Through the soy checkoff, U.S. soybean farmers are investing in new production practices to continuously improve their sustainability while protecting the air, water and soil for generations to come.
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2025 | VOL. 17, NO. 5
Annual Bacon Bar and Brunch legislative breakfast is Feb. 12
The smokey smell of pounds and pounds of bacon will again fill the halls of the Indiana Statehouse from 8-10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, for the annual Bacon Bar and Brunch.
17 Gauck, Lucas return to leadership roles on corn checkoff board
Tim Gauck was re-elected as president of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC), the state’s corn checkoff program, and Matthew Lucas was re-elected as vice president.
22 Systems approach to conservation raises yields and cuts costs
Roger Wenning has increased productivity and profitability by implementing a system that includes cover crops, no-till, drainage, crop rotation and nutrient management.
30 Kingery appointed to a federal committee on international trade
Courtney Kingery, CEO of ISA, ICMC and ICGA, was appointed by USDA to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed Oilseeds and Planting Seeds.
42 About the cover:
Phyllis and Mark Legan, lower left, pose with their daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Nick Tharp, and their three grandchildren, Kate, Hannah and Grace, on a tractor on the family’s farm in rural Putnam County near Coatesville, Ind. For more about this firstgeneration farm, read their story on page 18. (Amy Kelley photo)
ISA Membership & Policy Committee
Vice Chair
Chair
Brian Warpup, Warren / D2
Allen Buchanan, Fowler / D1
Kevin Kelley, Brookston / D1
John Peters, Monticello / D1
Denise Scarborough, LaCrosse / D1
C.J. Chalfant, Hartford City / D2
Carey McKibben, LaGrange / D2
Steve Phares, Albion / D2
Jenna Scott, Muncie / D2
Brian Warpup, Warren / D2
Mark Wenning, Cambridge City / D2
Philip Springstun, Boonville / D3
David Hardin, Avon / D4
Directors
Mark Legan, Coatesville / D3
Derika Lynam-Spaetti, Richland / D3
Gary McDaniel, Boonville / D3
Jason Misiniec, Bicknell / D3
Larry Rusch, Vincennes / D3
Andrew McDaniel, Noblesville / D4
Kevin Burbrink, Seymour / D4
Chris Eck, Boggstown / D4
Mike Koehne, Greensburg / D4
Keevin Lemenager, Monrovia / D4
Roger Wenning, Greensburg / D4
President
Chris Cherry, New Palestine / D6
Vice President
Secretary
J.R. Roesner, Ferdinand / D8
Treasurer
Alan Dunn, Michigantown / D4 Tyler Everett, Lebanon / D7
Tom Murphy, Chesterton / D1
Directors
Scott Smith, Windfall / D5
Phil Zicht, Winchester / D3 Tyler Pottschmidt, Crothersville / D9
Alan Dunn, Michigantown / D4 Joe Tuholski, LaPorte / D2
Staff Credits
Editor / Dave Blower Jr. dblower@indianasoybean.com
Indiana Corn & Soybean Post® is published six times per year by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Growers Association.
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Moving ethanol-related bill forward is our goal at state and federal levels
AChris Cherry President Indiana Corn Growers Association
t this moment, I’m sitting in Louisville, Ky., preparing for the winter National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) meetings and Action Teams. As I look back on the past year, there is much to be thankful for and appreciative.
I am on the NCGA’s Biofuels Action team. As a member of this action team, I represent the farmer members of Indiana as well as 18 other states that make up the NCGA.
NCGA has six action teams made up of 16 members each, all with the same goal of finding new ways to “move the pile.” The other action teams are:
• Production and Sustainability
• Communication and Education
• Research and New Uses
• Risk Management
• Trade, Transportation and Animal Ag
These action teams are critical in doing the work within NCGA and in working with our state legislatures and the representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
In Biofuels, we spend much of our time working with industry partners that are finding ways to burn more ethanol, to make E15 more mainstream, and to find ways to bring sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) forward by using U.S. corn ethanol.
Indiana is fortunate to have members of the ICGA board and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) board on each of these six action teams. It shows both Indiana’s commitment and the trust that NCGA has in having us work on these teams.
One of the big wins that ICGA and NCGA had recently was the ruling that Mexico must adhere to its USMCA commitments. Mexico had banned the use of GMO corn in both feed and food uses. This went against the previous
agreements that were signed. This ruling is a direct result of the grassroots work that has been done by your directors and the directors in NCGA. We thought year-round E15 was going to get passed in Congress by the end of the 2024, but it ultimately fell apart. We are hopeful that E15 and the Next Generation Fuels Act as well as a new farm bill get traction and completion in what will be a busy 2025.
My grandma used to tease me over the phone with, “What are you doing, nothing?” This was always harmless, but it expressed her belief that if you weren’t driving a tractor or a combine, then you weren’t really doing anything. This was more of a generational thing, and it took me a few years to appreciate it. Now I certainly miss getting those phone calls.
Today’s farmers work year-round and don’t have too much down time. We move from one season to the next, and many have side businesses or off-farm income to support their farming “habit.” January is especially busy with farmer meetings, pre-pay dates, continuing education requirements as well as having grain to haul. Since it is January, and hauling grain is a priority, I just wanted to remind everyone of grain bin safety. Don’t ever get into a grain bin without someone there; and if you are inside the bin, utilize best practices so that no one gets hurt. I heard about an accident recently; and thankfully. the man is okay. Many times, these incidents don’t have a great end result.
Thankfully the volunteer fire departments as well as other departments were quick to respond. Many of these departments have benefited from the support of our corn checkoff program providing tubes and training that lead to better results. For more information, reach out to staff or a board member.
To Become A Member
At POET, we believe in cultivating communities and growing the local economy. We have been using biotechnology to create sustainable solutions from local agricultural products for 35 years – ensuring that rural farm families can continue to do what they love for generations to come.
POET purchases corn from local farmers to produce sustainable biofuels and bioproducts. There are five POET Bioprocessing facilities across Indiana: Alexandria, North Manchester, Portland, Shelbyville, and Cloverdale. | poet.com/grain
Looking forward to representing Hoosier farmers as we tackle potential legislation
WBrian Warpup Chair ISA Membership and Policy Committee
elcome to 2025! As with any January, it is always good to turn the page and start fresh with a new planning year. This year will be my first year serving as the Membership and Policy Committee chair. I have been engaged in politics through most of my adult life, and this is truly an honor to serve my fellow Hoosier farmers in this capacity.
The first job I had out of college was for a company in Indianapolis. I would make the commute just like everyone else trekking around the overcrowded I-69 to I-465 to US 52. Many times, when I made the journey, I would think about my life growing up and living in rural Indiana and how being in the quiet country instead loud Indianapolis wasn’t so bad.
That lasted for five years. With our farm’s aging neighbors, a slow farm economy, and dad needing help, I came back to the family farm. I still travel frequently to the “city” and on business, but now it’s not as grinding. Now I know where my heart truly calls home.
I currently produce corn, soybeans and wheat in Huntington and Wells counties, and it has been a special time to raise my family on the farm. Since committing full-time to the family farm for nearly 25 years, I’ve tried to continually connect with my community.
