New Uses
Driving Demand for Soy
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Executive Committee
President
Brent Swart, Spencer | D1
President-elect
Tom Adam, Harper | D9
Secretary
Sam Showalter, Hampton | D2
Treasurer
Lee Brooke, Clarinda | D7
At-Large Director
Scot Bailey, Anita | D7 Board of Directors
Paul Kassel, Spencer | D1
Brent Renner, Klemme | D2
Mike Yegge, Lake Mills | D2
Rick Juchems, Plainfield | D3
Amanda Tupper, Ionia | D3
Marty Danzer, Carroll | D4
Jeff Frank, Lake View | D4
Corey Goodhue, Carlisle | D5
Dave Struthers, Collins | D5
Matt Willimack, DeWitt | D6
Dave Walton, Wilton | D6
Warren Bachman, Osceola | D8
Randy Miller, Lacona | D8
Jeff Ellis, Donnellson | D9
Jack Boyer, Reinbeck | At-Large
Aimee Bissell, Bedford | At-Large
Sharon Chism, Huxley | At-Large
American Soybean Association Board of Directors
Tom Adam, Harper
Steph Essick, Dickens
Morey Hill, Madrid
Randy Miller, Lacona
Pat Swanson, Ottumwa
Dave Walton, Wilton
United Soybean Board of Directors
Tim Bardole, Rippey
Robb Ewoldt, Davenport
Brent Renner, Klemme
Suzanne Shirbroun, Farmersburg
Staff Credits
Bethany Baratta | Editor
Aaron Putze, APR | CO Brand Mgmt and Engagement
Susan Langman | Creative Design Coordinator
Joclyn Bushman | Multimedia Specialist
Jeff Hutton | Senior Writer
Kriss Nelson | Staff Writer
Joseph Hopper | Communications Specialist
Brock Johnston | Public Relations Manager
FARMER FOCUSED | DRIVEN TO DELIVER
ISA VISION
We advance the long-term competitiveness of Iowa soybean farmers.
ISA MISSION
Driven to deliver opportunities for Iowa soybean farmers to thrive.
Iowa Soybean Review is published monthly by: Iowa Soybean Association 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny, Iowa 50023 (515) 251-8640 | iasoybeans.com
E-mail: bbaratta@iasoybeans.com
For advertising information contact Bethany Baratta at (515) 334-1020 or bbaratta@iasoybeans.com
March 2025 | Vol. 38, No. 6
10
Growing Soy Demand
Checkoff investment, innovation increase demand for soybeans.
18
Fixed by Farmers
Read about soy’s involvement in solving challenges.
28
Creating the Perfect Soybean
Soybean breeders focus on intended use and farmers’ needs.
On the Cover:
Soy is a major component of grease pads created by Todd Whiting and his team at Cedar Falls-based Gear Head Lube. The soy used to create the product is sourced in Iowa. Read more on Page 8.
Comments and statewide news articles should be sent to the above address. Advertising space reservations must be made two months preceding publication. In consideration of the acceptance of the advertisement, the agency and the advertiser must, in respect of the contents of the advertisement, indemnify and save the publisher harmless against any expense arising from claims or actions against the publisher because of the publication of the content of the advertisement.
Executive Insights
Kirk Leeds, ISA Chief Executive Officer kleeds@iasoybeans.com
Optimism on the Horizon
As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, I’ve learned to embrace the spirit of optimism. Every spring I look forward to the crack of the bat and the hope that this year will be the one that brings a championship back to Chicago.
Being a soybean farmer is like being a Cubs fan. No matter the challenges (e.g. unpredictable weather, market volatility, political uncertainty), farmers embrace another planting season with renewed hope and the belief that it will bring better opportunities.
Despite geopolitical tensions, tariff threats and economic hurdles 2025 offers reasons to be optimistic. One of the key reasons is the ongoing work of the soybean checkoff. Soybean farmers have always been innovators, and investments made through the checkoff are proving to be an invaluable resource for future growth. By researching new uses, we are finding new ways to utilize
soybeans and thus build greater demand and market share that in turn support market prices.
For example, soybeans are now being used in a variety of industries, from biofuels to bioplastics. Innovations like these reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and create a new market for soybean farmers. The more we can expand the uses of our crops, the more resilient we become in the face of market disruptions.
The checkoff also supports research to improve crop yields and enhance pest resistance while enhancing sustainable farming practices. These efforts ensure that even when prices are low, we’re becoming more efficient and resilient to Mother Nature’s volatility.
Additionally, soybean farmers are deepening relationships with customers around the world. While trade agreements and geopolitical tensions will ebb and flow, global demand for protein-
rich foods continues to grow, particularly in emerging economies. As a result, soybeans remain an essential crop for feeding the world, and those long-term trends are promising.
Finally, it’s important to remember that agriculture, like baseball, is a game of seasons. Some years may be challenging, but there’s always potential for a successful harvest. With the right investments, strong industry leadership, and commitment to innovation, we’re planting seeds today for a more prosperous tomorrow.
As you prepare to head into the 2025 planting season, hold onto that optimism. The future is full of promise, and like the Cubs, we’re always ready for the new season to begin. Keep planting, keep innovating, and keep believing as there are better days ahead.
Go Cubs!
WISHH leverages partnerships for U.S. Soy to help meet the protein needs of 8 billion consumers
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Rural Route 2
Editor’s Note by Bethany Baratta bbaratta@iasoybeans.com
Penny’s Luck and Soy’s Intentions
Ifound a penny face up on the ground the other day. Considered lucky, I put it in my pocket to bank the luck. I can’t tell if the penny made a difference, but I was a penny richer and, so far, so good.
As I was putting together this issue, I thought about that penny and the confluence of all the good things that came together to make the products and programs featured in this magazine happen.
Some things, like finding this heads-up copper-coated Lincoln, were a matter of chance: right place, right time. Others, like creating hybrids suited for various growing conditions or marketable outcomes was the result of good intentions.
When forward-thinking farmers teamed up with various companies and organizations to use soy in a variety of ways,
specific genetic makeup of the soy could benefit end users. It’s the farmers in the middle who grow the soy that ultimately make it all happen.
I thought about Morey Hill, an Iowa farmer and Iowa Soybean Association board member who chairs the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH). As WISHH seeks to drive trade and improve food security throughout the world, it’s soy that’s making the connections and helping to improve the lives of men, women and children.
“We’re focused on educating and instructing on the uses of soy protein in the human diet,” Hill says of soy’s efforts in WISHH. “We want the world to eat and live better.”
