Iowa Soybean Review | April 2023

April 2023

Fueled by Soy

Executive Committee

President Randy Miller, Lacona | D8

President-Elect

Suzanne Shirbroun, Farmersburg | D3

Secretary

Jeff Frank, Auburn | D4

Treasurer

Brent Swart, Spencer | D1

At-Large Director

Tom Adam, Harper | D9

Board of Directors

Chuck White, Spencer | D1

April Hemmes, Hampton | D2

Casey Schlichting, Clear Lake | D2

Rick Juchems, Plainfield | D3

Marty Danzer, Carroll | D4

Morey Hill, Madrid | D5

Dave Struthers, Collins | D5

Robb Ewoldt, Davenport | D6

Dave Walton, Wilton | D6

Scot Bailey, Anita | D7

Lee Brooke, Clarinda | D7

Warren Bachman, Osceola | D8

Pat Swanson, Ottumwa | D9

Tim Bardole, Rippey | At Large

Steph Essick, Dickens | At Large

Lindsay Greiner, Keota | At Large

Brent Renner, Klemme | At Large

American Soybean Association

Board of Directors

Steph Essick, Dickens

Wayne Fredericks, Osage

Morey Hill, Madrid

Jeff Jorgenson, Sidney

Pat Swanson, Ottumwa

Dave Walton, Wilton

United Soybean Board of Directors

Tim Bardole, Rippey

Robb Ewoldt, Davenport

Lindsay Greiner, Keota

April Hemmes, Hampton

Brent Renner, Klemme

Staff Credits

Editor | Bethany Baratta

Sr. Dir., Information & Education | Aaron Putze, APR

Photographer | Joclyn Bushman

Communications Specialist | Joseph Hopper

Creative Design Coordinator | Susan Langman

Writer | Jeff Hutton

Writer | Kriss Nelson

Public Relations Manager | Brock Johnston

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

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APRIL 2023 | Vol. 35, No. 7

Biofuels Primer

Learn about renewable diesel, biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel. 12

A new way to view cover crops and manure.

Collaborative research aims to increase soybean flower and pod retention. 26

Bonded by Soy

Power of soy on display during mill tour.

On the Cover: From planes and trains to tractors and ships, soybeans are a feedstock used to produce biofuels suitable for various modes of transportation.

Executive Insights

Kirk Leeds, ISA Chief Executive Officer kleeds@iasoybeans.com

Raising the Bar

Progress. Sometimes it happens quickly and can be easily seen and measured. Other times, it’s painstakingly slow, stubbornly elusive and difficult to quantify.

Maybe that’s why progress is both a noun and a verb.

Ten years ago, Iowa embarked on an ambitious, first-of-its-kind effort to make meaningful and sustained improvements to water quality. Launched with bipartisan legislative support in April 2013, the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy developed a science and technologybased framework to assess and reduce nutrients found in Iowa’s rivers, lakes and streams.

Addressing and improving the environmental performance of nonpoint sources presented a major pivot in addressing water quality. Prior to the strategy’s deployment, most efforts (and resources) addressed nutrient movement from point sources.

Among its core principles was the need for conservation practices to be voluntary and supported by both public and private resources. Such an approach recognized the scope, complexities, cost and shared benefits of making progress on such a massive scale and across a landscape as fertile and leaky as Iowa.

Ten years later, the momentum in Iowa is tangible:

• Cover crops, mostly nonexistent in Iowa a decade ago, are now planted on nearly 3 million acres;

• Phosphorous reduction is nearing the strategy’s nonpoint goal of 29% (no-till, advocated within the strategy, reduces phosphorous loss by 90%);

• Conservation tillage is used on seven of every 10 rows of crop acres;

• More than 40% of Iowa’s row crop acres are no-tilled (nearly 9.5 million acres);

• The cumulative acres treated by bioreactors and saturated buffers have risen steadily;

• Acres treated by nitrate removal wetlands have increased by almost 50%; and

• Numerous organizations dedicated to expanding farmer knowledge and adoption of conservation practices have been launched, including the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance.

The Iowa Soybean Association played a key role in the strategy’s creation, and we’re driven to deliver even greater results over the next 10 years.

Significant increases in public and private funding will be key to unleashing the strategy’s full potential. Iowa lawmakers should pass long-overdue legislation funding the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund (created through Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy constitutional amendment in 2010). Doing so would dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars annually to increasing the pace and scale of conservation practices benefiting Iowa’s farmers, landowners and natural resources.