I have served on several local boards and currently I am in my first term on the Huntington County Council. Overseeing budgets and concerns at a local level can be difficult, but it’s always rewarding to know that you can help improve your community.
At the state level, I feel that helping to influence policy for the Indiana farmer is vital for our entire community of agriculture moving forward. Sometimes it may feel that many non-agricultural decision-makers aren’t educated enough on how we, as farmers, maintain our land, sell our crops or make day-to-day decisions. It is important to keep in contact and help those who may not understand the importance of rural Indiana on bills and potential new laws that my drastically affect how we farm.
There will be much discussion in upcoming legislative sessions at the state and federal level that could influence our farm community. From biofuels to herbicide regulation, to finally addressing a muchneeded farm bill, there will be much attention on how we are influenced by our elected officials.
There is very little, though, that we do alone. I know you’ve heard this before, but the more voices we have then the more state and federal lawmakers will listen to us.
Please consider becoming a paid member of the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership and Policy Committee. I can guarantee that other farmers like me – and like you – will be advocating for Indiana agriculture all year. To become a member, send an email to ISA Industry Affairs Outreach Manager Khyla Goodman at kgoodman@indianasoybean.com.
As we go through this year, we will cover some of the specific issues that we believe Indiana farmers should watch. Until then, stay warm and enjoy the season.
To Become A Member
Clean Fuel Production Credit excludes producers from using used cooking oil
BY BLAIR SHIPP, American Soybean Association
As a new year begins, and the second Trump Administration takes shape in Washington, D.C., the American Soybean Association (ASA) and its farmerleaders are focused on seizing the critical advocacy window before planting season.
With the chance to meet with new policymakers and educate them on key soybean priorities, ASA is committed to ensuring that the needs of soybean farmers are front and center. From advancing biofuels policy to pushing for strong leadership at the USDA, ASA is taking action to protect and enhance the future of U.S. soybean production.
In recent weeks, there have been significant updates that promise to impact the industry, including new developments on 45Z. In January, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and USDA released important updates regarding the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z) following the Treasury Department’s interim guidance issued Jan. 11.
The Treasury Department’s announcement provides interim guidance on the Clean Fuel Production Credit (45Z), allowing biofuel producers to begin claiming the credit immediately. Although the rulemaking process is still ongoing, this initial guidance creates new opportunities for producers while setting up guardrails that could benefit soybean growers.
One major takeaway is the exclusion of imported used cooking oil (UCO) from eligibility under the 45ZCF-GREET model, an important step after significant advocacy from ASA and partners. Imported UCO will only be eligible for tax credits through the CORSIA model for sustainable aviation fuel, helping to level the playing field for soybean oil in the biofuels market.
In response to this announcement, ASA and the National Oilseed Processors Association sent a joint media release, with ASA President Caleb Ragland, a farmer from Kentucky, noting the new guidance represents an investment in U.S. farmers and strengthens the domestic biofuels industry.
The DOE released the 45ZCF-GREET model, which calculates emissions reductions and determines the tax credit value per gallon of biofuel.
For soybean oil, the estimated tax credit is 33 cents per gallon for biodiesel and 19 cents for renewable diesel, although actual values may vary based on individual biofuel plants.
This updated model helps bring soybean oil closer to parity with UCO, which had previously benefited from higher tax credits under federal programs. However, under Treasury’s new guidance, imported UCO is ineligible for the 45Z tax credit.
Guidelines for climate-smart ag
USDA has issued an interim final rule providing technical guidelines to help farmers incorporate climate-smart agriculture practices that could improve their tax credit scores for biofuels under 45Z. This rule includes a carbon calculator that enables farmers to calculate emissions reductions at the field level.
As a result of years of feedback from ASA, the rule includes practices such as no-till, reduced till and nitrification inhibitors for soybean, corn and sorghum crops. These practices will allow farmers to enhance their emissions reductions scores and qualify for higher tax credits. The rule also sets up a process for farmers to report and verify these practices over time.
These updates are part of ongoing efforts to finalize the 45Z program. Treasury plans to incorporate USDA’s climate-smart agriculture work into final guidance.
The USDA rule is now open for public comment for 60 days, and ASA will continue to provide feedback during this period to ensure that the final rule prioritizes soybean oil in biofuel production. ASA also issued a media release in response to Treasury’s announcement, highlighting the positive elements of the guidance and its potential benefits for soybean farmers.
Groups back Rollins for USDA Secretary
ASA and numerous state soybean affiliates, including the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), along with more than 420 agricultural organizations, are urging the swift
For more on ASA
confirmation of Brooke Rollins as the next USDA Secretary. In a letter led by the Ag CEO Council and sent to Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, the groups emphasize the urgent need for strong leadership at USDA to tackle critical challenges facing American agriculture, including the farm bill, economic pressures and food security. A prompt confirmation of Rollins is essential to ensure USDA can begin addressing these issues and continue supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural communities nationwide.
Rollins’ confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23.
Court halts CTA reporting requirement
A federal appeals court has once again halted Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) enforcement. CTA is meant as an anti-money laundering measure, but the requirements for small businesses, including farms, to disclose beneficial ownership information would be a burdensome step for many.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued
the ruling on Dec. 26 temporarily blocking compliance obligations under the CTA, which mandates that certain U.S.-based businesses submit detailed reports on their beneficial owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
Most businesses faced a Jan. 1, 2025, deadline to submit initial BOI reports to FinCEN before the appeals court ruling, with FinCEN allowing an extension until Jan. 13. While this injunction temporarily halts the reporting compliance deadline of Jan. 13, ASA continues to strongly encourage all members to speak with their attorneys and/ or tax professionals to determine how the CTA impacts their operations.
Supporters of the law argued it was necessary to track bad actors who use anonymous corporate structures to conceal illicit activities. However, critics including agricultural groups have argued that the law constitutes federal overreach and imposes unnecessary regulatory burdens on small businesses and farmers.
A legislative provision that would have delayed implementation of the CTA by one year was stripped from the final government funding package late last month.
Recent legislative wins for corn growers displays how to succeed in Washington
BY BROOKE S. APPLETON, Vice President of Public Policy, National Corn Growers Association
It’s winter in the nation’s capital, and the city hosted a state funeral for a former president and the swearing-in of a new presidential administration. All of this as a winter storm blanketed the city, closing government offices.
As my team and I prepare to advance our legislative agenda this year on your behalf, we are contemplating how we make progress on our goals and what has worked in the past.
Our persistent advocacy work led to a recent decision by an international dispute panel that ruled that Mexico violated its obligations under the U.S.Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by blocking genetically modified corn imports. That outcome is a clear sign that advocacy is effective and will only increase our leverage moving ahead.
The decision – which was a big win for farmers, as Mexico is our largest market – would not have happened if not for the monumental advocacy efforts by state and national corn grower leaders who pushed the Biden Administration to act.
Indeed, as I think about it, at least four specific tactics helped us achieve this win:
• Working with our congressional allies as they pushed for action. State and national corn grower leaders worked with members of Congress as they drafted letters to the administration calling for the dispute settlement process to be launched. We also had congressional briefings, which allowed us to educate a broader group of policymakers about the issue.