Iowa farmer Chad Krull, who you’ll meet in this magazine, routinely incorporates research trials into his on-farm program to decide if a product or a technique is worth the time, effort or money. While Chad may have some luck on his side with timely rain showers, it’s his intentional efforts to produce a better crop annually that garnered recent accolades.
When opening this issue of the Iowa Soybean Review, you likely recognized an additional product in the packaging. The Iowa Soybean Association’s Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI) team pulled together research highlights from the 2024 growing season. I’m confident this information will be helpful to you in the growing seasons to come. Whatever your interests may be, the RCFI team likely has a trial opportunity that’s a fit for your farm. I encourage you to reach out to any member of the RCFI team for questions relating to on-farm research and results.
I consider myself lucky to serve as the editor of your favorite farm publication. Thanks for the questions and the outreach via mail, email and voicemail (I do my best to respond to everyone).
Now, about that penny. Should I plant that lucky penny for someone else to find? Save it? Good intentions? Or good luck? Take care,
Soy-based fifth wheel pads take mess out of greasing
Todd Whiting spent his career dealing with the mess of grease guns. The cumbersome task of moving the grease gun where he needed it, getting it loaded to use, and then ensuring that the product was disposed of properly without dirtying the spaces not intended for grease — like his clothing and vehicle seats — was clumsy and dirty.
Benefits to drivers
Maintaining a sufficient coating of grease on the fifth wheel surface is vitally important. Lack of lubrication can cause handling issues in driving the truck, which could be serious in slippery conditions. A lack of lube will lead directly to wear of the fifth wheel surface, reducing the unit’s longevity and driving up maintenance and replacement costs over time. Drivers also say that there is a reduction of steer tire life if the fifth wheel surface is not lubricated on a regular basis.
Now a retired engineer, Whiting and his business partners, Ken Budke, have found a soy-based way to make the job easier.
Today, the fifth-wheel grease pads they’ve patented and are now marketing have gone global.
“The main objective of this product is to be crazily convenient,” says Whiting, director of product development for Gear Head Lubricant.
The Cedar Falls-based company produces the soy-based, square-shaped grease pads that lubricate fifth-wheel hitches found on semi-tractors and other heavy-duty trucks. The fifth wheel is used to couple the kingpin of a semi-trailer, livestock trailer or RV to the tow vehicle, according to Whiting.
Application involves simply placing a pad by hand at both the nine and three o’clock positions on the fifth wheel. After the trailer is hooked up, the grease from the pads is evenly distributed around the fifth wheel with no mess.
Soy advantage
The pads, comprised of over 80% U.S. soy, are listed on the United States Department of Agriculture’s Certified Biobased Product program.
While petroleum and soy-based materials can be formulated to make excellent greases, soy molecules exhibit a technical property referred to as ‘polarity’, explains Whiting. This means that soy molecules form a tight bond to a metal surface. The result is better protection of the metal surface, which can extend the life of the fifth wheel.
The soy oil used to make the product is sourced in Iowa, made from Iowa-grown soybeans.
“It’s the circle of soy,” says Brian Walker, the head of business development for Gear Head Lubricant. “We are taking the soy product from the agricultural community and bringing that into our facility and making the grease. We take the grease, and convert it to grease pads, which the farmer will use to haul the grain back to the grain storage.”
On average, a semi-truck uses 20 pounds of fifth wheel grease a year. With approximately 3 million semis operating in the country, this amounts to a market in the United States of 60 million pounds of fifth wheel grease each year.
Gear Head’s grease pad is predominately made from raw soy oil. Thus, the U.S. fifth wheel lubricant market could potentially consume more than 6 million gallons of soy oil using this new product.
A recent promotional initiative conducted between the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) and trucking companies highlighted this new use for soybeans and soy products and the products’ environmental sustainability attributes.
“These products have been in existence for a number of years, but given STC’s extensive relationships within the transportation sector, we concluded we could play a meaningful role in increasing the awareness and the utilization of these soy-based fifth wheel lube pads, says Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the STC. “Unfortunately, there can often be a significant delay between the development of an innovative and effective product and the widespread utilization of it.”
Through the project, STC aimed to increase awareness and promote
the use of soy-based fifth wheel lube pads to further accelerate their benefits.
Ruan, one of the largest family-owned transportation management companies in the nation, partnered with STC in evaluating the grease pads for their own fleet.
“At Ruan, we examine each aspect of our business to identify opportunities to implement more sustainable practices,” says Mike Elliott, Ruan’s technical maintenance operations manager. “The use of soy-based fifth wheel pads is one such example. These pads are very effective, easy to use, and affordable.”
Iowa soybean farmer Robb Ewoldt used the grease pads on his own semis as part of the STC initiative.
“As a farmer, I usually see soy as a component in feed rations or biodiesel, but it’s cool to see how soy goes from bean to block as a lubricant in this application,” says Ewoldt, a past ISA president and current lead for the United Soybean Board’s (USB) infrastructure and connectivity priority group. He also serves on USB’s export work group.
Sustainable alternative
Fifth wheel grease is predominately petroleum-based and applied by hand, grease gun, or via small plastic pouches, which often become litter after application. Utilizing the soy-based pads has proven to be an environmentally sustainable alternative that are easier to apply while providing better lubrication over the entire fifth wheel.
Whiting says most market greases utilize potentially hazardous materials in their formulations. That’s not the case with Gear Head Lubricant’s soy-based truck pads.
“Considering the unique additional materials in our formula, we find it unnecessary to utilize any metals at all in our product,” he says. “Our pads present no harm to the environment and are fully biodegradable.”
Contact Bethany Baratta at bbaratta@iasoybeans.com
Square, soy-based grease pads give new life — and demand for — soybean oil.
NELSON JOCLYN
Soybeans’ increasing use in new products stems from their renewable, abundant and sustainable nature. Soybean oil, in particular, is a highly sought-after replacement for petroleumbased materials and offers environmental benefits such as a reduced carbon footprint.
“Through the checkoff, we are partnering with industries to create environmentally responsible, sustainable and biobased products,” says Matt Herman, Iowa Soybean Association's (ISA)
chief officer of demand and advocacy. “Those industries know they need a more sustainable product but often don't know where to begin. Often, they know little about soybeans, soybean oil and soybean meal. We are able to partner with these industries, leveraging our deep knowledge of soy and their investment to codevelop novel products that help's meet their needs while enabling a new market for farmers.”
Driving innovation with investments in soy-based products
Matt Herman, ISA chief officer of demand and advocacy
Airable Research Lab:
“Where sustainable solutions start”
Barry McGraw, Founder and CLO of Airable Research Lab
Q: What does Airable Research Lab do?
