U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., was appointed to the Senate in May 2011 to fill the vacancy left by Sen. John Ensign’s resignation. Heller previously represented Nevada’s 2nd District in the U.S. House, and before that, he served many years in state government.

U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is a member of the LDS church who has run for president. In the 2000 presidential primaries, he encountered anti-Mormon sentiment in the Midwest and ultimately withdrew from the race.

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, is a member of the LDS church.

Bitterlemons is an online roundtable, a publication on the Middle East put out by Palestinian sociologist Ghassan Khatib and Yossi Alpher, a consultant on Israeli-related strategic issues.

Daniel Sumner directs the University of California Agricultural Issues Center in Davis, Calif.

Mechel “Mickey” Paggi directs the Center for Agricultural Business at California State University, Fresno.

Stephen Devadoss is a professor of agricultural economics and rural sociology at the University of Idaho.

Ronda Rutledge is executive director of the Sustainable Food Center in Austin, Texas. She has supported reforming the commodity program and improving rural development and nutrition programs.

Kenneth Dierschke is president of the Texas Farm Bureau. See his April 5, 2012, post, “What is it about the Farm Bill that is so difficult?”