Aaron Putze, APR | CO of 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
July 2024 | Vol. 37, No. 10
14
Directing Farmer Investments
Board participation key to learning, understanding programming.
18
Promoting U.S.-Grown Soy
Roger Van Ersvelde welcomes trade teams to his farm.
24
Research Outcomes Drives Decisions
How Brian Fager uses Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) trial data to zero in on production.
28
Relay Cropping in Iowa
Challenges and opportunities of growing two crops in one season.
On the cover:
Amanda and Jackson Drost with their sons Andy and Richard, on their Mahaska County farm. Amanda says participating in ISA’s Communications Squad has helped her relay the family’s farm story to non-farming audiences. In this issue of the Iowa Soybean Review, explore the many opportunities to engage in ISA programming. From research trials through ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation to exploring the various components of the soybean industry in Iowa through the ISA Experience Class, there’s an opportunity for every ISA member to engage.
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
Building a Culture of Innovation
Over the last few years, it became clear to the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) farmer directors that an expansion of our office building in Ankeny was needed due to growth in the soybean industry and work of the association.
The 12,000-square-foot building and renovation project was completed last month. On June 19 the board celebrated its completion with an open house and reception for guests, including key industry leaders. It was an enjoyable evening as I reflected on the new space, the renovation of the existing building, the growth of the organization over the last 30-plus years and the incredibly talented team I get to work with every single day.
I’ve had the opportunity to hear British author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek share his thoughts on building a winning culture in any organization. One of the quotes I took away from his talk was, “If you hire people just
because they can do a job, they will work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood, sweat and tears.”
While I hope we don’t see blood, I know the ISA staff I get to work with bring a lot of sweat and tears to their work. This is a passionate team of professionals who always remember who we work for and with — Iowa’s soybean farmers.
I recall returning to the office late one afternoon a couple of years ago after a stressful external meeting and being simply blown away as I walked back into the office. I saw many members of the team working together on a host of challenges well past “closing time.” In last year’s employee culture survey, 99% of our team said that “they would recommend ISA as a great place to work.”
Why is this important?
A positive and winning culture leads to innovation. Innovation drives value to the farmers
we serve. As we continue to celebrate ISA’s 60th anniversary in 2024, the expanded office provides the space needed to collaborate on innovative solutions in research, farmer engagement, policy advocacy, demand building domestically and internationally, reducing trade barriers and improving soil health and water quality. Also, conservation, consumer engagement, finding new uses for soybeans, transportation, soy foods, aquaculture, ecosystem and carbon markets, identifying and supporting our future leaders and a host of other areas.
I invite you to join us as we work on these issues (and plenty of others). These are exciting times in the soybean industry and at ISA. We are farmer focused and driven to deliver and we need you. Come be part of our innovative culture.
The developing and emerging nations of today are the home of tomorrow’s U.S. Soy customers
Summer of Fun
TRural Route 2
Editor’s Note by Bethany Baratta bbaratta@iasoybeans.com
here were tears in my son’s eyes as we talked about the end of the school year. He didn’t want to leave his first grade classroom, his group of friends, or his incredible teacher. But a summer of fun awaited. There were pool dates to keep, soccer balls to kick, bedtime curfews to delay, and lightning bugs to catch. There were strawberries to pick, Iowa State Fair corndogs to devour, and new parks to discover. His eyes are on the grand prize awaiting the winner of the library’s summer reading program.
In addition to ice cream treats, water play and trips to the zoo, we’re also diving into a new workbook to keep his brain busy. We try to prevent the “summer slide” or the tendency for kids to forget the skills they learned in school while out for summer break. (We’re also avoiding the summer slides — the metal slides we played on during summers growing up that burned our bottoms.) It’s a delicate balance of letting him be a kid and enjoy his summer and not wanting him to fall behind academically.
A workbook may be sufficient for math and writing, but this summer’s studies also include lessons about agriculture, specifically soy. These are lessons that are more hands on. Thanks to my network of farmers and industry experts, I learn more every day about soy. Throughout these 90 days of summer, our son will discover the role soy plays in feeding pigs that provide the bacon on his favorite burger. He’ll learn there is soy in the tires that transport him to summer activities and adventures. He’ll delight in learning that soy is used in the crayons he likes to use for drawing, coloring and playing Tic-Tac-Toe. And he’ll learn that soybeans, like those we see growing in fields near our home, are a global treasure. They’re not just plants in a field, they are pods of potential — for feed, for fuel, for food and for fiber.
As his sun-kissed body heads back into the classroom next month, I hope he not only packs his new crayons and glue sticks, but also a greater appreciation for the world — and the soy — around him.
P.S. It’s election month! This month, you’ll receive a ballot in the mail to vote in the ISA Board of Directors election. Follow the instructions on the mailer and make your voice heard in the election.
Communication is key to understanding, success
BY JEFF HUTTON
If anyone is going to tell their farming story, it should be Jackson and Amanda Drost.
The couple from Mahaska County says they are best positioned to tell the story of agriculture, not someone from outside the farm.
“People want to hear from farmers themselves, they are the experts,” Amanda says. “If we don’t share these stories, who will?”
Down on the farm
The Drosts’ story begins with Jackson and his father, who used to carry Jackson in his diaper bag out into the field.
“I think I was born into farming,” he jokes.
Eventually Jackson outgrew the diaper bag and grew up working alongside his father and extended
family operating multiple farms outside of New Sharon.
Over time, Jackson and Amanda met, married in 2012 and grew their own family and farming operation.