As we celebrate the progress over the past 10 years, we know there’s more work to be done. We were reminded of this fact when, just before Christmas, 50-plus mph winds scoured the countryside, painting the snow-laden ditches black.

The nutrient strategy has been a catalyst for forming new partnerships, helping more farmers onboard stewardship practices that pay and greatly reducing phosphorous loss. As we turn the page to the next decade, let’s proceed with great humility and resolve to raise the bar again.

“ Celebrate what you’ve accomplished but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.”

Mia Hamm

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a substitute for fossil jet fuels that reduces carbon emissions. SAF is made from renewable biomass and waste resources and can deliver the performance of petroleum-based jet fuel. SAF can be blended with fossil jet fuel and the blended fuel requires no special infrastructure or equipment changes.

SAF must have the same qualities and characteristics as conventional jet fuel to substitute it. Currently, the industry is focused on producing SAF for a “drop-in” replacement to conventional jet fuel. Drop-in fuels are combined with the petroleum-based fuel either as a blend or potentially, in the future, as a 100% replacement.

B iodi esel is...

Produced through esterification or transesterification, a simple process that reacts a fat or oil with a small amount of alcohol (typically methanol) to produce a finished fuel.

A "drop-in" fuel that can be used in all engines and equipment up to 20% and many up to 100%. Non-toxic, biodegradable, ultra-low sulfur and 0% aromatics.

Better for engines due to higher cetane and improved lubricity.

Renewable Diesel is...

Produced through hydrotreating, a process similar to a traditional refinery operation. This high-heat, high-pressure process produces a fuel that is chemically indistinguishable from conventional diesel.

A "drop-in" fuel that can be used in all engines and equipment up to 100%.

Ultra-low sulfur and 0% aromatics.

Better for engines due to higher cetane.

Information provided by Clean Fuels Alliance America

Make Moves with U.S. Soy

Our founding farmers took action 22 years ago to launch ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health so WISHH could grow new markets for U.S. Soy. Today, WISHH is working with strategic partners that use soy for food or feed in 28 countries across Asia and Latin America to sub-Saharan Africa.

Find out how WISHH’s three pillars of trade, development and food security cultivate new markets for U.S. Soy protein.

Trade. Development. Food Security.

www.agp.com

Activate or Validate your Membership

Your investment in the soybean checkoff powers the Iowa Soybean Association. Farmer membership is available to you at no additional cost. We customize your membership to meet your needs, sending you the information and providing the resources you need to make farming decisions that keep you competitive.

Put our expertise and services to work for you — validate your membership today at iasoybeans.com/join

HELPING YOU DELIVER ON DEMAND

Whether it’s improving soybean meal to outperform the competition or promoting the sustainability of U.S. soy, the soy checkoff has been working behind the scenes to help farmers satisfy their customers’ needs. We’re looking inside the bean, beyond the bushel and around the world to keep preference for U.S. soy strong. And for U.S. soybean farmers like you, the impact is invaluable.

See more ways the soy checkoff is maximizing profit opportunities for farmers at unitedsoybean.org

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA), and others are pursuing yet another way cover crops could benefit farmers by selling harvested cover crops to produce renewable natural gas, electricity and biofertilizer.

“While this technology has been deployed in Europe, China and elsewhere for decades, one reason it hasn’t taken off in the U.S. is that the right environmental markets didn’t exist,” says Matt Herman, ISA senior director of renewable products marketing.

Work is progressing on efforts to develop and promote digesters that can convert cover crops, crop residues, prairie grasses and livestock manure to sustainable energy and fertilizer.

“With recent changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Climate Smart Commodities program, we aim to prove it can work here, too,” Herman says.

Potential benefits

A new $80 million USDA grant will help fund the greater deployment of cover crops to be co-digested with hog manure.

The five-year grant, Horizon II, is among 70 projects in the USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. Roeslein Alternative Energy from St. Louis is leading the project.

More than half of the grant dollars, expected to be awarded

Processing cover crops and manure hold economic and environmental promise for farmers.

BY JEFF HUTTON

soon, will go toward creating a new market for prairie grasses and cover crops like cereal rye. The plan is to pay corn and soybean producers in Iowa and Missouri to plant and harvest winter-hardy crops. Farmers will also receive money to restore low-yield areas to prairies.

