MSR&PC CHAIR

You’re MSR&PC chair and a checko leader! You’ve grown your leadership skills over the years and studied how the checko boosts the pro tability of your fellow farmers and industry. Directing checko funds is not only a privilege, but also a big responsibility. Minnesota farmers depend on you to invest these hard-earned resources in a wise manner. Luckily, you’re up to the task!

In the nearly 50 years since the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council convened for its rst meeting, few were as memorable as 2022 for the Council and the farmers we proudly represent. We emerged from the worst of the pandemic a stronger organization, with a robust, worldwide demand for soy – and, most importantly, elevated commodity prices. We’re also delivering our message from a new home: In spring 2022, we moved into our new headquarters in east Mankato and are excited to welcome the public for events and professional demonstrations in the near future.

In a competitive and tumultuous global marketplace, the Council stood out from the rest and made history – literally – in 2022. Through the Council’s investments in what we call “sweat equity” projects – checko endeavors that play the long game toward broadening supply chains and increasing exports in emerging markets – our e orts led to the rst shipment of U.S soymeal to the landlocked country of Uzbekistan in August 2022. A few weeks later, Council sta joined my colleagues, Directors Gene Stoel and Patrick O’Leary, on a follow-up trade mission to Uzbekistan. During the tour, the Council team toured Uzbekistan’s agriculture facilities and assessed further checko investments into growing this emerging market.

We also directed resources toward promoting agricultural exports via the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, starting at the Port of Duluth. In September 2022, we were pleased to welcome back our friends from Taiwan, who traveled to Minnesota to ink a purchasing deal worth approximately $2 billion that will bene t our state’s soybean and corn farmers. Thanks to the Council’s global vision, it’s no wonder that soybeans are consistently ranked as Minnesota’s most valuable agricultural export, accounting for over $2 billion in sales annually.

Following our successful 2021 Driving Soy campaign, the Council put its best foot forward by continuing to give back to our communities. As part of our Stepping Up campaign, farmer-leaders and sta barnstormed Minnesota, donating thousands of soy-based Skechers shoes to health care personnel. In one of our nal Stepping Up events, I joined Director Paul Freeman on a visit to the ICU unit in St. Cloud. We were honored to thank the sta and donate 120 pairs of soy-based shoes to our health care heroes.

We continued reconnecting with farmers and researchers in 2022, capped by our Future of Soybeans retreat. Farmers and industry got down to brass tacks and discussed how to address today’s challenges and capitalize on tomorrow’s opportunities. We launched the “Game of Soy” at Farmfest and highlighted the Stepping Up promotion; the progress of the Ag Innovation Campus; the many professions in agriculture; and our e orts in lowering Foreign Material (FM) in our soybeans. Attendance was high, and the response to our interactive Game of Soy was universally positive. On the nal day, Andrea Vaubel, deputy commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, turned to MSR&PC Director of Marketing Kristeena Thisius and exclaimed, “This is genius!”

Our work was also recognized by industry leaders in 2022: the Council’s marketing and communications department garnered a record six regional agri-marketing awards, including a Best of Show nod for the Game of Soy and rst-place honors for our 2021 Annual Report.

Though challenges always remain – from input costs to weather to global tensions – the prevailing sense among agriculture leaders is that the wind is at our backs. We look forward to upping our game and improving farmer pro tability in the year ahead.

Joe Serbus

Chair, Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council