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A Century of Soy
Iowans reflect on their experiences leading ASA
BY BETHANY BARATTA
Eight Iowans have led the American Soybean Association (ASA) as president since the organization’s beginning in 1920. The Iowa Soybean Association celebrates the contributions of E.S. Dyas, Howard Roach and Merlyn Groot, now deceased.
Marlyn Jorgensen, Ron Heck, John Hoffman, Ray Gaesser and John Heisdorffer reflect on their experiences as presidents of ASA.
What were the biggest priorities for the American Soybean Association during your term?
Heisdorffer: “Getting the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) signed. Later, the trade war between China and the U.S. began, so we spent a lot of time and attention on trying to mend the trade war. As a farmer, you normally try to hit a problem head on and fix it, but fixing something like trade isn’t that simple.” Gaesser: “We pushed to pass the 2012 Farm Bill, which was passed in late January 2014. We urged that Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) were part of the farm bill to let farmers make their own decisions about what coverage option would work best for them. Building the relationships between ASA, the United Soybean Board and the U.S. Soy Export Coalition (USSEC) was also critical as we continued efforts to build trade relationships all over the world.”
Jorgensen:
“Establishing a national soybean checkoff and getting soybeans recognized as a federal crop, which created a floor for soybean prices. Coming off the Farm Crisis, there was a lot of unrest in the ag community because of high interest rates. I lost my best friend and neighbor during the Farm Crisis to suicide, so it was personally important to me that we got soybeans recognized in the federal loan program.” Heck: “In 2002, soybeans were recognized as a program crop for the first time, reaching equal status with wheat, rice and corn in farm programs. In 2003, WTO (World Trade Organization) negotiations were a very big deal. Along with the freedom to farm and increasing yields, we had to sell more products overseas. Most of the years were spent getting better trade agreements for soybeans. Other priorities included allowing soy milk to be offered in schools and passage of the first biodiesel tax incentive.”
Hoffman: “The 2008 Farm Bill was top of mind during the 16 months I served as president. Specifically, ASA was supportive of the risk management tools the farm bill provided. The 2008 Farm Bill provided funding for the Foreign Market Development the Market Access programs. International marketing was also important to the organization, with ASA international marketing the precursor to USSEC.”
JOHN HOFFMAN, WATERLOO ASA president, 2007-2008 E.S. DYAS, AMES ASA president 1935-1936
HOWARD ROACH, PLAINFIELD ASA president 1944-1946
MERLYN GROOT, MANSON ASA president 1978-1979
What was your most memorable takeaway or event from your term?
Heisdorffer: “Two events stick out in my mind. The first was being on stage and shaking President Donald Trump’s hand during the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill. The second was having my family at Commodity Classic with me in Anaheim, California, during my presidency.” Gaesser:“It was great building connections with not only people in the state, but also in the nation. The experience also opened my eyes to how the soybean industry works through policy, research, market development and educational efforts to expand U.S. soy’s reach globally.” Jorgensen: “A good part of the presidency was traveling to see different soybean-growing states and speaking at annual meetings. I made a ton of new friends, many of whom I still see to this day.” Heck: “The realization that the worldwide soybean family is a real thing. You see that from the beginning by being involved in the county and state levels, and at the national level you meet people who really care about soybeans. As president you meet people internationally, and you realize that soybeans are more than just a crop, they are part of a worldwide culture.”
Hoffman: “We had worked for more than a year talking about extension of the biodiesel tax incentive but couldn’t get our foot in the door to talk to Mark Prater, who was then chief tax counsel for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Having a personal connection with Sen. Charles Grassley, a neighbor and chair of the Senate Finance Committee, I called his local office to ask for that opportunity. By the end of the day, an appointment was set up to have a conversation with Prater, and we eventually secured the extension of the biodiesel tax incentive.”
How did serving as ASA president help you grow as a farmer?
Heisdorffer: “I grew as a leader. Being ASA president helped me see how leadership really works and how respected the position is. It made me think about how everyone working together can accomplish something that no farmer can accomplish on their own.” Gaesser: “Being away from the farm, I really appreciated the team I had at home and how they stepped up to make sure things got done properly all year. In turn, this allowed the team at home to build as we invested in the next generation.” Jorgensen: “It made me a better businessman because I was dealing also with ASA budgets. I learned how to evaluate risks/ rewards more effectively.” Heck: “You see so much, do so much and meet so many great people. It gives you a broader viewpoint and makes life wider and better.”
Hoffman: “It developed my perspective of how critically important ASA is to soybean farmers in Iowa and across the country.”
RAY GAESSER, CORNING ASA president, 2013-2014
JOHN HEISDORFFER, KEOTA ASA president, 2017-2018
RON HECK, PERRY ASA president, 2003-2004
Why was having Iowa’s voice heard important?
