Sailing is Believing ISA Experience Class Tours Mississippi River by riverboat STORY AND PHOTOS BY AARON PUTZE, APR
W
hen it comes to understanding the economic and ecological importance of the Mississippi River, seeing is truly believing. The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) hosted farmer leaders and staff for an 83-mile journey of the river. The handson learning opportunity took place Sept. 1-2 aboard the Riverboat Twilight, sailing from LeClaire to Dubuque. “Seeing the river from the river is a unique setting and perspective for farmers,” says ISA President Robb Ewoldt. “It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go through a lock chamber and see how grain moves from the vantage point of being on the water.” The event, attended by 40 soybean leaders and ISA staff, culminated a year of discovery for farmers participating in the ISA Experience Class. Powered by Beck’s Hybrids, Bunge, REG and Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, Experience Class participants immerse themselves in four
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hands-on classes that provide a thorough understanding of the association and issues impacting the soybean industry. River navigation ranks high among topics affecting the profitability of soybean farmers. More than 60% of Iowa’s annual soybean harvest makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico courtesy of the Mighty Mississippi, including nearly every bushel grown by Ewoldt. “You can’t overstate the river’s importance to the bottom line for Iowa soybean farmers,” says the Davenport farmer from his perch aboard the bow of the riverboat. “Understanding the strategic value of the Mississippi and the investment required to keep it operational must be top-of-mind for growers as infrastructure has a lot to do with the price we receive for soybeans.”
Strategic importance The Mississippi is America’s secondlongest river (only the Missouri is longer). It’s also the chief river of the
second-largest drainage system on the North American continent (exceeded only by the Hudson Bay). From its headwaters in northern Minnesota, the river flows 2,320 miles, ending in the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. All told, the river drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian Provinces. The Mississippi’s capability as an efficient transporter of freight is the result of an intricate system of locks and dams. The Upper Mississippi, stretching from St. Louis north to its origins at Lake Itasca in Minnesota, is home to 27 locks and dams located roughly 30-40 miles apart. Dams hold back water to form deeper navigation pools, providing a consistent 9-foot channel. Locks provide river vessels the ability to “step” up or down from one water level to another. Eleven locks and dams are located on the Mississippi River adjacent to Iowa’s eastern border.