“It’s creating a renewable fuel while simultaneously improving water quality by having living roots in the ground, preventing erosion, improving soil health and adding pollinator habitats,” says IAWA Communications Director Rebekah Jones.

As part of the project, two pilot sites will be established where harvested grasses and cover crops will be used as feedstock for anaerobic digesters. The digesters

produce methane as microbes break down organic matter. One site is located near Stockton on the Sievers Family Farm, a 2,400-head cattle operation.

On their eastern Iowa farm, the Sievers have been converting manure and bedding into biogas for nearly 10 years. In 2021, the family entered into an agreement with Roeslein to create renewable natural gas.

Expanding opportunities

Herman says co-digesting cover crops also could help bring digesters to hog farms.

“Generally speaking, digesters can use any kind of manure,” he says. “But cattle and dairy manure has been preferable due to its composition and high-production volume per head of livestock.”

Cover crop biomass could be blended with hog manure, providing a more balanced diet for the microbes.

The benefits of this system are immense, Herman and Jones say, because it creates sustainable energy and helps manage nutrients, a major priority for Iowa.

“This project is unique because it intentionally targets the use of cover crops, which historically have no market,” says Herman. “We see the ability to create demand for a commodity (cover crops), which we know has significant environmental benefits.”

Supporting the effort

Typically, farmers chemically terminate their cover crops before planting soybeans or corn. In this project, farmers aim to discover if harvesting cover crops instead of terminating them will yield the same soil health benefits.

IAWA is communicating the opportunity to farmers growing cover crops.

“We’re thrilled to promote this opportunity,” Jones says. “Growing cover crops is one way that helps reach our water quality goals.”

IAWA, ISA and other partners are working through the paperwork and anticipate beginning the project in earnest in the next several months.

“We need to be cheerleading and pushing forward,” Herman says. “This project has major implications

for soybeans. Creating a valueadded market that incentivizes greater growth of cover crops would be crucial, as cover crops are one of the best ways to reduce the current carbon intensity of soybean oil-based biodiesel.”

The No. 1 takeaway

“At the end of the day, we still have a lot to learn,” Herman concedes. “What will the next five years look like? Maybe there’s a handful of digesters/co-ops, but we won’t be at the scale of corn ethanol and soy biodiesel.”

Herman says various entities, such as the American Biogas Council, believe that converting cover crops to sustainable energy and fertilizer, as well as expanding new economic markets for Iowa farmers, is part of the future.

“We believe this could be an important value-added market, one which has the potential to make cover crops a profitable part of the rotation,” Herman says. “That’s the No. 1 takeaway.”

Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com

Sievers Family Farm LLC in Stockton, Iowa, generates biogas from a diversified crop-livestock system that produces diverse rotations of annual crops and beef. Manure and soiled bedding from cattle barns are mixed with food waste from neighboring industries and anaerobically digested on farm to produce energy that is converted to heat and electricity for on farm use with excess sold to the grid. Photo courtesy of Sievers Family Farm.

SOY SNAPS

BY JOCLYN BUSHMAN

A hiding Hereford near Dallas Center.

A storm approaches Minburn.

A dirt road after a rain shower near Van Meter.

A horse grazes near Adel.

Cows on the move in a field near Dallas Center.

Colorful bricks line the brickyard in Adel.

Red barn pops in a dull prespring landscape near De Soto.

Better. Cleaner. Now. That’s the mantra of the soy-based biofuels industry given the product is readily availability and proven to improve air quality and human health.

Producing and moving more gallons of biodiesel and its further refined cousins — renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel — will require working collectively across the fuel and energy industries.

Those gathered for Clean Fuels Alliance America’s (Clean Fuels) annual conference Jan. 23-26 in Tampa said they’re committed to answering the call.

“The word ‘one.’ It isn’t a lonely number,” proclaimed Clean Fuels CEO Donnell Rehagen in his opening keynote. “Instead, ‘one’ is a powerful number. We can achieve much on our own, but what has built the industry is the power of coming together as a team.”

Featuring a theme, “United As One,” the conference brought together nearly 800 industry leaders representing agriculture, municipalities, energy, transportation, regulatory, and manufacturing.”

Speakers leading general and breakout sessions emphasized the biofuel industry’s momentum. They also identified obstacles and opportunities to keep the pedal to the metal as companies and municipalities strive to lower carbon emissions to meet sustainability goals.

Growing the necessary feedstocks to keep pace with surging demand for oil will require rapid advancements in soybean genetics and crush capacity.