“About two-thirds of the farm we have corn, about one-third soybeans and we have cover crops on about two-thirds of our acres,” says Jackson.
Those cover crops, the family’s dedication to agriculture and environment, as well as outreach to the community has not gone unnoticed.
Jackson was named the Peoples Company’s 2023 Farmer of the Year, which he received earlier this year at the Land Investment Expo in Des Moines.
Kyle Walker, the Peoples Company director of land management says Jackson is a testament to doing things that are best for protecting the environment.
Amanda and Jackson Drost with their sons Andy and Richard, on their Mahaska County farm.
The award “goes to an individual with integrity, honesty; a farmer that produces well and does things the right way with sustainability and conservation,” says Walker.
Walker manages the Blanche Johnson Trust Farm, which Jackson and his family has rented over the past few years.
They have worked to incorporate conservation practices and make general improvements to the land, providing Walker with weekly updates.
“It was the inaugural award,” Jackson says, pointing out that he was nervous about receiving the award and having to speak before a large audience at the Land Investment Expo when accepting the honor.
But there are no nerves for either Jackson or Amanda when they’re asked to speak about their farm or agriculture in general.
Crafting their communication skills
Amanda joined the Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Communications Squad in 2023.
“Farmers take immense pride in being a part of the agriculture world, and rightfully so. But there are many people who are not as closely connected to agriculture. That’s why having the skills to be an effective spokesperson for their operations and industry is so important,” says Brock Johnston, ISA’s public relations manager. Johnston manages the ISA Communications Squad.
“Whether it’s a curious consumer or a local reporter, the public wants to hear directly from farmers about their industry,” Johnston says.
ISA’s Communications Squad program is designed to help farmers sharpen these skills so they can share their farm story, address industry misconceptions, engage with consumers, advocate for pro-farmer policies and more, according to Johnston.
Though Amanda works full-time in public relations for a hospital, Amanda joined ISA Communications Squad to sharpen her skills in communicating her work in agriculture.
Recently, the Drosts hosted a bus tour of about 25 people and highlighted their farming operation, talking about the importance of agriculture and discussing what products come from soybeans.
“It was just fun to be a part of that and tell our story,” Amanda says.
She also spoke on WHO Radio and “The Big Show” on behalf of Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance (IAWA) and discussed raising kids on the farm.
“The Communications Squad training really helped us prepare for these events,” Amanda says.
Next steps
Jackson and Amanda have also participated in ISA’s Trade Team Task Force. Paired with involvement in ISA Communications Squad, the trainings and experiences has helped the couple effectively share their story.
“I didn’t fully realize what ISA does until we became more involved,” Jackson says, pointing out he and Amanda are now more effective in sharing agriculture information with both consumers and fellow farmers.
Both Amanda and Jackson are insistent that sharing their story is as critical to their success as protecting the land they have been charged with caring for.
“People need to start explaining their stories and talking about their livelihoods on the farm,” Jackson says. “I don’t think people realize how we have sustainable, renewable products from corn and soybeans. You’ve got to be able to communicate that information. A lack of communication is negative and staying silent isn’t going to tell the whole story of agriculture.”
For more information about Communications Squad, go to iasoybeans.com/programs/communications-squad.
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
Led by ISA Public Relations Manager Brock Johnston, far right, the ISA Communications Squad is designed to help farmers sharpen their skills to share their farm story.
your cooperative soybean processor
Commitment Rewards is an equipment and financial tool that provides growers a competitive advantage. Each year, Beck’s works with industryleading equipment providers and leverages their collective buying power to capture discounts that would not be attainable for a single operation - and then that value is passed on to customers.
With Commitment Rewards, you have an opportunity to tap into Beck’s working capital, which includes an interest-free payback on your item. You can expand your cash position, free up working capital, and secure the tools and equipment you need and provide more value to your operation.
“Beck’s Commitment Rewards Program has given our farm the ability to secure equipment we would not otherwise have been able to purchase ourselves. Commitment Rewards helped free up capital for other farm expenses.”
Paul Lietz | Alta, Iowa Beck’s Customer Since 2017
The Iowa Soybean Association’s Board of Directors makes decisions of behalf of fellow farmers
BY JEFF HUTTON
It would be hard to find a more engaged and powerful advocate for Iowa soybean farmers than Suzanne Shirbroun from Farmersburg.
As the current president and veteran board member of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA), Shirbroun is quick to share the soybean success story with everyone she meets. Whether it’s a fellow soybean farmer, a buyer in southeast Asia, Europe or Central America or a friend she meets at a high school football game, this sixthgeneration farmer is ready to tout the value of Iowa soybeans.
Beyond the bean
Prior to joining the ISA board as director for District 3 in northeast Iowa,
Shirbroun concedes she didn’t think a lot about the role ISA had in overseeing soybean checkoff investments and the value the board has in helping farmers become more profitable, productive and sustainable on their farms.
“I have to admit I only thought about it after I became more involved and was asked if I would be interested in running for a board position,” she says.
But after getting elected, Shirbroun jumped right in, realizing quickly that the ISA board’s main responsibility was an imperative — being good stewards of those checkoff dollars and understanding where those monies are going and how they’re used to benefit farmers.
“We are making sure our checkoff dollars are being directed, to the best of
our ability, to serve farmers,” she says. “We make sure the money benefits the farmers who are paying into the checkoff.”
Serving on the 22-person board has been eye-opening, Shirbroun says.
