Optimism in the Unknown

Optimism in the Unknown

The Last Word: Editor’s Notes by Ann Clinton

The Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) board of directors has been in the office recently for meetings, discussing and approving projects, and setting funding priorities for the 2020 fiscal year. The budgeting process hasn’t exactly been an enjoyable exercise due to reductions in overall soybean sales projections. However, I am always impressed by the thoughtfulness of the farmers who are investing your checkoff dollars.

Elected to represent you, the 22 farmer member volunteers who comprise the ISA board have to make tough decisions. Entrusted to “move the needle” in the competitiveness of the Iowa and U.S. soybean industries, the directors carefully consider the greater good of all who grow soybeans for a living.

They are also asked to predict the future, analyze the markets and forecast the weather while making judgment calls on project areas, which are all arguably pretty darn important.

In addition, telling the soybean industry's story can be as equally challenging. Over the past six months, ISA's communications department has helped facilitate more than 330 media requests from news outlets all over the world.

Sitting in on a discussion during the Information and Education (I&E) committee meeting, United Soybean Board Director Tom Oswald mused on a topic regarding media interviews.

“The wrong word not said is very important,” says Oswald. “It’s like a war not fought.”

Oswald wasn’t even trying to be quote-worthy, but his words struck me, nonetheless. Being careful of what shouldn’t be said is just as important as being thoughtful with what you want to say. I think we all know this, but I’m not sure we all know how important it is to approach conversations with intentionality. It can quite literally be the difference between progress and war.

Your Iowa soybean farmerdirectors are often asked to speak to media on local, national and international platforms. Even if you are well-versed on a topic, this is not an easy assignment. But time and time again, I see our farmers stepping up to the plate and speaking from the heart on topics that are often politically fueled or personally difficult. Tough conversations are even more difficult when placed in front of a camera.

Just as the words we use are extremely important, so is the mindset we choose to embrace as we move forward into the next phase of “business.”

This issue of the Iowa Soybean Review is focused on the future of the Iowa Soybean Association. We asked several of our directors why the organization is valuable and what role it will play in the years ahead. Amid trade wars, floods and low prices, it would have been easy to focus on the challenges ahead, but they chose optimism in the unknown.

To bring this full circle, I think it’s important to thank the farmers out there making the hard decisions on your farms. We see you. Thank you for telling your stories, even if it’s to each other over coffee. And thank you for choosing words that propel our industry forward. But most importantly, thank you for getting up each morning to do what you do. It takes all of you in your own way to make the future of agriculture worth the hard work being done today.

aclinton@iasoybeans.com