McGraw: Airable is a business line of the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC). The lab started in 2019 as little more than a concept. OSC calculated the money spent funding external projects and compared it to the cost of opening our own lab. We evaluated the other benefits as well, for example, the ability to control project scope and maintain intellectual property after project success. There was no solid argument against founding a lab.
In 2019, we rented some lab space from Ohio Wesleyan University and brought in a few contractors and consultants to help us get started. Our team has grown to eight salaried and three part-time employees over the past five years. We’ve already established several strategic commercial partnerships, and we’re in promising talks with several more. Seven soybean state organizations are funding the lab, including ISA, doubling our original budget. We’re expanding the lab space and opening a second lab with additional capabilities.
Ten of our soy-based products are in the market, with more in the works.
Q: How does an investment in Airable benefit farmers?
McGraw: Airable is the only research and development lab that is 100% focused on finding new uses for soybeans.
Historically, Qualified State Soybean Boards (QSSBs) have worked with outside laboratories when projects came along that benefited both parties. The labs themselves had no long-term investment in expanding markets for soy, so the project impacts were incidental at best, and the collaborations were not true partnerships — just funding agreements.
QSSBs were also paying a lot of money for this limited support. When we founded Airable, we calculated the same funding could cover as much as four times the number of hours in the lab. That’s four times as many projects dedicated to finding new uses for soybeans.
Airable also uses that funding to build partnerships with industrial and commercial clients that want to meet the growing demand for biobased products.
These partners know what consumers want. The research is targeted at existing demand, whereas academic labs often do research for the sake of doing research, and the companies already have established commercialization pathways, most of which are quite effective. That’s our best strategy to get new products onto the marketplace.
Q: What are some products that have increased soy demand and usage?
McGraw: Roof Maxx is a soy-based roofing treatment that rejuvenates aging roofing shingles. It’s a great alternative to replacing a roof that costs far less, is far less inconvenient and significantly reduces the asphalt waste in our landfills.
OSC supported Roof Maxx’s development before Airable was founded, and Roof Maxx came along with Airable for the ride. The lab continues to help with analyzing the formula, developing new functionalities, expanding markets for the treatment, and serving as a technical consultant. The product is thriving. There are hundreds of certified Roof Maxx dealers nationwide, and the company just had its best two quarters ever. Over Q2 and Q3, Roof Maxx treated about 15,000 homes and applied 300,000 gallons of soy-based treatment.
Another exciting product we helped develop is DeWalt bar and chain oil. It’s No. 1 overall on Amazon’s best-selling Bar & Chain oil list. It’s available and selling well in 1,500 Home Depot stores
Continued on Page 12
Researchers Alex Shand, Dylan Karis and Rob Cain working in Airable Research Lab. Photos submitted.
nationwide, other online platforms and brick-and-mortar locations. In its inaugural year, we project that single product to generate a demand of 55,000 bushels of soybeans.
We also collaborate with LFS Chemistry, a company focused on biobased chemistries for the oil and gas industry. We’ve helped them develop “Lubrisoy,” a 93% biobased lubricant intended for oil and gas drilling applications, which will hit the market soon, and LFS estimates monthly sales of up to 12,000 gallons.
Airable has also worked with them to develop a non-phosphorus-based scale inhibitor, which is used to prevent scale from accumulating in the equipment used for oil drilling. That’s a product being injected directly into the ground, so it’s great to provide oil companies with an environmentally-friendly alternative. The scale inhibitor is still in field trials, but LFS is projecting sales of 44,000 pounds per month when it’s at full commercial scale.
New uses of soy, created through soybased products and feedstocks, increase demand for soybeans and provide farmers with new markets for their harvest.”
Barry McGraw
DGP: Bringing soy- based products to the marketplace
Scott Porter, CEO and co-founder of Dynamic Green Products
Q: Who is DGP, and what role do you play in developing new soybased products?
Porter: Dynamic Green Products (DGP) is a biobased lubricant manufacturer in Houston, Texas. We have several partnerships with ISO-certified labs and original equipment manufacturers for testing to exceed industry standards. Airable is our exclusive partner for soybean lubricant/product research
and development. DGP leverages its expertise and resources to formulate and test concept products. We’ve been working with Airable for almost four years. Without them, we could not have expanded as fast as we have with the product line.
The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) provids checkoff dollars to DGP to fund the commercialization of soy-based products to support our ambitious retail and distribution
plans. Their checkoff dollars also help us market/promote soy-based products at industry events and expos.
Because of OSC and Airable, we have developed and commercialized six products in the past three years and, especially in 2024, took these on a national roadshow. This has helped us become a leader in the bar and chain oil category on Amazon under DeWalt.
We successfully rolled out a national plan with Home Depot on the DeWalt Bar & Chain oil, have been shipping through Grainger and are preparing to double our retail door footprint in 2025 versus 2024.
Without OSC, we could not have scaled as fast as we have. The working capital to invest in inventory, shows/ expos, and research and evelopment has been instrumental in our success.
Leaders of research and development of new soy-based products share how investments from checkoff dollars have led to soy-based innovations, driving demand for domestically raised soybeans.
Q: Is there a preference for using soy?
Porter: We were mostly canola-based until meeting Barry McGraw. He gave me the confidence to switch to soy, and the largest benefit is that we can guarantee an all-American supply chain that supports American soybean farmers.
Soy is more readily available than canola and has a better sustainable profile for our product line. It provides many advantages over canola and is the only base oil we use for our totalloss products/lubricants.
Total-loss means there is no containment system, filters or way to collect the used oil. The oil is leaked, sprayed, dumped or poured directly into the ecosystem. Our goal is to make every total-loss product biobased and make it the industry standard.
Total loss products include:
• Bar & Chain oil: soy-based in 16-ounce, 32-ounce, 1 gallon and 55-gallon drum sizes offers superior lubricity, temperature stability and an optimized tackifier.
• Multiuse oil: soy-based in an 11-ounce trigger bottle for all applications (think alternative to leading petroleum aerosol).
• Grease: soy-based in a 14-ounce cartridge meant for multi-purpose high-temperature and high-load applications.
• Trimmer + Blade oil: Soy-based in an 8-ounce drip bottle, this oil is
for hedge trimmers, pruners, lawn mower blades, etc.
• These products perform as well as or better than most petroleum products. They are made in the USA from soybeans grown by American soybean farmers. They are sustainable, less toxic and provide a lower carbon footprint than petrochemicalbased products.
Q: Where can these products be purchased?