“It was a very steep learning curve to find out and learn all about what ISA is doing,” she says.
Quickly, she’s learned about the opportunities to finance studies and processes that turn into new soy-based products. There’s also the focus on global trade partners and how to keep U.S. soy as a preferred choice.
“So much of our money is going into making sure we can provide a good quality soybean for food, fuel and more,” Shirbroun says.
Suzanne Shirbroun on her farm from Farmersburg
She says she’s proud of ISA’s legacy in programming like the Iowa Food & Family Project, CommonGround Iowa and more.
“Before I joined the ISA Board of Directors, I had no idea there were so many different programs,” she says.
The board also engages with lawmakers in helping them understand what happens on the farm, and the consequences of their vote.
“We’re educating our elected officials and hopefully opening their eyes as to what ISA is doing for farmers,” she says.
The ISA Board of Directors doesn’t lose sight of who they are and who they represent.
“It’s important to keep farmers in the loop, keeping them informed as to what we’re doing, improving upon our investments, markets and our crops,” she says.
Relevancy around the world
As an ISA board member, Shirbroun has traveled to many destinations around the world, including the Philippines and beyond.
“The first time I went there, I told my sons that for a brief moment I was a rock star,” she laughs. “They truly appreciate what we’re doing and the products
that we’re sending to them. They know our soybeans are high quality and the Filipino customers have seen that.”
Even closer to home, Shirbroun’s stint on the ISA board has helped highlight the use of checkoff dollars at places like the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington state.
Along with other soybean entities around the country, ISA has invested funds in the research, analysis and design costs of the port’s Terminal 4 expansion and redevelopment project. The terminal plays a significant role in international exports.
Shirbroun says ISA understands the power of soybeans and helping direct that energy toward improvements in production, finding new uses, establishing more overseas markets and protecting farmers’ interests is a privilege she and the board do not take likely.
“We’re filling a niche need,” she says. “Whether it’s human consumption oil, industrial oil or animal feed, soybeans are a relevant crop and important to the Iowa economy.”
Protecting farmers' interests
Shirbroun’s reign as ISA president will come to an end this year and she will later term off from the board.
But she encourages soybean producers from across the state to consider the opportunities afforded to those who might want to serve in the future.
“I think anybody who is remotely interested should become involved,” she says. “If you look at our budget, year to year it’s roughly $15 million to $16 million. That’s a lot of money and we need to make sure we’re being good stewards.”
The board, Shirbroun notes, is comprised of a diverse group of farmers — those who have farmed for 60 years or some who are in their 30s and just starting. There are those who are fulltime farmers, while others have side jobs that complement their farming operations.
“And with term limits in place, there will always be different opinions and fresh blood,” she says. “We’re always looking for new ideas and fresh concepts, and it brings new people into the organization.”
For more information about board leadership and ISA programs, go to iasoybeans.com.
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
“I think anybody who is remotely interested should become involved.”
Suzanne Shirbroun, ISA president and farmer from Farmersburg
Iowa-Missouri Grassroots Fellowship key to understanding and advocating
BY JEFF HUTTON
" I love soybeans. I have a passion for soybeans. A lot of people love corn, but I love beans more,” says Lauren Botine. “They call me the ‘Bean Queen’ at work.”
It’s a moniker she’s proud of — one she takes pride in as a technical agronomist with Bayer Crop Science, as well as on the family farm outside of Harlan in Shelby County.
But as passionate as she is about soybeans in the field, she’s just as excited about what happens after that bean emerges from the soil and makes it way to grocery store shelves, fuel tanks and the regulatory and political path it has followed, either in Des Moines or D.C.
On the farm
Botine is a farm kid through and through. She grew up on her family farm, riding in the combine with her father, watching the seed go into the soil, participating in the harvest and seeing the fruits of their labor make its way to the grain bin.
“That excitement for agriculture and agronomy was instilled in me at a young age,” she says.
That experience as a kid prompted Botine to earn her degree in agricultural studies, followed by a master’s degree in agronomy and now a career at Bayer. She farms with her husband, who started farming last year.
“We were able to piggyback on my family’s farming operation,” Botine says. “We’re a no-till farming operation, primarily soybeans and corn; my dad has alfalfa and hay, along with cow-calf pairs.”
And with her expertise in agronomy, she’s able to “practice what I preach” to clients and on a personal level with both her husband and father.
“Working in the seed industry, you discover how much research is involved and how much money is involved in discovering and delivering new traits,” she says. “There’s so much that goes into that little seed.”
Lauren Botine on her farm outside of Harlan.
Wanting more
But Botine wants more insight beyond the farm fields, especially when it comes to policy, regulations and marketing.
That’s why she’s part of the Iowa-Missouri Grassroots Fellowship (formerly known as the IA-MO Policy Leaders Fellowship), a one-year experience for soybean farmers from Iowa and Missouri who want to learn more about government and the legislative process.
It provides farmers a deeper understanding of the policies, laws and regulations that impact agriculture, the soybean industry and rural America. Weaving travel and social interaction into the program curriculum, participants learn the role of policymaker education and a unified voice all play in the legislative process.
“The group has been just amazing,” Botine says. “It’s opened my eyes to everything. There is so much more to soybeans, what happens behind the scenes, what happens to your checkoff dollars, advocating for soybeans, their use, different markets, different outlooks, soybean oil, soybean meal, renewable biodiesel. I had no idea how much ISA does and the policy that goes into soybean products and marketing.”
