Letter from the President Family Matters

The two groups that comprise Minnesota Soybean – MSGA and our partners, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council – form a unique tandem. The Council can support MSGA in many ways, through research and studies that arm advocates with data and tools to inform legislators. The push to pass our historic biodiesel law in 2002 is a perfect example of how we work together. The Council’s research and feasibility studies helped MSGA deliver a message to legislators that our homegrown biofuel could be a winner for Minnesota farmers, our economy and environment. More than 20 years later, it’s clear we were proven right on every measure.

The Council also helps provide financial support for leadership activities like last summer’s Future of Soybeans retreat and the annual American Soybean Association’s (ASA) Young Leader program. We are grateful to work alongside the Council. I have a tremendous relationship with my Council counterpart, Chair Joe Serbus, and we are proud to once again publish MSR&PC’s Annual Report in Soybean Business, along with regularly highlighting checkoff investments in these pages. As you’ll see while strolling through the Game of Soy, the Council made huge steps in 2022 and have all the resources at their disposal for even greater success in 2023.

As most – but not all – of you know, one place where the Council can absolutely not go is the lobbying realm. A federal mandate prevents the soybean checkoff from crossing into the legislative arena, and that’s a line every state soybean group must take very seriously. MSGA goes where the checkoff can’t, which is why membership is so important. We depend on our membership dues to fund our advocacy mission. Membership levels start at about 23 cents per day for a three-year membership, and it’s even more cost-effective (just $20 annually) for students. Rural representation in St. Paul and Washington, D.C., decreases seemingly every year, and 2023 is no different. Thus, it’s so important that our strong voice grows louder by increasing our membership. And make no mistake: MSGA is a sound investment in your operation and your industry. Because of our members, we can advocate for policies here at home and in our nation’s capital.

This session at the Capitol – just a couple years after we led the way in passing Section 179 Tax Conformity, which saved farmers millions of dollars in taxes – we’re doing everything we can to ease the uneven tax burden shouldered by farmers. Skyrocketing property taxes are increasing rent rates, which will make it increasingly difficult for the next generation of farmers to work the land. We know we face an uphill battle on several fronts at the state legislature, but with your membership support, we can ensure agriculture continues to have a voice at the table. If we won’t speak up for our industry, who will?

March and April are busy months for MSGA, as we look ahead to the upcoming growing season. In early March, we held our D.C. Hill Visits and talked the upcoming Farm Bill with legislators, then headed to Commodity Classic with our seven American Soybean Association directors to finalize our resolutions. We hold our annual St. Paul Hill Visits and Legislative Reception in late March before gathering for our spring board meeting in Mankato. Then, if Mother Nature is agreeable, we start the hard work it takes to put our crop in the ground.

All the while, rest assured that MSGA and MSR&PC are staying in their respective lanes to ensure your pathway to profitability is a smooth one. Stay safe this spring, and ride on.

Sincerely,

Bob Worth, President, Minnesota Soybean Growers Association