Porter: All products are available on Amazon under the DeWalt and DGP brands. DeWalt is carried by Home Depot, Grainger, Zoro, Bomgaars, Family Farm & Home, Atwoods, ACME Tools, DoItBest Hardware, Mac Tools and others. DGP is mostly direct from our website at changeyouroil.com.
Additional products launching during the first half of 2025 include:
A soy-based leather conditioner meant for genuine leather nourishment and protection, a hand scrub available for general hand cleaning and a cutting oil designed for drilling, tapping, cutting and sawmills.
Continued on Page 14
Partnering for soy innovation
Eric Cochran, Professor at ISU’s professor at ISU’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the director of the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites
Q: What is a success story for soy-based research and what is currently being developed?
Cochran: The Iowa Soybean Association and my team have collaborated for more than a decade. New uses for soybeans have been the focus of extensive research and development during this time.
The first several years of research were dedicated to developing a new, rubberyplastic additive to extend the life of asphalt pavement. The research on that product is matured and there are commercial products available through SoyLei Innovations marketing the material.
At Iowa State University, we continue researching that family of soybean oil-based plastics. We have discovered how to change
the material properties, making them more suitable for different end-use applications.
This year, we have focused on a wind turbine project. Wind turbines are a focus of ours, in part, due to their visibility in Iowa and because they represent excellent examples of mechanical devices demanding peak-performance materials.
Wind turbines, aerospace, automotive applications all need very high strength, high stiffness fiber-enforced composites to do the job. What we have discovered with soy-based materials is we can make them stiffer to make them suitable as the plastic part of those composites and can blend the stiff materials with softer, rubbery materials we have been using, more like those used in asphalt applications to increase toughness.
Q: What are the properties of soybased materials?
Cochran: There are three important mechanical properties of soy-based materials:
1. Stiffness, or how hard it is to bend the material.
2. Strength: imagine hanging a weight off of material and asking how much weight can I hang off of it before it breaks?
3. Toughness: a combination of stiffness and strength.
If you have a brittle piece of material, like a rod made out of glass, it is hard to bend, but once it bends, it snaps. On the other hand, you can have a rod that is exactly the same shape but made of metal. The metal is both stiff and hard to bend, but once you start bending it, you can deform it. Toughness makes a combination of difficulty to deform with strength and the ability to deform it a more significant amount before it breaks.
There are always trade-offs in materials between those three properties. Polymer composites are where it is at for the highest-
I’m thankful for the farmers’ support of these projects. New markets pose significant risks, but their confidence in our abilities to utilize their resources and products successfully is appreciated.”
Eric Cochran
performance materials. You need polymers that are both stiff (hard to bend) and tough. This enables composites that can take stresses, like being dropped on the floor, without shattering. That is what this project is all about: making soy-based plastics for those types of purposes.
Q: Where are you in the process of recyclable wind turbine blade development?
Cochran: We are still in the material science phase, demonstrating that we can make materials possessing the basic strength and stiffness characteristics expected for high-performance turbine composites.
Q: Why have you made working with soy a priority?
Cochran: The U.S. produces more than 20 million tons of soybean oil annually. Creating valuable, long-lasting products from this material is, in my opinion, much better for us and our farmers. We can keep precious material the farmers have grown and cultivated into valuable products that will last for several years.
Q: Is there a future for soy-based products?
Cochran: I continue to be impressed and surprised by the number of different plastic materials we can make from soy. These range from additives to stiffer, stronger materials. I also think they have a lot of future potential in things like adhesives and coatings.
Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com
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meet the director
Paul Kassel
District 1 Director | Spencer
What crops and livestock do you grow and raise on the farm?
I am a soybean and corn farmer. I do not have any livestock other than a couple of really spoiled barn cats. What makes your farm unique?
I have a corn and soybean rotation. The soybean crop is planted no-till. I also use fall-seeded cereal rye as a cover crop on some of my soybean acres.
What does success mean to you on the farm?
I keep crop production records with a system called Traction Enterprise. We have mostly rented land; the record keeping program allows me to analyze costs and benefits across my acres. A profitable growing season — which doesn’t always happen — means success to me.
How do you envision production agriculture 50 years from now?
I think it will be similar to now in many aspects. Farming operations will likely continue to grow in size and scope. I expect that grain crops will continue to be used for feed, food, fuel and fiber — with an increased focus on minimal environmental impact.
What do you see as the largest hurdle for homegrown soybeans in the future? Largest opportunity?
Currently, soybean farmers face some profitability issues — which are hopefully short term. Soybean and farm organizations will continue to pursue new demand for soybean products. Long term, I believe we will see continued interest in the use of soybean oil as a feedstock for motor fuel.
What’s something people usually don’t know about you?
I was born in Illinois. My dad worked for Dekalb Agricultural Association in Dekalb, Ill., before he returned to the family farm in Iowa.
Soy’s rise to prominence as an ingredient in commercial products can be dizzying to discuss. From tires to sneakers, pavement, candles, adhesives, plastics, there are new and exciting products made with soy being announced each year. Each new use or product represents positive growth for soybean demand. What can be hard to guess, is the impact any one new use or product may have on the soybean industry. Some of the most successful soy-based products had to endure years of skepticism and doubt — before reaching their potential as a solution to a major problem.
Problem: The 1980s soybean oil surplus
Iowa farmers faced down many challenges in the 1980s, but also one unique to growing soybeans. With meat consumption growing worldwide, soybean meal had surpassed soybean oil as the most valuable soy byproduct. It led to a surplus of soy oil, which farmers suspected was becoming a drag to soybean prices.
“We were trying to find a market for our surplus oil because the world needed the protein from the meal and didn’t need the oil as much because no one had developed
new uses for it,” says Ron Heck, past president of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and the American Soybean Association (ASA).
The solution to the oil surplus was the development and promotion of soy diesel, which eventually coalesced into biodiesel as we know it today. The development of biodiesel as a product spans many decades. Soy oil was first used to create “artificial petroleum” in Japan in 1921, but it took nearly seven more decades before the words “soy diesel” or “biodiesel” would first appear in print.
Three major problems solved through soybeans
STORY BY JOSEPH HOPPER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOCLYN BUSHMAN
“The reason we invest in new uses as soybean farmers is because we want to create markets to sell our products,” says Heck. “If we didn’t make those investments, these products wouldn’t happen because no commercial company has the incentive to try these different new uses. We didn’t think biodiesel was going to be this big. Concerns about crude oil supply, cleaner air and carbon reductions have made renewable fuels more interesting, and we eventually had a hit on our hands.”