• Organizing an open letter campaign. We joined state corn grower leaders in releasing an open letter calling on the administration to act.
• Activating grassroots support. We issued a call to action encouraging corn farmers to contact their policymakers to encourage them to act on the issue.
• Placing news stories in major media outlets. We worked with national reporters to raise the issue far and wide. This included several stories on Fox Business featuring interviews with our leadership and a Nebraska farmer affected by the ban.
As we move into a new year of advocacy, we need the continued support of farmers. If you haven’t already, please sign up for the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) action alerts and make sure you are a member of your state corn grower group. (You can join by visiting incornandsoy.org.)
We need you by our side as we fight for growers in Washington, because, if nothing else, this recent win that maintains access to our largest export market teaches us that together we can shape policies that allow our farmers to fuel and feed the world.
Here’s to a productive year ahead!
INS and OUTS of 2024 in Washington
If you expect twists and turns during an election year, this year certainly did not disappoint. In 2024, we navigated a presidential election like no other as we pushed Congress to act on our major legislative priorities and as voters contemplated the nation’s future. While we will end 2024 with a divided Congress and Democratic administration, soon into 2025 we will have a Republican president and a GOP Congress. Suffice it to say, our cup of INS & OUTs of 2024 runneth over.
IN: Farm bill extension (Part II); OUT: Farm bill must-dos
Despite successful efforts to mark up and pass a farm bill out of the House Agriculture Committee, the bill was never taken up or passed by the entire House. While the Senate committee leadership offered competing frameworks, it did not advance any legislation.
For more on NCGA
Negotiations for a five-year farm bill do not look promising. Congress may settle for another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill, which could be attached to a continuing resolution that continues to fund the government. We have been calling for the inclusion of disaster and economic assistance for farmers along with legislation that will allow for permanent consumer access to E15 year-round. When the new Congress is in session, we will continue a strong push for reauthorization of a robust five-year farm bill that includes corn grower priorities.
IN: Republican trifecta; OUT: Divided government
As we have advocated for corn grower priorities, we have had to navigate a divided government with Democrats controlling the U.S. Senate and the Republicans the U.S. House of Representatives. That will soon be the case no more. In the 119th Congress, Republicans will control the House, Senate and the White House. We expect this will mean that Presidentelect Donald Trump will be able to more easily advance parts of his agenda through budget reconciliation. However, we know from looking at history that at times the majority party can struggle and break into factions. For example, the conservative House Freedom Caucus often breaks with other wings of the Republican Party. When we are united, agriculture can have powerful messages that
resonate across inter- and intra-party divides. We plan to make our case to policymakers of all stripes.
We are witnessing the rise of some new faces as we enter a new year. For example, Trump has tapped Brooke Rollins to serve as USDA secretary. Rollins has a degree in agriculture from Texas A&M and will bring a fresh perspective to ag policy as well as a strong working relationship with President Trump. We look forward to working with her as she goes through the Senate confirmation process, and once she is at the helm of USDA.
We are also saying goodbye to a few corn grower champions. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will conclude his tenure in January. Vilsack has worked on issues important to corn growers since his time serving as governor of Iowa. We will also see the retirement of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), the top Senate Democrat on Agriculture since 2011.
IN: Year of the Farmer; OUT: Hardships
Growers have faced declining corn prices and high input costs. We know that this is a tough time for farmers, and that is front of mind for my staff and I as we advocate for you on Capitol Hill. Our goal is to make 2025 the year of the farmer. We plan to do that by pushing legislators to eliminate barriers you face while helping you and other growers make inroads into new markets.
Take action to help Hoosier farmers
Become a lifetime member of Indiana’s corn and soybean policy groups
The Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership & Policy Committee (M&P) represent our state’s farmers in the legislative halls in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. These organizations need your membership to influence federal and state lawmakers.
Indiana soybean and corn growers can now save money and eliminate the hassle of annual renewals by purchasing a LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP to both ICGA and M&P. For only $1,700, you can be a member of both ICGA and M&P for life!
Anyone interested in buying this membership, should contact Industry Affairs Outreach Manager
Khyla Goodman by phone at 317-614-0377 or by email at goodman@indianasoybean.com. Or, you can go to our website, incornandsoy.org/ membership, to join!
Lifetime Members:
Phil Ramsey
Courtney Kingery
Matthew Lucas
Tyler Everett
David Gottbrath
Mike Sprinkle
Jeff Troike
Jim Douglas
Michael Steinbarger
Sam Caldwell
Mark Nigh
Alan Dunn
Mason Gick
Aaron Johnson
Nathan Luallen
Sam Mehringer
David Wenning
Mark Wenning
Creed Gunn
Andrew Fansler
Kent Burton
Russell Anderson
Troy Hattery
Mark Bacon
Ronald Sutherlin
Jordan Caldwell
Mike Shuter
John Baugh
Janice Peterson
Cullen Page
Don Wyss
John Peters
Bruce Herr
Lauren Tolle
Luke Roush
James Wood
Allen Buchanan
Matt Hart
Ron Hudson
Mark Tolle
Carl Kissel
Chris Eck
James Wenning
JR Roesner
William Roesner
Sarah Delbecq
Jim Geller Jr.
C.J. Chalfant
Aaron Johnson, Orleans, Ind.
“It’s really a no-brainer to invest in the industry that you work in. I’m not going to stop being a producer; and as the number of farmers shrinks, we will need more of a voice in government to represent us.”
Shreve: Focus on policy priorities and work being done in District 6
BY U.S. REP. JEFFERSON SHREVE Republican Party, District 6
As the calendar turns to 2025, I’m looking forward to a new chapter as Indiana’s congressman in the Sixth District. The Sixth District, which spans the southern townships of Marion County and Indianapolis, down to Columbus in Bartholomew County and over to Richmond in Wayne County, is my home.
It’s where I was born and raised, where I started my business out of college, and where my wife Mary and I continue to call home. So, when Rep. Greg Pence announced he wouldn’t seek re-election, I was excited about the prospect of serving my home state and my home district.
I’ve spent the past three decades in business, building and growing a self-storage enterprise across Indiana and the Midwest. My company – Storage Express – became the largest self-storage company headquartered in Indiana. Before selling the company, I had 26 locations in the Sixth District. Through the years, I owned some 200 properties in seven states. That business allowed me to get to know Indiana like the back of my hand.
During my career, I went back to school for an Master of Business Administration in Agribusiness at
Purdue University. I long had an interest in agriculture and farming. My studies helped me develop a deeper understanding of – and respect for – the ag industry.
Throughout my campaign, I traveled the counties of Indiana’s Sixth District. I had countless meetings with small business owners, farmers and ag producers. I was grateful to win the election with the endorsement of the Indiana Farm Bureau. Their team recognized my commitment to supporting our state’s ag economy and to creating ag-friendly policies.
In Congress, I’ll be an advocate for Hoosier farmers — and all the farmers across our great country. I’ll oppose attempts at regulatory overreach. I’ll stand up for farmers. I’ll support the re-authorization of the farm bill — which should have been tackled in 2024.