Botine says being part of the grassroots fellowship empowers her to advocate on behalf of soybean farmers from Iowa and across the country. In mid-July, she’ll join her fellow program participants in Washington, D.C., where she’ll talk to legislators about policy important to soybean farmers.
“It’s important to me to have that stage to tell my story about grain marketing, issues we’ve run into, the importance of the American and Iowa soybean farmer and advocate for its use in more and better ways,” she says. “Speaking as a soybean farmer and speaking to legislators directly as a farmer, hopefully will open their eyes. I’m not just some lobbyist; they’re looking somebody in the eye who actually has sowed the seed, lived the drought, lives with the risk. Hopefully it moves and plays on their thought processes when it comes to bills and legislation.”
Getting involved
Botine says the grassroots fellowship has impressed upon her how much support there is for the Iowa soybean producer.
“It ultimately hits home and helps my family with our own farming operation,” she says.
“Lauren has been a great addition to the IA-MO Grassroots Fellowship this year,” says Kennady Henry, an ISA producers services coordinator. “She has been eager to learn more about the soybean industry and face the challenges that farmers encounter on a daily basis. It’s incredible to see her and the other participants interact with industry professionals and farmers across the nation.”
Henry says the fellowship was created to immerse young farmer leaders into the government and legislative process. She says, “it’s critical to have farmer leaders, like Lauren, tell their personal stories and explain their priorities to advocate for Iowa soybean farmers on state and national levels.”
The grassroots fellowship will be seeking new participants for the upcoming 2024-25 session.
Nine applicants from Iowa will be selected. Participants must be in good membership standing with ISA.
The upcoming calendar for the grassroots fellowship includes:
• Aug. 27-29, Boone: Farm Progress Show and kickoff meeting
• November TBD: Delegate small group meetings
• Dec. 16-17, Des Moines: Winter Soy Summit
• Feb. 4, 2025, Des Moines: Farm Forward and Legislative Reception
• March 2-4, 2025, Denver, Colorado: Commodity Classic
• July 15-17, 2025, Washington, D.C.: American Soybean Association Board of Directors meeting and Capitol Hill visits
Those interested in participating should go to iasoybeans.com/programs/iowa-missouri-grassroots-fellowship and fill out an application by July 12.
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
"The Iowa farmer is the best advocate. We care about the farm and the soil. We care way more than anyone else because it’s our livelihoods.”
Lauren Botine, farmer from Harlan
Building relationships on behalf of the soybean industry and sharing his farm’s story is why Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) member Roger Van Ersvelde has welcomed global trade teams to his farm.
“As farmers, we need to give back to the commodity we produce and show the positives of what soybeans can do for us, the economy and the world,” says Van Ersvelde, a soybean farmer from Brooklyn in Poweshiek County.
Forming relationships
Soybean producers in Iowa have benefited from stronger prices, reflective of higher global demand. In fact, according to the Census Value of Exports for the 2022/2023 marketing year, U.S. soy exports, including whole soybeans, soybean meal, and soybean oil, added $39.8 billion to the U.S. economy with a volume of 67.6 million metric tons.
To help strengthen trade relations, ISA has established a Trade Team Task Force of farmers prepared to accommodate international trade teams.
BY KRISS NELSON
“As part of our efforts to promote our soybeans and soybean meal to overseas markets, we have established programs that allow our trade partners to visit Iowa, interact with our farmers and see firsthand how our soybeans are grown,” says Grant Kimberley, senior director of market development for ISA. “This helps us build customer preference for U.S. and Iowa soybeans and soybean meal and strengthens our relationships with our customers, giving them confidence in our production systems.”
Roger Van Ersvelde welcomes global trade teams to his farm
As a member of ISA’s Trade Team Task Force, Van Ersvelde welcomed visitors from the Maghreb, the northwest African region, including Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritania.
During the visit, Van Ersvelde provided a tour of his farm, showing them the equipment he uses to plant and harvest soybeans.
“They asked a lot of questions about our farmers’ success rates. Then we went to the field and explored the crops,” says Van Ersvelde. “It was very enlightening to visit with them and learn how they operate, too.”
Joining the force
The ISA Trade Team Task force offers training to those individuals willing to open their farms to visitors.“It is amazing to meet people from other countries, understand their viewpoints, and understand why they are looking at Iowa soybeans,” says Van Ersvelde. “You make good friends and contacts from all over the world.”
Paige Whitney, the ISA Producer Services Coordinator responsible for managing the ISA Trade Team Task Force, says a one-day training session provides participants with a background on trade groups, current international soybean demand and what to expect during a typical visit. The training also offers basic speaker training to help participants navigate conversations during the visit more effectively.
“Hosting a trade team allows for one-on-one communication with buyers of our soybeans, establishing a good connection with foreign producers or buyers and understanding what their needs are in their country,” says Van Ersvelde. “It also allows the buyers to gain insight into our operations and practices.”
There are some logistics involved with being an ISA Trade Team Task Force member, but a suitable candidate is someone willing to open their farm up to guests, share their farm’s story and speak on behalf of Iowa and U.S. soybean farmers.“These trade teams are interested in purchasing U.S. and Iowa soy products. They would like to see where the soy products are sourced from and have a positive experience during their visit — an experience that will be carried with them as they return home,” says Whitney. “These visitors are often decision-makers for their companies, and a favorable impression of Iowa’s soybean industry can have a significant impact. Therefore, it is crucial to continue to cultivate and maintain relationships with our foreign buyers.”
Choosing to be involved
Van Ersvelde fully utilizes his ISA membership, engaging in water quality monitoring, the Soy Leaders Network and more.