Increased output of soybean meal will necessitate international market development and sales.

Industry leaders agreed that those are good “problems” to have given soy biodiesel checks so many community and environmental boxes.

“It’s a drop-in fuel that’s readily available and immediately lowers carbon emissions,” says Rehagen, with Florida Power & Light (FP&L) vehicles, cranes and a John Deere utility tractor posed behind him.

For example, Amazon delivered nearly 8 billion packages globally in 2021, including 4.75 billion in the U.S. Recently, the online retail behemoth committed to achieving zero emissions on 50% of its shipments by 2030.

Walmart pledged to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2040 while Microsoft says it will be carbonnegative by 2030, with an added goal of negating all carbon it has emitted since the company’s founding 1975.

“Amazon and Walmart can’t meet their goals if they rely on just fossil fuels to move their products,” Rehagen says.

“All are committing to a carbonneutral future. Low carbon fuels like ours in planes, trains and trucks will have to be a focus of their efforts. Any fleet over land, sea or sky will need a low-carbon option.”

FP&L is a big believer in biodiesel. America’s largest electric utility began incorporating the renewable fuel in its fleet nearly 20 years ago.

Today, the company serves more customers and sells more power than

BIODIESEL INDUSTRY RALLIES TO ANSWER CALL FOR GROWTH

BY AARON PUTZE, APR

any utility in the nation. It provides clean, affordable and reliable electricity to nearly 5.7 million accounts and more than 12 million people.

“And our entire fleet operates on biodiesel,” says Patti Earley, FP&L’s fuel operations manager.

The utility purchases 400,000 gallons of B99, blending it to nearly 3.5 million gallons of B20 annually. Because Florida is a bullseye for hurricanes, the company manages its own stockpile of biodiesel to ensure supplies are readily available during lengthy power outages.

“Biodiesel is a seamless choice for us,” says Earley. “We can put it in the tanks with no modifications in all our equipment. It’s a very easy thing for us to do and makes so much sense.”

Last year’s hurricane season tested Florida residents and the utility. On Sept. 18, Hurricane Ian made landfall just south of Tampa Bay as a Category 4 storm. It was the most powerful storm to strike the southwest coast of Florida in 87 years and the third-costliest weather disaster on record worldwide.

“We were fueling about 13,000 vehicles each night while recovering from Ian,” Earley says. “Thousands of power trucks from all over the country came to Florida to help. They all fueled up with B20, many for the first time.

“And the operators will never know because the fuel is that seamless.”

Contact Aaron Putze at aputze@iasoybeans.com

In Their Own Words

Insights shared by soybean leaders and industry officials speaking at Clean Fuels Alliance America’s annual conference

BY

"You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger success story in the soybean industry the past 30 years than biodiesel. But let’s not overpromise and underdeliver given the projected demand for renewable fuels and available feedstocks don’t add up. It’s going to take all technologies and partnerships, including with the liquid fuels industry, to take us where we want to go."

AARON PUTZE, APR

Kirk Leeds, CEO, Iowa Soybean Association

"It will take all of us to reach a lower carbon future."

Kevin Lucke, President, Ames, Iowa-based Chevron REG

“ASA has been around now for 103 years. Partnerships and collaboration have always mattered to build the soybean industry and the same will hold true in the future to successfully drive the biofuels industry forward.”

Steve Censky, CEO, American Soybean Association

“How much will happen in terms of significant policy action in the next two years in Washington, D.C.? LESS THAN NOT MUCH .”

Former Sen. Byron Dorgan

The real story of success (of biofuels) is seated in the chairs at this conference. In just a short time, it’s generated 65,000 jobs and $16 Billion in economic activity. That success is quite remarkable.

Former Sen. Byron Dorgan

“All railroads have made firm commitments to reduce GHG emissions and the only option is to use biodiesel to meet those goals. One locomotive includes 50,000 gallons of fuel capacity, or 200,000 megawatts of power and takes just 15 minutes to fill. We need biodiesel and renewable diesel to make announced sustainability goals.”

Theresa

Assistant General Counsel, Association of American

“Our fuels play a critical role in the heating sector which is a generator of GHG emissions. Yes, electrification is going to be important, but you must factor in the significant lag time of where you are now and where you want to be, which makes biofuels a real and immediate option … today.”