One year after the turn of the millennium, U.S. biodiesel production stood at 8.58 million gallons. In 2023, the total number of biodiesel gallons produced in the U.S. was nearly 1.7 billion gallons.
Problem: Petroleum prices affect newspapers’ bottom line
With the price of oil rising in the late ’70s and into the ’80s, America’s newspaper industry was feeling the pressure when buying traditional petroleum-based newspaper ink. Not only were prices volatile and trending upward, there was sometimes no guarantee ink would be available as refineries were focused on meeting the needs for gasoline. The American Newspaper Publishers
Association sought an alternative and by 1987, the Cedar Rapids Gazette printed the first newspaper with soy ink. In the same year soy ink was first used on the pages of The Gazette, then Iowa Soybean Promotion Board Chair Don Latham made the rounds on the news explaining its benefits. Key among them: resistance to ink rub-off, more vivid colors and a host of environmental benefits, such as being less vaporous.
“It’s a completely biodegradable product,” Latham told KIMT-TV News of Mason City in September of 1987. “So even though it might be a little more expensive initially, the overall cost of the soybean oil-based program is much less to the printer.”
Two years after first being used to print the news in Cedar Rapids, soy ink was being used in 1,000 newspapers. ISA established the National Soy Ink Information Center in 1993 and by 2000 soy ink was responsible for utilizing the oil from more than 9 million bushels of soybeans. By 2005, soy ink was ubiquitous in printing. The non-petroleum ink printers had hoped for in the ’70s was now widely available.
Finally, a good problem
In the late ’90s, it began to form: the U.S. biobased economy. Former President Bill Clinton signed an executive order in 1999 to help accelerate the development of “21st century biobased industries” but the biobased economy officially arrived with the passage of the 2002 Farm Bill.
“The USDA BioPreferred Program was established in the 2002 Farm Bill with the goal of increasing the purchase and use of biobased products,” says Matt Herman, ISA chief officer of demand and advocacy.
“The hope was this program would not only boost demand for agricultural commodities but also lead to increased rural manufacturing and job creation.”
The program was significantly expanded in the 2008 Farm Bill with the intention biobased products proven successful in the government market could also find success in the consumer market.
and advocacy
“It authorized USDA to create the Biobased Product label, which launched around 2011,” says Herman. “This label is likely what most people recognize today. It established a federal government procurement preference for biobased products. These changes were instrumental in elevating the program's visibility and impact.”
The ISA chief officer of demand says there is growing interest among farm groups and the bioproducts industry to increase funding for the BioPreferred Program. With hundreds of mature soybased products already developed, the newest problem farmers may solve is figuring out which product to make from soybeans next.
Contact Joseph Hopper at jhopper@iasoybeans.com.
Ron Heck, ISA and ASA past president
Matt Herman, ISA chief officer of demand
ISA CEO Kirk Leeds appears on a WHO-TV 13 morning program, demonstrating a new soy-based spray paint remover, in 1996.
Iowa Soybean Promotion Board Chair Don Latham appears in an interview for KIMT-TV in 1987. The newscast (center) introduced Iowans to soy-based ink.
Soybean Oil and Protein Quality
Josh McDanel ISA Spatial Data Analyst jmcdanel@iasoybeans.com
Farmers prioritize maximizing yield when producing soybeans, while processors focus on extracting the oil and protein from soybeans.
Soybeans higher in protein and oil have the potential to provide increased revenue in the feed and fuel markets, respectively.
Three factors play a role in soybeans’ oil and protein composition: genetics, management, and environment.
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), in collaboration with Kansas State University, received a grant from the North Central Soybean Research Program and United Soybean Board to investigate the factors affecting soybean seed composition. This involved nationwide field sampling to study variations across diverse environments.
From 2019 to 2023, ISA collected soil and plant samples near harvest from 10 to 15 farmer fields in Iowa each year. ISA collected a total of 917 samples from 84 fields (Figure 1).
Oil and protein levels across environments and management practices varied minimally, but demonstrated the current oil and protein concentrations in typical, modern soybean varieties available in Iowa (Figure 2).
Average oil concentration was 21.7% (range of 17.7%-25.1%) and average protein concentration was 37.7% (range of 30.9%-42.4%). Both values are reported on a dry matter basis.
The average protein and oil percentages for U.S. soybeans are 39% and 22% respectively. Latitude played a role in observed protein and oil percentages. Protein percentages were higher in the northern two tiers of the state compared to the southern tier, with the opposite trend being observed in the oil values.
While the trend was consistent, the range in difference was 1.5-2% between regions. Other than latitude, no other environmental conditions in Iowa (e.g., temperature, sunlight, etc.) showed an effect on soybean quality.
Figure 1. Locations of the 84 fields sampled from 2019-2023. An additional 17 field samples were collected in the fall of 2024 and will be added to the dataset after lab analysis is completed.
Soybean Quality Economic Simulator
Lost yield and additional input costs are challenges when targeting high protein concentrations in soybeans. To better understand the true impact of the yield loss and additional costs, an interactive simulator was developed to enable estimates of economic outcomes when growing specialty soybean varieties.
Specialty varieties typically have a contract that provides incentives for farmers who grow these soy varieties. These contracts may provide premium payments and other incentives, such as transportation costs of the harvested grain to offset the reduced income from lost yield. The simulator can account for these incentives and possible additional costs such as seed cost, herbicide and various other inputs.
A combination of genetics, environment and management factors influences soybean crop growth. This study showed minimal effect of management on oil and protein concentrations. Oil and protein production are subject to each growing season’s variable conditions. Sampling from 2019 to 2023 showed that latitude was the only environmental factor that showed an effect on oil and protein concentrations. Any other variability is likely to have a minimal effect.
The last control method, genetics, offers a viable method for altering oil and protein content. Through targeted breeding programs, varieties have been developed that produce higher concentrations than other varieties. For a plant to produce higher concentrations of protein, it can come at a cost to plant growth and development by redirecting nutrients, resulting in lower yields. The potential tradeoffs between protein and yield led ISA to create an oil and protein economic simulator.
The tool shows a range of return on investment based on the user supplied inputs and the breakeven premium required to offset lost revenue and additional costs.
Default values are filled in when opening the simulator and can all be altered to account for unique situations. The simulator is available for anyone to use and can be found by navigating to the ISA website and clicking on the Research tab.
Results are presented for Iowa, but this was part of a larger study across multiple states to better understand oil and protein variability. Continued monitoring of soybean quality traits can help inform breeders on targets that, in addition to yield, help showcase the value of U.S. soy to end users.