“It has been an incredible journey for me to get involved with the Iowa Soybean Association,” he says. “There are numerous great people working for the association, and the farmers you meet and learn from their experiences, both successes and failures on their operations, are truly remarkable.”
If you want to join the ISA Trade Team Task force, contact Paige Whitney at pwhitney@iasoybeans.com or call 712-371-9901.
Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com
Roger Van Ersvelde hosting a group of visitors on his farm.
Photos by Joseph Hopper
Roger and Scooter are ready to host global visitors to their farm.
S a m and Josie Lane
, Jay .
Learning by Touring
Gaining a deeper understanding of ISA through Experience Class
BY KRISS NELSON
What Sam Lane expected to be a simple visit to the ag industries turned into something much greater.
Sam and his wife, Josie, ventured to the western part of the state with a few dozen other farmers as members of the 2023 Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Experience Class.
Last year’s Experience Class comprised an eight-stop, three-day tour showcasing ISA’s involvement with industry partners.
“I was looking forward to the industry tours, but I found out it was so much more,” says Lane. “Once we started, I quickly realized how our checkoff dollars are being used. I transitioned my thoughts to ‘this is more than just a tour.’ ”
The ISA Experience Class is all about making those connections, says Kennady Henry, ISA Producer Services coordinator and manager of ISA’s Experience Class.
“We want to demonstrate to farmers how their checkoff dollars support various aspects of the industry in Iowa, and how our partners also support the work they do on their farms and within the association,” Henry says.
Demonstrating ROI
“It was very eye-opening,” says Lane. “I thought I understood the checkoff, but for example, I didn’t realize those dollars couldn’t be used for policy. They (checkoff investments) are being returned directly to farmers through research, development and information.”
Last year, the group of farmers toured Corteva Agriscience in Johnston, Flynn Wright, Inc. in Des Moines, Iowa State University Field Extension Education Laboratory (FEEL) in Boone, the A.J. and Kellie Blair farm near Dayton, Landus Cooperative’s SoyPlus facility in Ralston, Wilson Trailer in Sioux City, Port of Blencoe in Blencoe and Benson Hill Ingredients in Creston.
Although Lane enjoyed the entire tour, he says the most impressive was the Port of Blencoe visit.
Living in southeast Iowa, Lane says he has marketing advantages of having access to the Mississippi River.
“It’s an incredible market for us,” he says. “I was not aware that the Missouri River is underutilized in that region of the state. It caught my attention how the Iowa Soybean Association and checkoff dollars were used to assist in launching the Port of Blencoe, and now there is a local market to help farmers in the area. This not only gives them a place to sell their soybeans but also gives them better access to fertilizers and crop inputs.”
While traveling from location to location, Lane found the time valuable visiting with other farmers.
“I had the chance to visit with farmers of all ages from all across the state,” he says. “I think I tend to get into a bubble down here in southeastern Iowa, and I enjoyed getting their perspective on how they are raising soybeans and what is going on with their operations.”
The ISA Experience Class can be a great starting point for ISA members to get involved with the association, Henry says.
“We hope to familiarize farmers with our association so they may become more involved in advanced program areas,” Henry says.
Lane was introduced to ISA programming through the Experience Class and is excited to become more involved with the association. He plans to continue using ISA research data and is considering joining ISA's Soy Leaders Network.
Lane appreciates not only the lessons learned but also how they were taught and highly recommends other farmers to participate in ISA Experience Class.
“It’s one thing to attend a meeting, listen to a lecture and sit through a PowerPoint presentation. It’s another to experience and see for yourself how our checkoff dollars are currently being used and meet and talk to the people using them,” he says.
The 2024 Experience Class will be held July 22-24, showcasing agricultural industries on the state’s eastern side.
Stops will include Iowa State University, a cover crop tour highlighting ISA research, a panel offering insight into the soybean industry featuring ISA, American Soybean Association, and United Soybean Board board members, a port tour on the Mississippi River, and more.
For more information, contact Kennady Henry at khenry@iasoybeans.com or 515-491-3539. You can also visit the Iowa Soybean Association’s Experience Class webpage at iasoybeans.com/programs/isa-experience.
Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com.
The key takeaways participants can expect to gain from participating in Experience Class include:
• Understanding of how the soy checkoff works and how the ISA 22-farmer member board directs funds
• Connections with state and national soy industry partners, including the American Soybean Association, United Soybean Board, U.S. Soybean Export Council, Soy Transportation Coalition and more
• Connections to ISA resources
• Knowledge of ISA policy developments and directives
• Networking opportunities with industry partners and ISA supporters
• Relationships with current and veteran ISA leaders.
ISA Experience Class participants learn about a drainage water recycling project on the Blair farm.
BY JEFF HUTTON
Being his own boss, deciding what to plant, when to plant, how to plant, implementing conservations practices — farming is not a job for Chuck Cleveland, it’s a calling.
Cleveland grows soybeans and corn in Warren County and has been out in the field since 1981. However, it wasn’t until the last several years he was able to devote all his time to the process. Previously, he worked in town, doing everything from hauling propane to working for John Deere over the course of 30 years.
But he’s fully entrenched in farming, committed to producing a dependable, quality crop, while protecting the soil and water.
Making a difference
“I’ve been no-tilling since about 1997 and finally started doing some of my own terracing and tiling projects around 2008,” he says.
That’s why the Front 40 program with the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) has so much appeal to Cleveland.