Floyd Vergara, Director of State Government Affairs, Clean Fuels Alliance America

We decided a long time ago that our biodiesel would be powered by domestically produced feedstocks. I want farmers to know that when you see our vehicles on the road after major disasters, you’re helping restore power for those in need.

“What makes me excited is the increased demand for soybean oil. That has resulted in an increased crush capacity that, over the next 3-5 years, will supply enough soybean oil for nearly 900 million additional gallons of biodiesel.”

Steve Censky, CEO, American Soybean Association

“ Biofuels are not the darling of the progressive left. But the attributes of our fuels, including reduced cancer risk and asthma cases, are all things that they care about. There’s no other alternative to achieve them than our fuels.”

Kurt Kovarik, Vice President, Federal Affairs, Clean Fuels

“Carbon reduction is here to stay. Industries from rail, to marine or over the road and now airlines, are all navigating aggressive sustainability goals. New markets for low-carbon fuels will continue to open on the land, in the air and on the sea.”

Mike Rath, Chair, Clean Fuels Alliance America (Darling Ingredients)

Romanosky,

Railroads

"Diesel powers the engines that get work done."

Scott Fenwick, Technical Director, Clean Fuels Alliance America

Patti Earley, Fleet Fuels Operations Manager, Florida Power & Light

BY KRISS NELSON

As soybean crush capacity increases to meet the demands for soybean oil for biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, what happens to the expected increased production of soybean meal created as a byproduct?

Industry experts predict that soybean meal, the premier vegetable protein choice for poultry, livestock and aquaculture production, will be divided between domestic and international use.

“Soybean meal is a prime resource of limiting amino acids,” says Nick Bajjalieh, president of Integrative Nutrition Inc. and a consulting nutritionist to the U.S. soybean industry. “Any rapidly growing animal, such as a broiler, needs a relatively high level of amino acids in its feed as they build muscle, requiring the right level and balance of amino acids to enable growth.”

Currently, poultry consumes nearly half of the soybean meal produced in the U.S., while the broiler industry consumes more than 17 million tons annually.

“Broilers need a nutrient-dense diet, and soybean meal delivers the nutrient bundle that today’s bird genetics require,” says Philip Lobo, director of feed utilization for SmithBucklin/ United Soybean Board (USB).

Over the last five years, soybean meal consumption by animal agriculture has grown roughly 10%, about 4.6 million tons. Consumption by the broiler industry increased by 3.1 million tons over that period.

According to Lobo, the broiler industry represents 67% of the increase in consumption of U.S. soybean meal over the past five years.

An oilseed or protein seed?

Historically, the key value driver of soybeans has been soybean meal.

“That’s the nature of the market we are in right now,” says Mac Marshall, USB vice president of market intelligence. “When you crush soybeans, you get four times as much meal as oil. Soybeans are considered an oilseed, but they are a protein seed.”

However, an energy transition is happening in the U.S., fueled by local, state and national calls for decarbonization. Soybeans are part of the solution, offering a lower-carbon alternative to petroleumbased fuels.

Moving forward, there will be considerable demand for fuels with a lower carbon footprint, such as renewable diesel made from bio-based feedstocks, including soybean oil, Marshall says.

As soybean crushing facilities are announced, relationships between traditional petroleum companies and ag handlers have increased the value of soybean oil.

“This has led to a re-evaluation of the importance and value of soybean oil in the market and the forming of partnerships that would have seemed unusual before 2021,” he says.

Opportunity is knocking

Finding additional markets for soybean meal will include further research and promotion.

“We need to keep researching to see how much we can do with soybean meal because it is a

complex all-natural product. We thought we knew a lot about soybean meal, but we are far from knowing everything,” says Lobo.

Soybean meal once held a more significant component of swine feed rations, but including synthetic amino acids and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) has reduced its share. Feeding trials are being conducted to determine if soybean meal inclusion rates can increase to 30% in swine diets, up from 12%.

There are also emerging, higher-value markets in other traditional markets, including the human food space.

“There has been a push for plant-based proteins, and soy is one of many plant protein sources,” says Marshall.

It’s also one of the best, according to The Soyfoods Council. Soy is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids that our bodies need.

Exports and opportunity

When crush expands, Marshall says the U.S. is expected to capture a greater value of soybean exports by exporting fewer whole soybeans and increasing soybean meal exports.

“With meal, we have a strong market share throughout the Americas, and there are several growing markets being driven by growth in poultry and aquaculture,” says Marshall.