I’ll also work to keep our trade and export markets open for Indiana producers. I understand how important trade is for our farmers. I promise to be thoughtful about our trade policies and to safeguard export markets for our growers and producers.
I’m honored to be heading to Congress with the support of Hoosiers like you. Just as I’ve gotten up and worked hard every day throughout my career, I promise to get up and work hard every day in the halls of Congress on behalf of Hoosiers.
Prior to be elected as the U.S. Representative for Indiana Congressional District 6, Jefferson Shreve met with Rushville FFA Advisor Blair Orme and several Rushville FFA students. Shreve earned a Master of Business Administration in Agribusiness from Purdue University. He said he has a strong interest in Indiana agriculture and representing Hoosier farmers.
Messmer: Trade policy should aid America’s ability to export U.S. grain to global markets
BY U.S. REP. MARK MESSMER Republican Party, District 8
It is a huge honor to represent the citizens of the Eighth District in the upcoming 119th Congress. Agriculture issues are highly important to my district and the State of Indiana. Indiana and the Eighth district are some of the top producers of several agricultural commodities.
With this in mind, I asked for a position on the House Agriculture Committee, and I am excited to confirm I was selected. It’s also important that we focus on trade policy that enhances our ability to export our grain to markets across the globe and create a level playing field for all our commodities. Our growers have the technology to be the most efficient producers in the world, and our trade policies need to allow them to compete globally.
Extending provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that impact farmers as well as all small businesses will be a top priority of mine in the 2025 session.
Our ability to produce the food that our country needs is a national security issue, which justifies the need for a comprehensive farm bill that protects farmers from the unpredictability that mother nature can throw at them. It appears that there will be another extension passed this year during the lame duck session. Getting a new Farm Bill passed in 2025 will be a high priority of mine next session as a member of the Committee on Agriculture.
We’ve also got to support projects in our state and region that will increase the supply of fertilizer, fuel and other input items that heavily impact the cost of producing grain and livestock. Relying on import of these items was shown to be a risk to our growers during the COVID crisis.
The fragile nature of our overseas supply chains was quickly brought into focus during the past four years. Reshoring our own capacity to supply the products we need must be a commitment at all levels of our state and national government.
Another area in need of streamlining in 2025 is the H2A work visa program. Farm operations that are trying to comply with the law should not be dealing with delays of
Former State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper, Ind.) was recently elected as the U.S. Representative for U.S. House District 8 in southwestern Indiana. He succeeds recently retired U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Dist. 8). Messmer served in the Indiana’s General Assembly as a state senator from 2014-2024, and he was a state representative from 2008-2014. From 20182022, Messmer was the Majority Leader for Republicans in the Indiana General Assembly.
applications due to misinterpreting the rules by federal bureaucrats.
There also needs to be uniform regional pay rate standards set by the US Dept of Commerce to make sure our state is not unfairly impacted with higher labor costs compared to our neighbors.
I look forward to finding solutions to these and other farm issues in the next two years.
Cherry re-elected as ICGA President, and Zicht joins as new board director
The Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) re-elected Chris Cherry, a farmer from New Palestine, Ind., as president during its December board meeting. Other board officers elected include Vice President Alan Dunn, Michigantown, Ind.; Secretary J.R. Roesner, Ferdinand, Ind.; and Treasurer Tyler Everett, Lebanon, Ind.
Cherry is in his second term as an ICGA director. He grows corn, soybeans and wheat on his farm in Hancock County. Cherry has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from Franklin College. He said ICGA will focus on pressing farm policy issues.
For more on ICGA leadership
a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Butler University, and he also serves as the president of the Clinton County Council.
“Using only energy from the sun, water and a few key elements, our farms create food, fuel and clothing for people around the world – and, yet, what we do is often misunderstood, or worse, mischaracterized,” Dunn said. “I want to work to protect the miracle of modern agriculture and to help educate our consumers and partners on the amazing things we have accomplished – and will accomplish – as the industry upon which all others are built.”
“It’s an honor to be re-elected as ICGA president,” Cherry said. “There are many priorities that we need to address this year. I plan to continue working with the ICGA board and staff to push for policies that will help Indiana corn farmers. I want to continue to work on getting the Next Generation Fuels Act put into policy.”
The farmer-leaders of the Indiana Corn Growers Association include, from left, Tom Murphy of Chesterton, Ind.; Scott Smith of Windfall, Ind.; Chris Cherry of New Palestine, Ind.; Alan Dunn of Michigantown, Ind.; Phil Zicht of Winchester, Ind.; J.R. Roesner of Ferdinand, Ind.; Tyler Everett of Lebanon, Ind.; ex-officio Mike Buis of Martinsville, Ind.; Tyler Pottschmidt of Crothersville, Ind.; and ex-officio John Baugh of West Lafayette, Ind. Not pictured are Joe Tuholski of LaPorte, Ind., and ex-officio Elisha Modisett Kemp of Sheridan, Ind.
Dunn has farmed since 1993 in Clinton County and grows corn and soybeans on a traditional row-crop farm. He has
Everett served as ICGA vice president last year and treasurer in 2023. He is a thirdgeneration farmer and works with his father to produce corn, soybeans and wheat on their farm in Boone and Hendricks counties. Everett represents District 7 on the ICGA board.
Roesner was reelected as the board’s secretary. A full-time farmer since 2001, he grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Dubois, Gibson, Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties. Roesner has a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University. He is also an Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) board director and is on the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Board.
“There are many priorities that we need to address this year. I plan to continue working with the ICGA board and staff to push for policies that will help Indiana corn farmers.”
--Chris Cherry, ICGA President
The new leaders of the Indiana Corn Growers Association are, from left, Secretary J.R. Roesner, a farmer from Ferdinand, Ind.; Vice President Alan Dunn, a farmer from Michigantown, Ind.; President Chris Cherry, a farmer from New Palestine, Ind.; and Treasurer Tyler Everett, a farmer from Lebanon, Ind.
Zicht to represent District 3
Phil Zicht, a farmer from Winchester, Ind., is the new representative for District 3. He takes the place of Sarah Delbecq of Auburn, Ind., who finished her third, three-year term.
A retired teacher, Zicht has farmed since 1975. He grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Randolph County. He has been on the Cardinal Ethanol Board of Directors for more than 10 years. District 3 includes the counties of Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Whitley, Huntington, Wells, Blackford, Jay, Adams, Allen, DeKalb and Steuben.
Delbecq served in many roles during her time on the ICGA board, including president. She also served as an ICMC board director. She is the sixth generation to grow corn, soybeans and wheat on her family’s farm in rural DeKalb and Noble counties. ICGA CEO Courtney Kingery thanked Delbecq for her service.
“We welcome Phil Zicht to the board, and we look forward to his perspective and opinions on the ICGA board,” Kingery said. “I’d like to sincerely thank Sarah Delbecq for her dedicated service to Indiana’s farmers. She has served in each of the officer positions on the ICGA board, and she has a passion for the policy side of the organization. Going beyond ICGA, Sarah has been an active participant on NCGA Action Teams and also represented farmers on the Indiana Corn Marketing Council. Her efforts will leave a positive legacy on ICGA.”