Future policies for sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel may change the outlook for the value of oil and protein coming from soybeans. Future demand may incentivize growing specialty soybean varieties for specific end users, and it will be important for farmers to evaluate potential return on investment outcomes before making decisions to grow these types of varieties.
We can consider it as a topic in a future issue. Better yet, we’ll connect you with your local expert so you can implement a trial on your farm.
Figure 2. Protein (A) and Oil (B) percentages are shown by the region of Iowa they were produced.
WISHH continues to highlight the value of U.S. soybeans to underserved markets
Driving demand, growing new and expanding markets, fostering business and feeding the world.
That’s at the heart of the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) as they continue to promote and tout the benefits of soy to those around the globe, helping both farmers and consumers.
During a recent webinar, WISHH’s Morey Hill, Gena Perry and Tony Mellenthin examined seven global trends for the future.
Perry, WISHH’s executive director, says the organization is committed to the development of agricultural value chains in new and emerging markets while creating trade and long-term demand for U.S. soy.
“We’re taking a long-term approach in growing markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America,” she says.
STORY BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF HUTTON JOCLYN BUSHMAN
Morey Hill, WISHH chairman and soybean farmer from Madrid, Iowa
DEVELOPING ECONOMIES ARE GROWING ECONOMIES
Perry says markets where soy is making a difference — like Tanzania, Nigeria and other African countries — must remain a focus.
“The continent of Africa has really been affected by the war in Ukraine,” she says, noting that U.S. soy is helping to meet the food challenges faced by those in need.
And in southeast Asia, Perry cited Cambodia, which is projected to see 6% population growth over the next several years.
Gena Perry, WISHH executive director
GROWING POPULATIONS ARE DRIVING DEMAND FOR PROTEIN
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the demand for animal protein is expected to double by 2050.
“These consumers are really hungry for protein — soy, fish and poultry,” Perry says. “That’s a lot of opportunity for U.S. soy to step forward.”
Hill, the current WISHH chairman and soybean farmer from Madrid, Iowa, says this is a prime opportunity for producers.
“As countries and economies grow, people just want to eat better,” he says. “We can help teach them the value of soy in their diets and raise their standard of living.
“What’s rewarding is that WISHH educates and demonstrates how to be more self-reliant. Anything we can do to help people eat and live better is critical.”
Established in 2000, WISHH is a program of the American Soybean Association (ASA)
WISHH serves as U.S. soy’s catalyst for trade in developing and emerging markets. They track trends in protein demand and then work to guide and foster business development with local entrepreneurs where markets show the most potential long-term. They also connect businesses to partners across global market systems to ensure successful market development, while learning from those who have worked in these markets before. Those efforts
ultimately drive trade while also improving food security in the areas in which WISHH works.
For Hill, his work with WISHH is both valuable and rewarding.
“We’re focused on educating and instructing on the uses of soy protein in the human diet,” he says. “We want the world to eat and live better.”
Hill says WISHH benefits everyone involved along the supply chain from the U.S. soybean producer who wants to sell more soy, to the underserved consumers in places like Africa, southeast Asia and Latin America.
He says through trade, consumers are getting a better-quality product when they buy and consume soybeans grown in Iowa and throughout the U.S.
“Once they see our soybeans, they realize that’s the standard of quality and that helps move them toward U.S. soybeans,” Hill says.
And through WISHH, Hill says he’s been able to demonstrate how putting a farmer’s face to those consumers in underdeveloped countries means making a lasting connection.
“Through education and meeting faceto-face, we’re making a difference.”
Continued on Page 24
“We’re focused on educating and instructing on the uses of soy protein in the human diet. We want the world to eat and live better.”
Morey Hill, WISHH chairman and soybean farmer from Madrid, Iowa
NEXT GENERATION ENTREPRENEURS ARE KEY PARTNERS
Mellenthin, a Wisconsin soybean farmer, United Soybean Board member and WISHH/ASA ex-officio member, says the labor force in Africa alone is expected to increase dramatically.
Places like Nigeria and Ghana, where 60% of those populations are under 25 years of age, are being targeted by WISHH in the creation of jobs for young people in agriculture that align with WISHH’s goals.
“I think a common theme is the partnerships we have — strategic alignments among multiple partnerships,” Mellenthin says, pointing to the implementation of internship programs that utilize soy-based feed throughout the world.
THE AVAILABILITY OF COMMERCIAL FEED PELLETS IS AT A BOTTLENECK
In addition to helping entrepreneurs learn how to better use water resources, Hill says WISHH is also showing how the use of soymeal can improve diets and feed rations.
“Fish have a better rate of gain — less waste, less disease — thanks to the use of soymeal,” he says.
As demand grows, the supply chain needs to “catch up,” Perry says. She says WISHH is working with feed mills by educating operators on the value of U.S. soybeans, which will lead to raising better fish while also helping them with availability and what works economically.
THE RISE OF AQUACULTURE
“Aquaculture has really taken off around the world,” Perry says. “These countries are shifting from traditional fishing to on-land fishing and so we see that aquaculture is the world’s fastest expanding food production system.”
She remarked how fish, requiring soy-based feed, is an imperative to feeding markets globally.
“Cambodians eat a lot of fish,” Perry says. “The annual consumption there is 127 pounds per person per year. And that means high-quality feed and improvements to postharvesting and processing.”
BUILDING STABILITY LEADS TO BETTER MARKETS, WHICH LEADS TO BETTER TRADE
All of this, of course, is dependent on getting U.S. soy to those in other parts of the planet. That means trade.
“WISHH and U.S. soy can help deliver prosperity across the globe with our products,” Mellenthin says. “Ten percent of the world’s population goes hungry. U.S. soy, through WISHH, can head that off in a safer, stronger political environment.”
By promoting stronger trade, Mellenthin says those efforts can help get a foot into those expanding countries, which promotes stability and improves geopolitical issues.
THE ADDITION OF SOY TO CEREAL-BASED FOODS
“WISHH is working with food manufacturers in those developing countries looking to fortify foods that are typically consumed (in Africa, Asia and Latin America),” says Perry.
“As WISHH works in these countries, we teach them the value of soy in their diets,” says Hill. “As a soybean producer, naturally we would like to see more trade with those countries. Of the travels I’ve been on, it’s a nice feeling to know that whatever you’re doing, these countries do remember WISHH.”
Hill, Perry and Mellenthin says the return on investment for WISHH and American soybean producers is becoming more evident.
“When you see that lightbulb go off with these countries — the producers, feed manufacturers — that’s when we’ll see the value of U.S. soy at work,” says Mellenthin.
Tony Mellenthin, WISHH/ ASA ex-officio member and United Soybean Board member
Perry acknowledged price sensitivities in these emerging markets.
