[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16073]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RETIREMENT OF STEVE BACCUS, PRESIDENT OF KANSAS FARM BUREAU

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, agriculture is the lifeblood of my home 
State of Kansas. It drives our economy, but more importantly, it offers 
our citizens a way of life that is unique in today's world.
  Within that industry I often encounter thoughtful, committed men and 
women who work every day to raise their families, run their businesses, 
serve their neighbors, and provide a better future for the next 
generation. Those qualities are found in Steve Baccus, who for the past 
17 years has served on the Kansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors and 
for the last 12 served as its president.
  Kansas Farm Bureau is our State's largest general farm organization, 
with nearly 105,000 members. Under Steve's leadership, the organization 
has influenced policy and politics, promoted rural values, and worked 
to show an increasingly urban population how food is produced and why 
technology is indispensable to feeding a hungry world.
  Steve is a native Kansan, a veteran, a husband, a father of five, and 
a grandfather. His fourth-generation family farm in Ottawa County 
produces wheat, corn, soybeans, and occasionally a sunflower or a bit 
of sorghum.
  I met Steve now many years ago when he was on his local farm bureau 
board, and we grew to be friends over the years. He was always someone 
I could count on to give trustworthy advice and counsel.
  As agricultural issues repeatedly come to the forefront of debate in 
Washington, DC--from trade and energy, to the economy, overregulation, 
and the farm bill--Steve has worked to make certain the voices of 
Kansas farmers and ranchers are heard in the Nation's Capital.
  Steve's passion for improving the lives of Kansans and advocating for 
the future of our rural State has always impressed me. His service on 
the Kansas Farm Bureau board was inspired by Steve's deeply held belief 
that there is a better future ahead for Kansas agriculture and for our 
State. He has always been selfless in his service, often taking time to 
drive across all 105 Kansas counties over the years to update members 
of the farm bureau on issues that impact their lives and the lives of 
their family members in rural Kansas and across our State. KFB members 
always knew where to find Steve and felt comfortable seeking his help.
  In addition to his service as president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, 
Steve has led multiple boards and organizations, including the Board of 
the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Farm Bureau Mutual 
Insurance Company, whose board he currently chairs. He has led trade 
missions, presented testimony before Congress and State legislative 
committees, and has championed the cause of agriculture for much of his 
adult life.
  Steve embodies many traits we can all admire, including a deep love 
for the great State of Kansas and gratitude for the many hard-working 
families who provide food, fuel, and fiber on which Americans and the 
world rely. These traits have earned Steve the respect of his peers 
across the country. Steve has been a true public servant to 
agriculture, and he did it for all the right reasons. Not often do you 
find someone who has such good and clear intentions of service. Kansas 
farmers and ranchers found that in Steve Baccus in spades. He is a 
tremendous role model for all of us who want to make a difference in 
the lives of others.
  Steve, we congratulate you for your service and wish you and your 
wife Patricia well in the next chapter of your life as you retire as 
president of Kansas Farm Bureau.

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