From property taxes
at the Statehouse to the Farm Bill on
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the NCFC’s leader for 15 years, but he plans to step down at the
Annual Bacon Bar and Brunch legislative breakfast is Feb. 12
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
The smokey smell of pounds and pounds of bacon will again fill the halls of the Indiana Statehouse from 8-10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, to bring together Hoosier farmers, ag industry stakeholders and state lawmakers to talk about farm policy.
The Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership & Policy Committee (M&P) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) will host their annual legislative breakfast, known as the Bacon Bar and Brunch.
This year’s Brunch menu will feature several varieties of bacon including pork bacon, beef bacon, turkey bacon, candied bacon, applewood smoked bacon and bacon with cracked pepper and fresh rosemary. In addition, the Perdue poultry company is providing turkey sausage links, and Prairie Farms is providing milk. Other breakfast items will include Egg Bake with Bacon, Vegetable Egg Bake, Sweet Corn Casserole with Duck Sausage and Maple Syrup, plus orange juice and a coffee station.
But the Brunch is much more than good food. The event offers a chance to network with others.
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“Featuring bacon at the legislative breakfast is a way to highlight Indiana’s pork industry, which is a key customer for Indiana soybean and corn growers,” said M&P Chair Brian Warpup, a farmer from Warren, Ind. “These breakfast foods are a tangible way for us to communicate why a healthy Indiana livestock sector means healthy Indiana farms and a healthy Indiana economy.”
Indiana farmers will go to the Statehouse from 8-10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12, for the annual Bacon Bar and Brunch legislative breakfast.
“The Bacon Bar and Brunch offers farmers an opportunity to build important relationships with state lawmakers,” said ICGA President Chris Cherry, a farmer from New Palestine, Ind. “These discussions don’t have to be about bill numbers and committee hearings, although we do have a detailed agenda to accomplish this year. Sometimes, it’s important just getting to know your representatives, sharing your knowledge of agriculture or inviting them to your farm. We want each elected official to have a network of farmers they can turn to for advice and expertise.”
The soybean and corn policy organizations hope these conversations will encourage lawmakers to “bring home the bacon” for farmers during this year’s General Assembly.
Steve Howell, the senior director of industry affairs for M&P and ICGA, said the food will be fun, but the important work will involve farm policy discussions.
“ICGA and M&P closely monitor all potential legislation that may affect Indiana farmers’ lives,” he said. “The Brunch allows farmers to engage our state legislators and share our priorities for this session. Over a plate of bacon, eggs and more, we can have great discussions on ag policy issues.”
Some of the policy issues that will be discussed include property taxes, a biofuels tax credit, carbon sequestration, farmland assessment and preservation and more. For corn and soybean growers, a focus will be on approving a biofuels tax credit.
State Rep. Dave Heine (R-New Haven) and State Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon) have filed companion bills, HB 1127 and SB 254 respectively, to incentivize fuel retailers to offer higher blends of biofuels. If passed, this legislation will provide a 5 cent per gallon income tax incentive for fuel retailers who offer gasoline fuel blends higher than E10. Incentives for diesel fuel blends begin at 5 cents for B5 with additional bumps of 10 cents for B10 and 18 cents for B20 and above. For details, contact Khyla Goodman, Industry Affairs Outreach and Membership Manager for M&P and ICGA, at kgoodman@indianasoybean.com or 317-677-3137.
To register, go online to incornandsoy.org/bacon-bar-andbrunch or scan the QR code above.
2025 General Assembly should be active as lawmakers debate its biannual budget
BY STEVE HOWELL Senior Director of Industry Affairs for ISA and ICGA
Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) staff are geared up and ready to fight for issues crucial to Indiana corn and soybean farmers. One of our more important efforts is representing our members at the Indiana Statehouse to make sure legislation is advanced by our lawmakers that is good for our industry.
As you are probably aware, General Assembly sessions during odd-numbered years are considered “long sessions” or “budget sessions” since the biannual budget is drafted and passed in these years.
As of this writing, the 2025 Session of the Indiana General Assembly is in full swing. There are several bills important to both ICGA and ISA members.
The broad range of topics we will track closely this session include a biofuels incentive bill, efforts to protect groundwater accessibility for agriculture, changes in the structure of certain government agencies, and proposals to reduce the property tax burden on farmers.
According to a recent study by ABF Economics, these incentives will boost biofuels adoption and increase Indiana corn and soybean farmers’ income by $117.8 million.
Farmers aren’t the only beneficiaries of increased biofuels demand. Consumers will realize fuel cost savings of $11.9 million and an additional 677 Indiana jobs will be supported. Additionally, the ripple effect of this incentive will also add $104 million to Indiana’s GDP, according to the ABF study.
ICGA and ISA farmer leaders have put a lot of work into promoting these biofuels incentives. Now we need all members to contact your legislators and ask for their support and get this done for farmers.
State Rep. Dave Heine (R-New Haven) and State Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon) have filed companion bills, HB 1127 and SB 254 respectively, to incentivize fuel retailers to offer higher blends of biofuels. These bills, if passed, will bring a much-needed boost to Indiana’s corn and soybean farmers.
The legislation will provide a 5 cent per gallon income tax incentive for fuel retailers who offer gasoline fuel blends higher than E10. Incentives for diesel fuel blends begin at 5 cents for B5 with additional bumps of 10 cents for B10 and 18 cents for B20 and above.
With the recent concerns surrounding the use and availability of groundwater, we will support bills to protect ag water wells for irrigation and livestock production. Additionally, increased groundwater monitoring is needed to understand the amount of water available for all users. Access to better, more complete data to understand aquifer volumes and replenishment capabilities is vital to managing this important resource.
There are bills that would change the structure of state government including the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. We will follow these bills closely and support efforts to provide better service to farmers.
During the past few years, we have seen unsustainable, double-digit increases in property tax bills on the farm. Relief is needed and we will support bills that provide that relief. Efforts include changes to the capitalization rate, update elements of the net income elements of the farmland tax formula.
Good relationships, continuous improvement among the values that guide the Legan farm
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
Mark Legan is the oldest of five children. His father was a self-employed brick mason in Johnson County, Ind. In the summer of 1975, young Legan was helping his father build a new fireplace in a neighbor’s house. That neighbor was a farmer, who had 50-60 sows on pasture gestation, and he needed help.
“That farmer offered me $2 an hour to come work for him, and that was $2 an hour more than dad was paying me,” Legan mused. “So, I went to work for that farmer for a couple of years as I finished high school. Dad turned around and hired my best friend and paid him $2.50 an hour to take my place. But, as I look back, that was a formative time where I was exposed to farming. We were moldboard plowing fields, sows were outside, we would turn sows in and out of farrowing, but I enjoyed all of that.”
These days, Mark Legan shares ownership of Legan Livestock and Grain in rural Putnam County near Coatesville, Ind., along with his wife, Phyllis, and his daughter and son-in-law, Beth and Nick Tharp. The family operates a 2,200-sow, breed-to-wean pork farm and 1,050 acres of crop land.
With an eye on the industry’s future and a sense of service, Legan is also a board director for the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), and he represents oilseed farmers on the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
Shortly after Beth and Nick joined the
farm in 2010, the family farm focused on adopting core values that Legan believes is guiding the farm toward better decisions each day. These values include:
• Integrity – which Legan defines as “doing what’s right when no one is looking.”