There is a higher fish production value in aquaculture-producing countries, including Ecuador, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Funded in part through the soybean checkoff, the U.S. Soybean Export Council highlights the advantages of U.S. soybean meal globally in emerging markets, including Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.

“There is a lot of opportunity for buyers to experience all the benefits of U.S. soymeal as we produce more meal and put it into the domestic and international marketplace,” says Marshall.

Meeting the demand

The world population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, which will mean an increased demand for protein grown with the help of soybean meal.

“Poultry and pigs require a certain amount of amino acids in their diet to maximize growth,” Bajjalieh says.

A growth in meat consumption will require greater soy utilization, he says.

“Soybean meal provides a high-quality protein used to supplement the protein provided by the grain in poultry and swine feeds.”

As U.S. farmers continue to raise soybeans with sound agronomic and economic decisions, all that factors into the end products going around the world.

“Growing soy for production of proteins and oil — farmers get to play a role in both, and that’s why soy, being at the epicenter of food, feed and fuel demand, is exciting,” he says.

Contact

Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com

Visit

The mission of the Soybean Meal INFO Center is to provide technical animal nutrition information on soybean meal to feed manufacturers, professional nutritionists, feed formulators, livestock and poultry producers, and the general public.

The website provides key information regarding soybean meal as an important supplement protein for livestock, poultry and specialty markets.

The soybean checkoff, including checkoff boards from Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska and South Dakota, fund the Soybean Meal INFO Center.

“

We need to keep researching to see how much we can do with soybean meal because it is a complex all-natural product."

Philip Lobo, director of feed utilization for SmithBucklin/ United Soybean Board (USB)

WISHH catches new markets for U.S. soy by advancing aquaculture.

ASA/WISHH is helping explore opportunities for soy-based feeds to grow aquaculture in 8 sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania

Jeff Frank

Auburn, Iowa

Title: District 4 Director

ISA Committees: Supply and Information & Education (I&E)

What crops and livestock do you grow and raise on the farm?

My wife, son and I grow soybeans and corn.

What do you want farmers to know about the use of their checkoff dollars on the committees you serve?

Checkoff dollars for the I&E committee are used to promote and educate consumers on the many uses and benefits of soybeans. The dollars for the Supply committee is invested in research and on-farm trials, helping producers become more efficient and profitable.

What are your hobbies?

Serving on various farm-oriented boards that keep me on the go.

How does your personal philosophy match the mission of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA)?

I believe it’s important to keep up with technology and the latest developments in genetics, diseases and weed control.

What’s the latest innovation that gets you excited about the future of soybeans?

With the evolution of the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, I feel that soybeans could eventually overtake corn as the primary crop in the world. Soybean producers have a lot to look forward to as organizations like ISA, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board lead the way to these new opportunities.

What makes your farm unique?

My son Mitch is the fifth generation living on our century farm.

What’s something people don’t usually know about you?

My wife and I decided to bring great coffee to our small community a few years ago by buying a coffee roaster and coffee shop. We recently sold the coffee shop, but we continue to roast coffee in our barn that’s more than 100 years old.

When

Bonded by Soy

Farmers celebrate soy in a ‘to the moon’ milestone

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BETHANY BARATTA

There’s a connection between mussels and the moon. And this one hinges on soy.

It started when Kaichang Li, an Oregon State University researcher, was looking for an alternative to formaldehyde in adhesives. Studying mussels, he learned they release a protein allowing them to withstand waves as they cling to rocks on the seashore. That led him to create an adhesive from soy protein.

With support from the soybean checkoff and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Li began working with North Carolina-based Columbia Forest Products to adapt his new soybean-based adhesive to hardwood plywood manufacturing. By 2006, Columbia Forest Products had converted all 11 of its plants away from formaldehyde-based adhesives — emissions linked to cancer — to this new, soy-based glue called PureBond®

“Plywood is under our feet, over our heads, in our cabinets and in our walls. To know that soy is being used as an alternative to formaldehyde as a clean, healthier product in homes is a big deal,” says Robert Petter, a soybean farmer in Arkansas and director on the United Soybean Board (USB).

Petter and others joined employees at Columbia Forest Products’ mill in Old Fort, North Carolina. There, he watched as the EPA awardwinning PureBond® was used to adhere sheets of hardwood veneer together.

Established in 1957, Columbia Forest Products is North America’s leading manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer panels. An employee-owned company, Columbia Forest Products operates facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Petter’s visit to the plant coincided with Columbia Forest Products’ use of PureBond® to produce 150 million plywood panels. Laid next to each other, this distance is equivalent to a trip from the Earth to the moon.