Heck: “During my time as president, there were three Iowans in key positions: Sen. Grassley was the ranking member of senate finance committee, Allen Johnson was the chief agriculture negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Sen. Harkin, was chair of the senate ag committee. From my viewpoint, we were able to get these priorities accomplished because we had those important state connections.” Heisdorffer: “Being a top soybean-producing state, we were a leader. As Iowans, for example, we were asked for input about the Market Facilitation Program, and we were thrilled that most of what we suggested was actually used as framework for the program.” Gaesser: “ISA has been so forward-thinking in the areas of water quality, conservation and environmental stewardship, so people looked up to ISA for those values and experiences. It was great sharing not only what we were doing, but to also expand those ideas nationally.” Jorgensen: “Iowa is a leader in soybean production, and proved to be focused on the bigger picture, especially during discussions regarding how the checkoff would be collected. It took a lot of statesmanship not only from Iowans, but also from folks from the south to bring it all together.” Hoffman: “ISA is very progressive. We’re also ahead of the curve in environmental programming and understanding policy because agriculture is an economic driver in the state. I think that gave us a leg up when it came to developing solutions on the national level.”
Contact Bethany Baratta at bbaratta@ iasoybeans.com.
Leading the Way in Water Quality
National award highlights dedication to collaboration
There may not be an “I” in team, but soybean farmers who are making strides in water quality know there is an “I” in collaboration.
Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) was recognized for this collaboration by receiving a 2020 U.S. Water Prize. It was presented earlier this year by the U.S. Water Alliance, an organization that promotes awareness of all areas of water management including business, manufacturing, agriculture and municipalities.
The alliance encourages the One Water concept – a holistic way of thinking about water as a resource that
BY KATIE JAMES
connects everyone.
Awarding seven prestigious prizes each year for those displaying exemplary efforts toward water stewardship, the U.S. Water Alliance selected ISA as the non-profit winner.
“We really weren’t expecting this,” says Roger Wolf, ISA director of innovation and integrated solutions, for ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation. “But it shows that ISA is recognized as an organization helping farmers address water quality issues on their farms and within their communities.”
Wolf says ISA’s “watershed approach” is what makes the organization stand out. Wolf and the team within ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation bring science and data to the forefront through agronomy research, data analytics and water monitoring.
“Mix all those pieces together and it’s really helping farmers embrace how changes on their farm are good for them in terms of production and also for folks downstream and throughout their watershed,” says Wolf.
Water monitoring plays a critical role in how ISA targets specific watershed areas. Samples are collected and tested for nutrients using an accredited water
quality testing lab. ISA hosts one of the only labs in Iowa certified by the Department of Natural Resources with authority from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Tony Seeman, an ISA water quality scientist, says the lab was born from the desire to increase sampling. When the new ISA office was constructed in 2010, the lab became ready-touse one year later.
“Our primary goal with the lab is to run water samples, and evaluate and put resources toward the areas with the biggest issues,” says Seeman.
A large part of Seeman’s time is in the field, working with partners on watershed projects. And when Seeman is not in the field, he’s in the lab recording data from samples collected from around Iowa.
“Everyone thinks they have the answers, but without data, you don’t,” Seeman Seeman says. “I always tell farmers, ‘you can’t manage what you don’t measure.’”
ISA’s lab measures for nitrates, phosphate, chloride and sulfates. It’s also certified to test for fluoride and E.coli bacteria. The lab can detect these pollutants and compute results in about one day.
Water sampling also offers farmers concrete proof that conservation efforts like cover crops and reduced tillage make an impact. And for farmers within project areas, such as the Middle Cedar Partnership Project and the Raccoon and Boone River watersheds, lab results show how they stack up against their neighbors in terms of the quality of the water leaving their land.
“A lot of it is education and engagement,” Seeman says. “We need farmers who are engaged and want to make an impact on improving water quality.”
Part of an integrated approach,
Seeman says, water sampling is giving producers a look at what’s leaving their fields. This information helps them discover if they’re losing excess nutrients. Improving water quality is one of many goals, along with increasing yields and improving profitability. For Wolf, the U.S. Water Prize is evidence that working together with landowners, farmers and partners while sticking to an integrated approach leads to real results. “ISA is in a rare space within the One Water realm,” Wolf says. “We are out there engaging with farmers in a way they can benefit from and trust. Working collaboratively helps us approach the topic of water quality holistically. We aren’t in the business of just flag waving.”
The U.S. Water Alliance says collaboration is a primary reason ISA was recognized. Citing ISA’s ability to work with both agricultural and urban stakeholders, the alliance says this collaborative mentality is at the core of the One Water concept and cleaner water.
Wolf considers the future and how ISA, soybean farmers and partners can increase the number of conservation practices across Iowa’s landscape, even during turbulent years.
The next 20 years promise continued attention on water quality and agriculture’s role within it, Wolf predicts. Iowa’s large number of rivers, lakes and excess waters have many cities calling for a push in tourism. More people using Iowa’s waterways means increaed attention or how natural resources are being managed.
“We have a lot of work left to do, and the next generation is figuring it out,” Wolf says. “We’re not there yet.”
Contact Katie James at kjames@iasoybeans.com.
Edge of field conservation practices like bioreactors and saturated buffers have proven to remove significant amounts of nitrates leaving fields. ISA is recognized as an organization helping farmers address water quality issues in the state.