The Front 40 impact
Front 40 is an ISA program that celebrates conservation champions in Iowa. It recognizes farmers and others who utilize and promote innovative conservation methods. The program also seeks to inspire further action in improving water and soil quality while illustrating how more public funding can dramatically increase the pace and scope of conservation activities in Iowa. To date, the Iowa Front 40 program has recognized 80 farmers and stakeholders across the state.
ISA is widely respected for implementing programs and services enabling soybean farmers to boost productivity in concert with effective conservation practices.
Front 40 connects farmers, landowners and conservationists around Iowa, and is a platform to honor and share these success stories, empower grassroots influencers to continue to advocate and educate policymakers about the benefits of long-term conservation that is locally led and locally relevant.
“We’re all about improving productivity profitability, and natural resource management for soil and water in Iowa,” says Roger Wolf, director of conservation at ISA’s Research Center for Farming Innovation. “The Front 40 captures the voices of local champions to advocate what’s been going on across Iowa for soil and water conservation for the purpose of replicating that success in other parts of the state.”
Front 40 and the future
Championing conservation
A long-time farmer-member of the ISA, Cleveland says terracing and tiling are especially important to his operation; he no-tills nearly every acre because he knows the long-term benefits of protecting soil and water resources.
“I like what Front 40 does for conservation, and I’ve done a fair amount of it,” he says.
As a farmer, Cleveland says he enjoys every aspect of the cropping process.
“I like planting it, watching it grow, the harvesting, working with agronomists,” he says. “I enjoy the technology side of things — that intrigues me a lot.”
Being his own boss, Cleveland reiterates, is important to him, especially after working for others in previous years.
“I like making the day-to-day decisions,” he says. “There’s a great deal of satisfaction — I do all the planting, all the harvesting, making decisions on seed and where to tile. It’s having the ability to know that the buck stops here with me.”
Admittedly, being your own boss can be stressful, but as Cleveland says when things go well the wins
are even sweeter and the rewards that much greater. In 2023, he says he attained strong yields on his fields and that’s more than a comforting feeling for him.
Cleveland says Front 40 presents opportunities for farmers like him through idea sharing.
“I’m looking forward to the networking and seeing what other farmers are doing out there,” he says.
Soy’s future
Cleveland is looking forward to growth opportunities in the soybean industry in the years to come.
“We haven’t reached all the benefits of what renewable fuels can do,” he says. “The world is still growing and that’s intriguing. Demand is going to be bigger.”
And with the advancements in technology and genetics, yields will be even greater.
“When I first started farming, 35-bushel beans were the benchmark. Now we’re at 60-65 bushels,” he says. “I think we might see 100-bushel soybeans someday.”
To learn more about Front 40, go to iowafrontforty.com.
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
"I like what Front 40 does for conservation."
Chuck
Cleveland, farmer in Warren County
Trials on Brian Fager’s farm help determine the best return on investment
BY KRISS NELSON
Brian Fager, a farmer and precision equipment dealer, is constantly engaged in conversations about how he and his customers can improve their farming operations.
Striving to become a better farmer and provide his customers a better service, the Cass County farmer from Atlantic tests equipment and methods to refine the best resources available.
Fager does this by working with the Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Research Center for Farming Innovation (RCFI) on seed population trials.
“We have ignored seed population for a long time,” says Fager. “We must dive deeper into understanding the number of seeds required per bushel of yield. Do we understand the economic threshold and the genetic potential of our seeds?”
In 2023, Fager, with the assistance of ISA Research Agronomist Drew Clemmensen, implemented a replicated
strip trial using soybean seed population rates of 80,000, 110,000, 140,000 and 170,000 seeds per acre on 30-inch row spacings.
“With Brian’s knowledge of precision software, we worked together to lay out and write a prescription for the soybean seeding rate trial,” says Clemmensen. “He is very engaged in learning through replicated strip trial research managed on his acres.”
Fager says he was surprised with the results.
“If you had viewed satellite maps and determined yield based on how the soybeans looked, I would have thought the heavier population seeded soybeans would yield better,” he says. “But the 110,000 seeds-per-acre rate was the winner in this trial.”
Fager acted on those results for the 2024 growing season.
“I adjusted my populations down, definitely put more in
Brian Fager on his farm near Atlantic.
the ground at 110,000 than I ever have before, and estimate that I am saving $5,000 in seed this year,” he says. “I have been averaging 130,000 seeds per acre, gradually reducing populations from 160,000 the last five years.”
Fager is replicating what he learned from last year’s seeding rate trial to a trial this year.
He is conducting a seed population trial using 15-inch row planter spacings and incorporating different yield environments on his farms, evaluating populations across a more diverse landscape.
“Although more research needs to happen, I think it is safe to say we are all overplanting by 5 to 10 percent,” says Fager. “I think we can continue to push lower as soybean genetics change, but I need to see year-over-year results.”
Fager says he will continue his partnership with RCFI in seed population rate trials and looks forward to exploring research on fertility and conducting replicated trials in that specific area.
“I want to learn more about fertility and how we can maximize our yield potential while minimizing our inputs,” he says.
Research for real results
RCFI works alongside ISA’s research and conservation agronomists, farmers and other researchers to understand and share results, enabling farmers to advance toward their productivity, profitability and sustainability goals.
“We conduct research to determine whether a specific method or product can be implemented on a farm to enhance farmers’ productivity,” says Alexander Litvin, Ph.D., ISA’s research agronomy lead. “Since every farm is unique, management practices also differ. It’s important to optimize your fields to
achieve the highest possible returns on investment. You may be overlooking something that can significantly benefit you.”