“U.S. soy is typically more expensive, but we’re working through the value chain on financing, working in collaboration with multiple partners,” she says.
Hill says WISHH is in the business of education and demonstrating the value of soy better than any other organization.
“The best analogy I can come up with is the old saying, ‘Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach them to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.’ WISHH is there for the long haul.”
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
for over 40 years, your cooperative soybean processor
knowledge is
Chad
Krull is ISA’s 2025 Innovator in Production Research award winner
STORY BY KRISS NELSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOCLYN BUSHMAN
“ The whole concept behind trials is to be as efficient and profitable as you can on your farm. Trials are easier than ever to conduct now; it’s usually just a flip of a switch to apply a certain rate or not to apply a product in one pass. Gathering data using precision systems is convenient.”
Chad Krull
Seeking efficiency and profitability on the farm has led Chad Krull to invest time into on-farm trials, both on his own and working with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA).
His dedication to on-farm research has earned Krull the recognition of ISA’s Innovator of Production Research award.
Sponsored by John Deere, this award recognizes an individual or organization leading the way in using precision agriculture technology and working to discover, validate and manage practices to improve soybean profitability.
“I am naturally skeptical,” says Krull. “During my first year of farming, at 22 and fresh out of college with no money, a fertilizer trial showed no yield advantage and I didn’t see the purpose of spending more money if I did not need to. That initial trial snowballed into testing almost every single thing I do.”
Dedicating his acres to no-till and strip-till and fighting conditions in northern Iowa to make cover crops work on his farm, Krull acknowledges those challenges and relies on research for the results to make management decisions.
“There are challenges,” he says. “I think anything can be done as long as you do it the right way, and I can learn the right way through trials.”
Successfully executing 18 trials in just the past five years, the Northwood area farmer has demonstrated his leadership and support of ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation.
“Chad is always willing to learn and try new things on his farm,” says Shane Beck, ISA research agronomist.
Shane Beck, ISA research agronomist
“He shares his research data, helping to advance the soybean industry.”
These trials have included nitrogen rates on corn, soybean population trials, soybean cyst nematode treatments and planting date studies.
Krull has participated in the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative trials to improve
Photo submitted.
nitrogen recommendations, testing five rates to develop a site-specific recommendation tool. Not only does he look at yield results at the end of the year, but he took advantage of those sites within the trial for deciding to make an in-season nitrogen application on the rest of his acres.
“The early-season rainfall caused poor crop growth apparently from a nitrogen deficiency,” he says. “I checked the plots and compared how they appeared to the amount of applied nitrogen. All signs pointed to the deficiency disappearing in the plots with 30 extra pounds of nitrogen than my usual rate.”
Verifying the necessity of applying supplemental nitrogen, Krull decided to Y-drop nitrogen on at tasseling time. It was a decision that proved profitable.
“That $30 an acre investment returned a huge profit, and I found that just by having those checks in the field,” he says. “I never expected to use that trial for making inseason decisions.”
Krull has also taken part in the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) trials.
This trial compares three treatments: Illevo seed treatment by BASF, Biotrinsic
Z15 by Indigo (a biological treatment) and seed with no SCN control. This study looks at how each product performs on SCN counts and prevents an increase in eggs during the growing season.
He has also researched different soybean seeding rates using four different rates, comparing the best ROI between 80,000, 110,000, 140,000 and 170,000 seeds per acre.
Krull has taken the seeding rate trial one step further by running two of these trials side by side, with a planting date difference of four weeks “This sort of commitment not only helps to increase his knowledge further, but also for ISA and Iowa soybean farmers,” Beck says.
Results from last year’s trial were eyeopening for Krull.
“In the 80,000 seeds per acre strip, the final stand ended up only being 55,000 plants per acre,” he says. “Normally, you think a 55,000 soybean stand is bad and you need to replant. Results showed only a few bushel yield drag. It was amazing how that stand yielded with the rest of it. These trials really help you understand what is possible.”
The Innovator in Production Research award recognizes an individual, organization or company who:
Demonstrates commitment to improving the competitiveness of Iowa soybean farmers.
Shows outstanding leadership in the use of precision agriculture tools and technology.
Works to discover, validate and effectively manage practices to improve profitability.
He has also conducted several trials of his own.
“He comes up with new ideas to try and implement on his farm to see if he can improve his yields and crop quality every year,” says Beck. “He has trials in every field, whether they are projects associated with the Iowa Soybean Association or not. I enjoy working with Chad because he challenges me as an agronomist to think about things differently and to try new things.”
For 2025, Krull is planning trials, continuing focus on soybean population research and comparing strip-till versus no-till soybeans. He encourages other farmers to begin their own trials, either independently or through ISA.
“The whole concept behind trials is to be as efficient and profitable as you can on your farm,” he says. Trials are easier than ever to conduct now; it’s usually just a flip of a switch to apply a certain rate or not to apply a product in one pass. Gathering data using precision systems is convenient.”
Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com
Trials on the Krull farm bring insights and results to manage future planting seasons. Photos submitted.
Plant breeders pave the way for innovative soybean genetics
STORY BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISS NELSON JOCLYN BUSHMAN
The journey of soy, from its use in bioplastics to animal feed and millions of other products, begins with the work of plant breeders.
Christie Wiebbecke, Ph.D., is the chief officer of research and conservation at the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA). Prior to that role, she received her doctorate in plant breeding from Iowa State University, where she later worked with genomic selection and varietal development.
Christie Wiebbecke, Ph.D., Iowa Soybean Association chief officer of research and conservation
“As a soybean breeder, you are taught to think about how to get to an end use,” she says. “What does a farmer and the end user need from a soybean variety? Is it a certain protein level or oil profile? What agronomic traits? You have a vision of that ideal soybean.”
A plant breeder considers all of these as they begin to think about what parents will be selected to create a new soybean trait.
“The traditional way of breeding is picking two parents that have complimentary genetics,” says Wiebbecke. “Maybe one parent has the right agronomic package, is high yield and the other has increased oil content. A breeder takes those two parents, crosses them together and eventually grows a seed that becomes a population of different genetic combinations between those parents. Then a breeder utilizes different tools and techniques to find the ones with the right combination.”
In recent years, the use of predictive analytic models and genotyping has aided that process.
“Plant breeders can use genome selection to find the right combinations of genetics to select for traits of interest,” she says. “That is a tool in a breeder's toolbox where they can increase rate of genetic gain, loading the population with favorable combinations.”
Another piece of the plant breeding puzzle is confirming the phenotype.