Susan Watkins, a USB leader and farmer, joined Petter and mill employees to celebrate the moon milestone.

“As farmers, we plant the seed and harvest the soy, and sometimes we don’t fully appreciate the tremendous impact of the goods we produce and the finished products that are developed and consumed daily,” says Watkins, who farms with her husband in Virginia on land granted by the King of England.

On average, 29,000 pounds of soy flour derived from 794 bushels of soybeans are used per day at the Old Fort mill. Columbia Forest Products sources the soy flour used to create PureBond® from Benson Hill and CHS.

The PureBond® products are attractive to fabricators and customers, notes Todd Vogelsinger, Columbia Forest Products’ director of marketing.

“PureBond® formaldehyde-free technology continues to be a market differentiator for us and for wood shops that cater to a health-conscious clientele,” Vogelsinger says. “Not to mention the Do-It-Yourselfers.”

As Watkins, Petter and others concluded the tour of the mill, driver Bailey Blevins backed his semitrailer into the loading dock.

Emblazoned with “soy-based adhesive technology” on its Home Depot-orange packaging, pallets of PureBond® plywood were loaded onto a flatbed semitrailer destined for a Home Depot retail location.

Watkins noted the importance of the moment for U.S. soy.

“From feed to fuel and of course soy flour, soybeans are not just feeding the world,” Watkins says, “but through the checkoff and partners such as Columbia Forest Products, other uses are being developed, steadily increasing the demand potential for U.S. soy.”

Contact Bethany Baratta at bbaratta@iasoybeans.com

Knowing soy is used as an alternative to formadehyde is a big deal, says Robert

Wood awaits milling at Columbia Forest Products.

Jamie Dietz pairs up veneers before heading to another stage in the plant.

Petter, a soybean farmer from Arkansas.

Soy-based glue, known as PureBond, is used to adhere sheets of hardwood veneer.

Virginia farmer Susan Watkins says products like PureBond increase demand for the soy she grows on her farm.

Some of the most comprehensive biofuels legislation in the country is beginning to take effect in Iowa, a shift expected to improve consumer access to low-carbon biodiesel statewide while supporting the state economy. That’s the message from biodiesel producers, soybean farmers and other supporters as they met with Iowa lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds recently at the State Capitol.

The Governor’s 2022 Biofuels Access Bill (HF2128) passed by wide bipartisan margins last year. The law is expected to increase consumer access to higher biofuel blends like 20% biodiesel (B20) and even 30% biodiesel (B30) — the first legislation in the nation to do so.

“The leadership of Gov. Reynolds and our legislature will help keep Iowa the number one biodiesel-producing state, which benefits all levels of our economy,” says Grant Kimberley, IBB executive director.

The biodiesel sector provides more than $1 billion to Iowa’s gross domestic product, more than 7,000 jobs and more than $500 million in household income, according to a recent study by ABF Economics based on 2022 figures.

“Our industry — including soybean farmers —

continues to face a great deal of market uncertainty, so the expansion of our state’s producer credit offers a new safeguard that is significant,” Kimberley says. “We are also excited to lead Iowa’s energy landscape toward more B20 and B30, a trend likely to pick up steam as national commitments mount to rapidly decarbonize.”

The key biodiesel provisions of the Governor’s 2022 Biofuel Access Bill include:

• Extending a credit for fuel retailers for 11% biodiesel (B11) at 5 cents per gallon until 2027. Also introducing new credits of 7 cents per gallon for B20 and 10 cents per gallon for B30.

• Increasing a Biodiesel Production Tax Credit from 2 cents to 4 cents per gallon and extending the sunset through 2027.

• Updating a Biodiesel Fuel Tax Differential to be based on the higher B20 blend beginning in 2026 and expiring in 2030.

• Increasing and updating the Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program to promote higher blends at the retail level.

For more information visit IowaBiodiesel.org.

Article courtesy of Iowa Biodiesel Board

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver.

IBB board, farmers and ISA staff.

IBB Executive Director Grant Kimberley.

A visit to Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley's office.

Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst.

Taking the Initiative

An Iowa group known for blazing the trail for biodiesel has received top recognition for its efforts with an award from Clean Fuels Alliance America.