RCFI research helps farmers be more productive while also being better stewards of the environment; RCFI focuses on research that can have an impact.
“We need to determine whether a project will lead to conservation implementation, demonstrate the value of sustainable and more conservative practices, improve nutrient management inputs, or fall into better crop management,” Litvin says.
Another path is identifying the top-of-mind issues affecting farmers.
“By finding answers to these questions, we can move the needle forward and have a significant impact,” says Litvin. “The objective is to identify the area with the largest impact we can make today.”
Have an on-farm trial you want to try on your own farm? RCFI can help.
“We receive trials submitted by farmers, but sometimes their ideas do not align with our current or future projects,” says Litvin. “In those cases, our research agronomists assist them in designing a plot that is easy to analyze.”
In addition, research agronomists help analyze the data and provide a report afterward.
“I appreciate farmers being proactive and curious, trying out new things, and exposing themselves to various opportunities and ways of thinking,” says Litvin. “This can be a significant advantage for their progress and improvement.”
If you are interested in participating in an on-farm trial, contact Alex Litvin at alitvin@iasoybeans.com or by visiting iasoybeans.com/research.
Contact Kriss Nelson at knelson@iasoybeans.com
“ We conduct research to determine whether a specific method or product can be implemented on a farm to enhance farmers’ productivity.”
Alexander Litvin, Ph.D., ISA’s research agronomy lead
Brian Fager prepares to plant near Atlantic.
WISHH leverages partnerships for U.S. Soy to help meet the protein needs of 8 billion consumers
Relay Cropping in Iowa
Can farmers benefit from raising both cereal rye and soybeans?
Lucas De Bruin ISA Research Agronomist ldebruin@iasoybeans.com
In a relay cropping system, soybeans are planted into a growing cereal grain, such as cereal rye. As the growing season progresses, the soybeans will reach maturity and be harvested. This practice allows farmers to harvest two crops, rye and soybeans, from a single field in the same growing season. It also maintains living roots all year long in the soil, scavenging leftover nutrients that have not been used by the previous crop.
Both crops grow together until the rye matures and is harvested in July over the top of the soybeans.
To delve deeper into this cropping system, the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) partners with farmers to conduct relay cropping trials.
Planning for success
Pre-season planning in the fall helps ensure success of the relay crop. When considering nutrient management, treat each crop — rye and soybeans — individually for its fertility needs. A nitrogen application is recommended for the rye in early spring before the cereal rye reaches the jointing stage. The recommended rate of nitrogen is between 35 and 60 pounds per acre. Over-applying nitrogen can lead to a large amount of biomass which can be detrimental to soybean yield. If applying fungicide to rye, the recommended growth stage is Feekes 10.51, which is when the heads are fully emerged with extruded anthers.
Soybean row spacing of 30 inches or wider is commonly used in relay cropping. This width allows field equipment to run over fewer beans during rye harvest.
Relaying crops may allow for omitting a pre-pass herbicide application, but some farmers opt to do a post-pass application after the cereal rye is harvested to clear late-emerging weeds from the soybean fields.
Relay cropping challenges
Relay cropping can present additional challenges in the growing seasons.
For planting soybeans, common obstacles include sufficient subsoil moisture, planting date and density of the rye stand.
1: Soybean yield difference by soybean maturity between the relay soybeans and sole soybeans from the relay rye cropping trials (2019-2022). The closer the yield difference is to zero, the better the relay soybeans performed relative to the sole soybeans.
2: Soybean yield difference by rye harvest date for the same fields (2019-2022). Earlier harvested rye presented yield opportunities for soybean yields.
Figure
Figure
Another notable challenge is that relay cropping is a high-water-use system. Even with adequate earlyseason moisture, a dry July or August can cause soybean yields to suffer.
Concerning issues could occur during the rye harvest. Perfectly straddling soybean rows can be difficult for the combine tires, resulting in flattened soybeans. Additionally, the height of the soybean and rye heads may vary across the field. Draper heads minimize losses when clipping rye heads above the soybean canopy.
Trial results
Some of what has been learned can be utilized in a system with wheat or other cereal grain, but
additional research is needed outside of rye.
Trial history shows positive outcomes when the soybean maturity is increased and rye is harvested as early in the season as possible, maximizing both soybean growth and rye yields. Yield loss results are presented in Figure 1.
For every increase in maturity point, soybean yield loss was reduced by 0.8 bushel per acre, as shown in Figure 2. For every day after July 1 that rye was harvested, soybeans lost an additional 0.9 bushel per acre.
Relay cropping may not be suitable for every farm, but it offers a range of benefits such as increased diversity, continuous ground cover and an additional source of revenue
for soybean producers as they are able to sell the rye for seed or to a feed mill. Ongoing research is being conducted to fine-tune the management recommendations for relay cropping.
If you are interested in learning more about relay cropping trials or other research projects, contact your local ISA research agronomist for more information.
Editor’s note: Lucas De Bruin is a research agronomist for Iowa Soybean Association but has also been a farmer participant in the relay cropping trials on his farm in Oskaloosa County. His experience as a farmer and as an agronomist has added a unique perspective to the on-farm research results.
Advocate membership key to policy engagement
BY JEFF HUTTON
If you’re going to make changes in Des Moines and Washington, D.C., it starts on your farm.
Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Advocate Membership helps empower ISA to positively influence policy and regulatory matters that have a direct impact on the American soybean industry and Iowa’s soybean producers.