• Relationships – focusing on God, family, employees, community and consumers.
• Stewardship – which he said is “taking care of the God-given resources we have.”
• Continuous Improvement – is “being better tomorrow than we are today and not afraid to make mistakes,” Legan said.
Although these principles were adopted by the LeganTharp family in 2012, many of these have been followed since Legan first launched his farm in 1989.
Continuous Improvement
After earning a degree in animal science from Purdue University, Legan wanted to work toward a master’s degree from Purdue, so he ended up going to work for Purdue Extension, which offered to pay for his master’s coursework in exchange for a fiveyear commitment.
“I started out as an ag agent in Jennings County for a year and a half, and then I was in Putnam County for six years,” he explained.
“Extension was very good to me. Not growing up on a farm, it helped me to understand production agriculture and to problem solve.
The Legan Family, from left, includes Phyllis and Mark Legan, their sonin-law and daughter, Nick and Beth Tharp, and three grandchildren, Kate, Hannah and Grace. They own and operate Legan Livestock and Grain along with a few related businesses in rural Putnam County near Coatesville, Ind.
Scan for more on LT Farm Meats
I also learned to work with people.”
Extension work led to his future farm. “The early 1980s were turbulent from a financial standpoint,” Legan said. “I was trained as a farm management agent to work with families using financial analysis programs. I saw there were farmers that were still thriving during that downtime. It seemed to me that most of it came back to management. I got to thinking, after I got my master’s and fulfilled my commitment with Extension that I would like to try farming. And there’s my wife, Phyllis, one in a million, who allowed me to leave a job with a steady paycheck to try farming.”
Phyllis didn’t grow up on a farm, either, and everything has been a learning experience for her, too.
Legan had neighbors who were willing to work with him. “I credit the Ames family with helping us get started,” he said. “I believe we wouldn’t be farming if it wasn’t for their help. They had a large crop farm and some older hog facilities. They worked with us on a 50-50
arrangement to help us get started.”
Growing the pork business was important. “We made our share of mistakes over the years, but that comes back to our core values – one of those being continuous improvement – we’re not afraid to make mistakes,” Legan said. “We like to keep our mistakes small and manageable, real learning experiences. We also want to be better tomorrow than we are today.”
Good relationships
Sometimes the timing of certain business decisions was off and required help from others. That’s where the value of relationships plays a role. In 1998, things were going well for Legan. He depopulated some older hog buildings, and he moved the sows indoors into new buildings – then pork prices fell drastically.
“Pig prices dropped to $8,” Legan lamented. “The whole time we’ve been farming, we’ve been with the same local banker here. I still remember walking into the
Mark Legan’s oldest granddaughter, Kate, fills a drone with cover crop seed. The Legans broadcast seed cover crops on their fields in the fall.
Mark Legan said stewardship is among his farm’s core values. That means using conservation practices that protect his soil’s health. He utilizes cover crops and tries to no-till on most of his fields.
bank office in 1998 with the keys to the new buildings that we had just completed that fall. I tossed the keys on his desk and told him we were upside down. He asked what he was going to do with the farm. Then he said, ‘we’ll figure out a way,’ and that banker stuck by us. Things like that mean a lot.”
Legan delights in both long-lasting and brand-new relationships. “If it wasn’t for relationships, we would not be farming now,” he said. “As we talk about relationships, we talk about the relationship we have with God, and the relationships we have with each other as a family. We have an important relationship with our 10 full-time employees; we have a relationship with the community. Then we’ve got business relationships. We’ve been in various machinery share arrangements for the last 25 years because we’re not a large crop farm. It’s important to be able to utilize the resources we have. Actually, that’s the purpose of our farm: To utilize our God-given resources to the best of our ability.”
Legan Livestock and Grain partners with the Morton family farm in Boone County and the Douglas family farm in Shelby County to finish the 60,000 pigs per year Legan farrows. Douglas Farms is owned by former ISA Director and Board Chair Jim Douglas of Flat Rock, Ind. Douglas also serves on the USMEF Board representing soybean growers from the United Soybean Board.
Legan appreciates his relationships with Douglas and Morton. “Opposed to a straight contract arrangement, they have skin in the game to take care of the pigs,” Legan said. “They receive a contract payment for taking care of
them. Both of those families have larger crop farms. So, they have a crop base to utilize the manure better than what we can. We share in the profits, and we share in the losses while being able to manage the system.”
Focus on Stewardship
Taking care of those God-given resources, for Legan, means adopting no-till practices and cover crops. In a way, he’s still an ag educator – testing techniques, trying new practices and sharing the information with his neighbors. “I’d like to say we’re 100 percent no-till, but we will use tillage with a purpose,” Legan said. “One thing about no-till is you’ve got to have well-drained soils. All of the land we farm is pattern-tiled. We try to work with landowners to tile the rented ground we farm. One thing I’ve found, you’ve got to work the fields you tile to get them smoothed out.”
He is a believer in cover crops.
“We try to use cover crops on 100 percent of the ground going to corn soybeans,” Legan said. “We’ve tried a lot of different seeding practices in the last 15 years. We’ve kind of dumbed it down to where we’re basically a cereal rye base for cover crop and brassicas where we can. But there’s kind of a trade-off in weed control, in my opinion, with the cover crops. We’ve seen an increase in water hemp. It’s very hard to control, and we have had to layer residual herbicides, which makes it more difficult to establish some cover crops.”
Freely sharing this information extends Legan’s stewardship efforts beyond his own farm. He said Putnam County farmers have been known to be
Mark Legan has hosted a Shop Talk for U.S. Rep. Jim Baird (R-Dist. 4) and participated in other policy events. He said farmers should help shape their own futures.
A first-generation farmer, Mark Legan’s career started as a Purdue Extension Educator in Jennings County before moving and becoming the extension agent in Putnam County. With help from local farmers, Legan was able to start his own farm.
conservation-minded for many years. Barry Fisher, a former conservationist with the USDA’s National Resource Conservation Service, would host regular meetings with area farmers to discuss new strategies and the results.
“I have to credit Barry Fisher in helping facilitate cover crop and no-till use in Putnam County,” he said.
“This local group was not afraid to share with each other what works and what doesn’t all the way from cover crop species and planting techniques to tiling and other topics. No till and cover crops take a lot higher level of management than going out and tilling the soil. Your mistakes can be magnified if you don’t dot all your I’s and cross all your T’s. That group provided support for some to give it a try.”
Integrity and family
Legan first got started in checkoff work through the Indiana Pork Producers. He saw value in the work the checkoff brought to pork producers. Later, he believed the state’s soybean checkoff program would do the same for row-crop farmers. However, Legan also finds value in being an active, paid member of ISA’s Membership and Policy Committee.
Being a paid member is also important because checkoff funds cannot be used for advocacy work.