Since its inception in 2007, the Iowa Biodiesel Board has become invaluable in advancing biodiesel in Iowa and across the nation, earning it the Initiative Award. The small team of two half-time employees and two contractors knows no limitations, Clean Fuels says.

IBB and its members, along with other partners, played a vital role in helping Iowa pass the most comprehensive state biodiesel legislation in U.S. history.

The group worked with the governor’s office and state legislators while raising the pro-biodiesel volume in media outlets. The most recent legislation broke the B20 “glass ceiling,” providing the first-ever B30 incentive in the U.S.

Clean Fuels Award recognizes Iowa Biodiesel Board for advancing the industry.

Also a leader in federal policy outreach, the organization has been instrumental in working with the Congressional delegation on important issues like the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“The Iowa Biodiesel Board has proven to be a valuable partner to Clean Fuels, fostering engagement and cooperation on biodiesel growth in Iowa and nationally,” says Donnell Rehagen, CEO of Clean Fuels Alliance America.

Founded under the umbrella of the Iowa Soybean Association, IBB has grown into a leading trade association representing the entire supply chain, helping Iowa maintain its position as the top biodiesel-producing state.

“Despite all the challenges we’ve faced in Iowa, it’s been some of the most meaningful and rewarding work I can imagine,” says Grant Kimberley, executive director of IBB, while accepting the award. “It’s an honor to see the impact Iowa biodiesel has made, and we look forward to continuing to take the initiative in Iowa for years to come.”

Iowa Biodiesel Board Project Manager Karen Long, Executive Director Grant Kimberley and Communications Contractor Jenna Rose accept the award at the Clean Fuels Alliance America conference.

A Perfect Season

Lights darkened and spotlights danced on the players, coaches and cheerleaders on the court.

Soon, the buzzer rang, and play began in the Class 3A boys state basketball quarterfinals.

Des Moines’ Wells Fargo Arena hosted the matchup between the Bondurant-Farrar Bluejays and the Algona Bulldogs.

The boys from Bondurant (undefeated in the season) won the tipoff. Both teams stumbled in the first few minutes, presumably feeling the pressure of the moment and before the largest crowd they’ve ever seen (Wells Fargo Arena seats 16,110).

Soon, the pre-game jitters seemed to wear off for both teams, showing attendees why these teams were playing on the biggest stage available to Iowa high school basketball teams.

For the next 83 minutes, my eyes ping-ponged from the action on the court, watching the pep bands, my son taking sips of Powerade between bites of popcorn and other spectators dotting the perimeter of the court.

It was the high school version of March Madness, and it was exciting to see teams of teens battle it out on the hardwood.

The Bluejays went on a 12-0 run in the second quarter to pull away from the Bulldogs. And they never

looked back. The Bluejays won 81-52 over the Bulldogs, advancing to the next round.

Bondurant beat the North Polk Comets 54-45 in the semifinals, advancing to the championship game against the No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier Saints.

A season of post-practice free throw shooting paid off late in the fourth quarter for Bondurant. The Saints led by single digits throughout much of the game but fouls late in the fourth quarter provided an opportunity for the Bluejays. Bondurant was a perfect 4 for 4 at the charity stripe, giving them the three-point lead with seconds remaining in the game. A missed three-pointer solidified Bondurant’s status as champions. The team defeated Cedar Rapids Xavier 58-55.

With an undefeated season record, Bondurant was crowned state champion for the first time since 1997. A celebratory homecoming welcomed the BlueJays back to their home court.

Twenty-six wins. Zero losses. A perfect season.

While it’s March Madness on the court, it’s also March Madness on your home courts: your shops and fields. It’s the anticipation of the planting season and the hope of a

productive crop. It’s thinking through all the logistics of what it will take to plant and sustain the crop.

In this issue, you’ll learn more about some of the newer uses of soybeans in renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. In addition to producing additional biodiesel, renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel expands the need for your soybeans. Increased soybean meal because of crushing the beans for the oil will open marketing opportunities. This season, you can think about growing soybeans not just for the crop but also for the products that result, including plywood products, biofuels and animal feeds.

I hope you join the Bondurant Bluejays this spring and construct your perfect season.

Play hard; stay safe,

( YOU )

Who went from 0 to 13% fast? YOU did.

All soybean farmers, including you, created biodiesel, which supports 13% of the price per bushel of soybeans. How? By pooling your resources through your soy checkoff. Learn how your soy checkoff is bringing tangible returns back to you and your operation at iasoybeans.com

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