ISA leverages these non-checkoff investments with additional partnerships to engage at the state and federal levels to enhance the overall competitiveness on the farm.
ISA’s Matt Herman, chief officer for demand and advocacy, and Megan Decker, manager of advocacy, say Advocate Membership is a great way to have your voice heard and help shape the future of the soybean industry.
“Paid memberships, either as a farmer member or a non-farmer member, allows these financial resources to support the American Soybean Association (ASA) — the industry’s national policy arm. As a paid ISA Advocate Member, participants gain access to these resources and information,” says Herman.
ASA represents U.S. soybean farmers on domestic and international policy issues important to the soybean industry. ASA has 26 affiliated state associations representing 30 soybean-producing states and more than 300,000 soybean farmers.
ISA Advocate Members are also provided a digital newsletter that details the latest policy movements and issues that members should have on their radar. There are also alerts issued about matters that one can act on immediately.
On the radar
With the support of ISA’s Advocate Members, here’s how ISA is engaged in state and national soybean affairs:
Enhancing access to biofuels
In April, specifically Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated more than $43 million to increase the availability of domestic biofuels across 15 states, Iowa included. These grants are part of the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) which will support 57 projects aimed at enhancing access to biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. Grant money follows successful HBIIP programs in each Iowa congressional district.
Prioritizing the farm bill
Increased government funding has been contentious the last few years as deficits run high and other priority items take precedent over the farm bill. The original deadline for the farm bill, which usually makes up around 2% of federal spending, was fall 2023.
Continued extensions have kept important programs like Federal Crop Insurance afloat amidst the delays.
As of mid-May 2024, both the Senate and House Agriculture committee leadership shared their respective farm bill proposals. Both plans would utilize unspent money from the Inflation Reduction Act’s conservation provisions and include that money in the farm bill. The Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow’s (D-Mich.) proposed version includes an emphasis on continuing climate-smart agriculture by expanding conservation policies like increasing the acreage cap for the Conservation Reserve Program. Chair of the House Agriculture committee, GT Thompson’s (R-Penn.) version proposes a new forest easement program to maintain use for the land. Partisanship of the split Congress and different priorities contribute to the growing concern for the future of the farm bill. The ASA, along with a long list of other farm groups are pushing for the success of this legislation.
According to Herman and Decker, the top priorities for Iowa soybean farmers in the farm bill include:
• Improving the Title I farm safety net to include meaningful adjustments to reference prices and greater access to Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage through expansion of base acres
• Expanding trade promotion programs through substantial increases for the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development program
• Protecting and enhancing crop insurance to assist with volatile weather and crop loss
• Maintaining the farmer-financed soybean research and promotion checkoff
• Building biobased market opportunities to promote soy utilization
• Investing in research for innovation and competitiveness
• Providing biofuels opportunities to encourage energy independence
• Enabling greater access to voluntary conservation programs
Protecting crop tools
In February 2024, a federal court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unlawfully approved three dicamba-based weedkillers for use on soybeans and cotton crops. The decision from the U.S. Court of Arizona recognized the usefulness of dicamba but pointed out the harm caused to other plants by wind drift. This is not the first time a federal court has banned dicamba-based herbicides. In 2020 the ninth circuit court of appeals issued a ban, but the Trump administration reapproved the products just before the November 2020 election. In the months since, the EPA’s existing stock order has allowed for the sale or distribution of
existing dicamba but prohibits any new product from being manufactured. ISA welcomed the existing stocks order to allow Iowa farmers to utilize crop protection tools for the current growing season.
However, the real consequences of this ruling will take effect in the upcoming year when the existing stock order is no longer helpful. Uncertainty of dicamba products forces farmers to utilize alternatives in the meantime. ISA joined 25 other state soybean associations and the ASA in a letter to EPA asking the administration for clarity following this dicamba ruling. This past May, Bayer submitted a new registration for dicamba in preparation for 2025. ISA and ASA will be pushing the EPA for an expeditious review.
Weighing in on strategy
The Endangered Species Act (ESA), originally signed into law in December 1973, was intended to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats. In the past decade, EPA has been scrutinized for not complying with the obligations of the ESA. After several court cases, the EPA released a 96-page proposal in July of 2023 to mitigate the impact of herbicides on more than 900 plants and animals that fall under the “endangered” classification. To mitigate potential damage, EPA proposed that farmers would be required to adopt a combination of conservation practices ranging from field edge buffer strips to grassed waterways.
The proposed mitigation plans were immediately deemed to be impractical and overly onerous. ISA and its partners spent the last year analyzing and communicating these challenges to the agency. In response to concern, EPA released an updated proposal in April which expanded potential mitigation solutions, dramatically reduced the impacted area and did away with a convoluted points-based mitigation approach.
The EPA’s deadline to finalize the strategy is Aug. 30.
Staying engaged
For more information and to become an ISA Advocate Member, visit iasoybeans.com/membership/advocate.
Contact Jeff Hutton at jhutton@iasoybeans.com
Financial Incentive
To help cover the start-up costs of cover crops, Farmers for Soil Health o ers financial assistance of up to $50/acre over a three-year period.
Exclusive Marketplace
Enrollment in Farmers for Soil Health provides access to an exclusive future marketplace connecting farmers to top-tier supply chain partners that are focused on sustainability.
Technical Advisor
Each state has dedicated on-theground technical advisors to provide research-based information and educational resources to aid in the transition of your field.