“So many things that affect what we do on a farm anymore are determined in Washington D.C. and Indianapolis,” he said. “You’re either at the table or you’re on the menu. Agriculture has more than its fair share
of detractors, but it’s important that our legislators and members of Congress know that we want to have a relationship with them. We’re very fortunate right here with (U.S. Rep.) Jim Baird being a friend to farmers and understanding agriculture before he became a politician. He’s comfortable picking up the phone and asking my opinion – or other farmers – on a variety of topics. If somebody’s going to tell our story and write the narrative, who better to do it than someone who is in the fight every day.”
Baird was the Putnam County Purdue Extension Educator just before Legan took the post in the 1980s.
Finally, Legan is pleased to have had Beth and Nick Tharp join the farm. “I like to say that when they came to the farm, we quadrupled our brain power,” he said.
Nick’s role is as the Director of Pork Operations. He oversees the management of the sows and eight fulltime employees. Beth has accounting, finance and risk management responsibilities. She is also the owner of a business called LT Farm Meats, which offers pork, beef and lamb products from the farm. The “LT” stands for Legan and Tharp.
“She started the business in 2018, and COVID gave it quite a boost,” Legan said. “There’s a lot of potential with that business, especially in the Indianapolis area.”
Beth and Nick are the parents of the Legans’ three granddaughers: Kate, Hannah and Grace.
For more information about the meat business, go online to ltfarmmeats.com
Gauck, Lucas return to leadership roles on Indiana’s 2025 corn checkoff board
Greensburg, Ind., farmer Tim Gauck was re-elected as president of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC), the state’s corn checkoff program, during a meeting on Wednesday. And, Matthew Lucas, a farmer from Brownstown, Ind., was reelected as ICMC’s vice president.
Gauck grows corn, soybeans and wheat on his farm in rural Decatur, Rush and Ripley counties. He started farming in 1972, and he was first elected to the ICMC board in 2017. Gauck is an at-large representative on the board, which means he was elected by farmers from across Indiana. He said expanding the availability of higher blends of ethanol and exporting Indiana-grown corn to new markets around the world are among ICMC’s priorities.
For more about ICMC leadership
operation. He has a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness from Purdue University.
Susan Brocksmith, a farmer from Vincennes, Ind., was elected as the board’s secretary for 2025. She is an at-large representative on the ICMC board. Brocksmith and her husband, Mike, grow non-GMO corn and soybeans on their notill farm in Knox County. Off the farm, she works as a professor at Vincennes University.
“I am honored to lead Indiana’s corn checkoff program again in 2025,” Gauck said. “We have a challenging agenda to tackle this year, and I think we’re ready to get started. Indiana’s ethanol industry has been a great benefit to the state’s corn growers for the past 15 years or so, and we want to protect it and expand it wherever possible. We also want to actively find opportunities to ship Indiana corn to markets around the world.”
The executive board for the Indiana Corn Marketing Council includes, from left, Treasurer Ron Hensley, Daleville, Ind.; Secretary Susan Brocksmith, Vincennes, Ind.; President Tim Gauck, Greensburg, Ind.; Vice President Matthew Lucas, Brownstown, Ind.; Market Development Committee Chair J.R. Roesner, Ferdinand, Ind.; and Sustainability & Value Creation Committee Chair Adam Sheller, Noblesville, Ind.
Lucas farms in a partnership with his father, James, and he represents District 8 on the ICGA board. District 8 includes the counties of Brown, Crawford, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange, Perry and Washington. A full-time farmer since 2018, Lucas grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Jackson County. His farm also finishes 24,000 hogs per year in a confinement
Ron Hensley, a farmer from Daleville, Ind., was selected as treasurer. He represents District 6, which includes Blackford, Jay, Delaware, Henry, Randolph, Wayne, Fayette and Union counties. A full-time farmer since 1975, Hensley and his wife, Teresa, grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Delaware and Madison counties. He was appointed to the board in 2022. He is retired from AT&T and has also served as member of the Delaware County Wastewater board. Elected as Chair of the Market Development Committee was Ferdinand, Ind., farmer J.R. Roesner. ICMC’s Market Development Committee works to expand export opportunities and to increase the value of Indiana’s corn crop. On the ICMC board since 2017, he was also elected to NCGA’s Corn Board in 2022. He grows corn and soybeans on his farm that touches Dubois, Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties. He represents the District 7 counties of Sullivan, Greene, Daviess, Martin, Knox, Dubois, Pike, Gibson, Warrick, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Posey. Roesner earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.
Noblesville, Ind., farmer Adam Sheller was re-elected as chair of the Sustainability and Value Creation Committee. This committee studies various production techniques that improve the environmental, social and economic sustainability of Indiana farms. Sheller grows corn and soybeans, and also raises goats, on his Hamilton County farm. A farmer since 2016, he has a degree in agricultural education from Purdue University. Sheller has an off-farm job in insurance sales, and he also works at the county level with Indiana Farm Bureau.
Cyr, Smith join checkoff board
Lucas and Janis Highley, a farmer from Warren, Ind., were re-elected to the ICMC board earlier this year. Highley was re-elected as an at-large candidate.
Highley is the third generation to grow corn and soybeans on her farm in Huntington County. She is one of six at-large candidates on the ICMC board. Highley earned a degree in business administration and management from Huntington University. She has been involved in the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Women and Mentors Program. Highley was recently elected second vice president of the Indiana Farm Bureau.
Lori Cyr, a farmer from Fowler, Ind., was also elected as an at-large candidate. She takes the place of Sarah Delbecq, a farmer from Auburn, Ind., who finished her third, three-year term on the board in 2024. A parttime farmer since 1998, Cyr owns and operates Evergreen Farms in Benton County with her brother, Chad. Evergreen Farms is a multigenerational farm that produces corn, but it used to be a dairy and grain operation. Cyr earned a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management from Purdue University.
Smith is also a director and past president of the Indiana Corn Growers Association board. Along with his wife, Terri, Smith owns Triple S Smith Farms and Sharp-View Farms in Tipton, Grant, Madison and Howard counties. He has a diversified, third-generation farm that produces corn, soybeans and process tomatoes. A full-time farmer, Smith began farming in 1974.
Until a successor can be appointed, Kelly Whiteman Snipes, a farmer from Rochester, Ind., will continue to represent District 2. Snipes completed her third, threeyear term on the board earlier this year. District 2 includes the counties of Carroll, Cass, Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, Miami, St. Joseph and Wabash.
ICMC CEO Courtney Kingery welcomed Cyr and Smith to the checkoff board, and she praised Snipes, Delbecq and Beard for their service.
“Scott Smith has already proven himself to be an excellent leader from his service on the ICGA board,” she said. “Lori Cyr will provide our board with a new perspective and fresh ideas as we move into 2025.”
Front from left, the farmer-leaders for the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, the state’s corn checkoff program, are Ron Hensley of Daleville, Susan Brocksmith of Vincennes, Tim Gauck of Greensburg, Matthew Lucas of Brownstown, J.R. Roesner of Ferdinand, Adam Sheller of Noblesville, back row from left, Scott Smith of Windfall, Lori Cyr of Fowler, Jerry Osterholt of Roanoke, David Ring of Huntingburg, Natasha Cox of Fowler and Janis Highley of Warren.
