proud that the Mid Kansas Cooperative, a pillar of 
prosperity in central Kansas since 1965, has received ARA's extremely 
prestigious award this year. Known locally as MKC, the co-op is 
headquartered in Moundridge and offers a complete line of products, 
programs, and services citizens throughout the State of Kansas. With 
more than 600 employees, 11,000 members, and 8,000 customers through a 
wholly-owned subsidiary, MKC specializes in grain, agronomy, energy, 
feed, and risk management. The farm communities that Mid Kansas Co-op 
serves have a long history of fostering innovations in grain 
production, and MKC continues that tradition by utilizing technology 
like drones and autonomous robots for precision agriculture management 
tactics.
  White pickup trucks bearing the MKC logo dot the plains from planting 
to harvest, and their specialists aid Kansas producers in making 
agronomic decisions all year long. While many co-ops provide goods and 
services as a complement to agriculture producers, MKC goes above and 
beyond through a robust college internship program and investments back 
into the very communities that their branches inhabit through 
scholarships and sponsorships.
  In combining the two facets of a productive workforce and expert 
knowledge, MKC maintains its position as an innovative steward of 
Kansas farmland, an exceptional provider of customer service, and a 
leader in local communities across a great portion of the State of 
Kansas. This commitment to excellence and innovation in the 
agricultural sector made MKC a more than worthy winner of the Retailer 
of the Year Award. They truly embody their motto of ``Shared growth. 
Shared success.''
  I now ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating MKC president 
and CEO Brad Stedman, along with all other MKC member-owners and 
employees, for being named the Agricultural Retailers Association's 
2023 Retailer of the Year.

                          ____________________