“You can have the genetics, but what's important for the farmer or end user is to actually experience the phenotype the genetics say they should have,” says Wiebbecke. “A lot of what breeders do is to partner with plant pathologists, qualitive labs, where they are going to screen for oil content, protein content from a new use or an agronomic perspective.”
Collectively, this team screens soybeans to verify the breeder's claim of soybean cyst nematode resistance, ensuring the farmer gets what they expect in the field.
“All of that is very important, because what plant breeders care most about is the farmer or end user's experience with the variety,” says Wiebbecke. “They really try to marry the genotype and phenotype with that farmer and end user in mind.”
Predicting future soybean breeding needs
Successful soybean plant breeders must be in tune with farmer and industry needs. Wiebbecke believes Danny Singh, Ph.D., associate dean for research and discovery and associate director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experience Station for Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences upholds those standards.
“He is very passionate about talking to farmers and industry to learn about emerging needs. As a researcher, he is also talking to soybean breeders across industries and different academic areas and that gives him the foresight to not only think about what a farmer needs today, but five, seven or 10 years down the road,” Wiebbecke says.
Soybean trait development relies heavily on the soybean checkoff's funding of universities as well as private companies' plant breeding programs.
High oleic soybeans is just one example that comes to mind for Tim Bardole, Greene County farmer who serves as a director for the United Soybean Board.
“Without the checkoff dollars going toward research and development, we would be well behind where we are now,” says Bardole, a past ISA president. “Those higher yielding, specific trait soybeans not only give farmers a premium when grown, but also provide the end users with a quality product they need.”
Success depends on collaboration
Wiebbecke sees the plant breeder's creativity as particularly unique, but emphasizes that it’s a team effort.
“Plant breeders can create new crosses and envision what a new variety should be,” she says. “But without the support of plant pathologists, harvesters and a commercial team bringing those varieties to market, they wouldn’t be in the hands of growers.”
Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com
Tim Bardole, director for the United Soybean Board
Offering insight into biofuels helps future diesel mechanics and soybean producers
STORY BY JEFF HUTTON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOCLYN BUSHMAN
Bridging the gap between soybeans and the future of transportation is happening thanks to an ongoing program designed to help future diesel mechanics.
In partnership with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), MEG Corp conducts biodiesel and diesel workshops for diesel technology programs at six community colleges across Iowa — Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny; Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo; Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs; Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids; and Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar and Peosta.
The goal of the workshops is to equip the next generation of diesel mechanics with a better understanding of biodiesel and diesel and how they work together to power vehicles and equipment. Facilitators of the programs also want to help mechanics move forward in their career absent of a bias against biodiesel and empower these professionals to be able to accurately diagnose and provide recommendations for fuel concerns in the future.
“The next generation of technicians is open to new fuels,” says Lisa Pedderson, director of operations at MEG Corp. “When equipped with accurate information, they can have a positive influence in the workplace and support biodiesel use by their customers. We have seen past students go on to be decision-makers in fleet management and implement biodiesel use in their fleets.”
A valuable lesson
Shea Parsons, instructor and program chairman of DMACC’s Diesel Technology program, says the workshops have proven positive.
“Ultimately, our goal is to make connections between students and employers as easy for everyone involved as possible,” says Parsons.
The workshops, presented by MEG Corp, allows students to get a better understanding of alternate fuels and how they work within diesel engines.
MEG Corp, based in Plymouth, Minn., is an industry leader in fuel consulting and testing services, providing technical support to diesel and biodiesel industries.
MEG Corp partners with soybean and corn organizations, like ISA, to educate fuel distributors, marketers and end users about the benefits of renewable fuels like biodiesel, ethanol and renewable diesel. MEG Corp conducts more than 100 educational sessions annually throughout the Midwest.
Over the past 17 years, MEG Corp has educated more than 2,800 diesel mechanic students through various workshops.
Photo
Last year, Parsons invited the DMACC Auto and Collision departments to join in the workshops. There were more than 100 students and faculty present.
“The Auto and Collision departments don’t spend as much time on diesel and biodiesel as we do here in Diesel Tech, but they do cover alternate fuels and were just as interested in what (MEG Corp Founder and President) Hoon Ge had to say,” Parsons says.
He says DMACC’s second-year diesel students spend a lot of time covering fuels and diesel fuel systems and MEG Corp’s presentation fits in perfectly with what they cover in class.
“That ranges from very green first-year students with little shop experience who are ready to get their feet wet with a part-time position, to fairly seasoned second-year students with lots of home, shop and farm experience ready to graduate who want to get started with their careers,” Parsons says.
A ‘win-win for everyone’
Randy Miller, former ISA board president and current District 8 board member, says ISA’s partnership with MEG Corp and community college students is a true win for everyone involved.
“It’s teaching the next generation of mechanics while working with the next generation of fuels,” he says. “Having these products in the system they’re taught in, it’s easier for them to understand and have an appreciation for biofuels.”
Miller says partnerships like the one with ISA, MEG Corp and the six Iowa community colleges, offer a huge step in getting alternative fuels to be more accepted.
“We had some hiccups 20 years ago with biofuels, and it takes time and a willingness for people to accept,” he says. “I remember farmers around me trying biodiesel 20 years ago and just flat out refused to use it.”
But by teaching those young mechanics about the benefits of biofuels, that can change hearts and minds.
“We’re sitting on a pile of soybeans and the crush capacity is going up,” Miller says. “All those beans that are crushed — the oil has to go somewhere, and biofuels is a really good place for it to go.”
He says soybean oil is valuable, but how do you get rid of it?
“The same way you eat an elephant — one bite at a time,” Miller says. “Every little bit of demand you create eats away at that pile of soybeans and that adds to the value of the bean.”
He says ISA recognizes the multiple benefits to these types of programs, from either the farmer perspective, teaching people to use the products that we grow every day or by keeping young mechanics up to date on this technology.
“Incorporating biofuels and teaching those in the industry about it helps reinforce how good that product is for the environment, the industry, farmers and consumers,” Miller says. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
“Incorporating biofuels and teaching those in the industry about it helps reinforce how good that product is for the environment, the industry, farmers and consumers. It’s a winwin for everyone.”
Randy Miller, former ISA president and District 8 director
LITIGATION INDUSTRY’S CAMPAIGN AGAINST
COULD COST FAMILIES MILLIONS.
Experts say that food inflation may double if glyphosate is no longer available to farmers. Proven safe when used as directed, glyphosate has helped American farms stay competitive for more than half a century.
But for too long, the litigation industry has exploited junk science to profit at the expense of American agriculture.