Scott Smith, a farmer from Windfall, Ind., was elected as a representative to District 5, which includes the counties of Bartholomew, Boone, Clinton, Decatur, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Rush, Shelby and Tipton. Smith will replace Frankfort, Ind., farmer Mike Beard on the corn checkoff board. Beard finished his third, three-year term earlier this year.
Regarding Snipes, Kingery said, “Kelly was one of the first participants and leaders in ICMC’s farm blogger program, and that paved the way for our current consumer communications programs. She’s been an active leader in ICMC, and she served on the Sustainability Action Team for the U.S. Grains Council. We appreciate her years of service.”
About Delbecq, Kingery said, “I want to thank Sarah Delbecq for her dedicated service to Indiana’s farmers on both the corn checkoff and policy boards for the past nine years. She has also served on the CEO Search Committee and the Checkoff Law Task Force. Her efforts will leave a positive legacy on ICGA.”
And, finally, about Beard, Kingery said, “It’s very difficult to encapsulate Mike’s service to Indiana’s farmers in just a few words. Including his work with the pork and soybean checkoff boards, Indiana Farm Bureau and both ICMC and ICGA, Mike has been a decision-maker and friend to Indiana farmers for more than 30 years. You can never replace a board member like Mike Beard, but we all have been able to learn from his example.”
2024 ANNUAL REPORT
The Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) is made up of 17 volunteer farmer Board Members who put your corn checkoff to work. The Board directs investments into programs and services to bring a strong return back to you and your farm. Here is a snapshot of our year-end results:
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Working with partners to accelerate demand for corn in all forms.
43% of Indiana corn goes to ethanol production. In 2024, ICMC helped secure $6 million in USDA grants to install 44 new fuel pumps offering higher ethanol blends across Indiana.
ICMC promoted higher ethanol blends through events like the Indy 500, Brickyard 400, Shift S3ctor Indy Airstrip Attack, and the Big10 Athletics reaching millions of consumers.
In 2023, 7 million bushels of Indiana corn were exported through poultry and eggs. 36 million bushels were exported through pork, contributing $177 per corn acre value.
ICMC hosted 12 trade teams representing 22 countries and directly engaged in promotion activities with international markets in 30 countries. These activities covered 55% of the world’s population and 39% of the world’s GDP.
ICMC strategically increased its focus on emerging and expanding markets, including Mexico, the Americas, Vietnam and Northeast Asia, driving demand for corn in all forms.
VALUE CREATION
Finding new markets and new uses for corn and increasing the value of corn grown.
ICMC contributed to four research projects designed to develop new value-added markets and products from corn in all forms, including technologies related to petroleum replacements and fuels.
ICMC participated in a New Uses Consortium with 13 partner states to identify and fund high-impact projects. This collaboration extended Indiana’s reach and maximized resources, allowing for shared investment and broader impact for corn farmers.
Since 2019, Indiana’s Bio Innovation of Ag project, co-founded by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, has united industry, academia, and economic development partners to grow Indiana’s ag bioscience sector. In 2024, this initiative has drawn new companies to Indiana, positioning the state as a hub for industrial biotech and setting the stage for future bio-tech campuses.
SUSTAINABILITY
Promoting farm sustainability through environmental, economical and community outreach programs.
In 2024, ICMC strengthened partnerships to fund eight university and on-farm research projects focused on soil health, diseases, and pests affecting Indiana farms.
Funded by ICMC, the new Purdue on the Farm Program expands farmers’ access to soil sampling and on-farm research. In 2024, Extension Educators and researchers collaborated with 47 farmers across 26 counties.
ICMC prioritizes consumer engagement to help build trust in Indiana farmers. In 2024, ICMC directly engaged with over 580,000 consumers through programs with Conner Prairie, Fair Oaks Farm, State Fairgrounds, Indiana FFA, The Eiteljorg Museum, county Ag Days and more.
PRODUCER ENGAGEMENT
Engaging more deeply with Indiana’s 20,000 corn farmers.
ICMC provides dollars back to the farm. Fees for 4,846 PARP training courses were covered for farmers in 2024.
ICMC sponsored training for 359
ICMC created a series of TV commercials airing in Northwest Indiana, reaching nearly one million viewers with positive farming messages. The spots highlighted a farmer’s journey from planting to harvest.
2024 ANNUAL REPORT
checkoff to work. The Board directs investments into programs and services to bring a strong return back to you and your farm. Here is a snapshot of our year-end results:
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Working with partners to accelerate demand for soybeans, oil and meal
The B20 Club of Indiana helps companies reduce carbon emissions through biodiesel. B20 Club members have used 13 million gallons, cutting CO2 by 23,000 tons. That’s equal to planting 340,000 trees.
Indiana farmers planted approximately 500,000 acres of High Oleic Soybeans resulting in more than $52 million in premiums back to those farmers. In 2024, new venues including Lucas Oil Stadium and The Indiana Farmers Coliseum – home of Indy Fuel Hockey started using high oleic soybean oil.
Livestock is a strong market for Indiana soybeans. In 2023, almost 4 million bushels of Indiana soybeans were exported through poultry and eggs. Eight million bushels were exported through pork, contributing $119 per soybean acre value.*
12 trade teams representing 26 countries and directly engaged in promotional activities with international markets in 30 countries. These activities covered 55% of the world’s population and 39% of the Vietnam, Indonesia, Mexico, and Northeast Asia, driving demand for soybeans. These markets accounted
VALUE CREATION
Finding new markets and new uses for soybeans and increasing the value of soybeans grown.
9 research projects designed to develop new industrial uses for soybeans
15 teams comprised of 48 Purdue University students developed novel soy-based products to compete for the top prize at the Student Soybean Innovation Competition The competition value of soybeans.
united industry, academia, and economic development partners to grow Indiana’s ag bioscience sector. In 2024, this initiative has drawn new companies to Indiana, positioning the state as a hub for industrial biotech and setting the stage for future bio-tech campuses.
11 University and on-farm research projects focused on soil health, diseases, and pests affecting Indiana farms.
47 farmers across 26 counties. engaged with over 750,000 consumers through programs at the Glass Barn on the State Fairgrounds,
PRODUCER ENGAGEMENT
Engaging more deeply with Indiana’s 20,000 soybean farmers.
4,846 PARP training courses were covered for farmers in 2024.
1 million viewers with positive farming messages
Goodyear has developed a soy-based tire with technology to improve pliability in low temperatures.
2024 SOYBEAN CHECKOFF INVESTMENT BREAKDOWN:
Scarborough elected as ISA chair; Hardin, McDaniel, Springstun seated as directors
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
Denise Scarborough, a farmer from La Crosse, Ind., was elected on Dec. 5 as Chair of the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the state’s soybean checkoff program. Developing overseas markets, creating new products and promoting better growing practices are a few of ISA’s goals for 2025.
“As the state’s soybean checkoff representing thousands of Indiana farmers, our challenge is to make sure that we can continue to increase the marketability of our soybeans,” she said. “By working with companies from all over the world that buy soybeans, or by encouraging farmers to plant crops like high oleic soybeans that come with premium prices; I believe we are working to make Indiana soybeans more valuable locally and globally.”
For more about ISA leadership
his farm in Marshall County. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Colorado State University in 2009, and he participated in the United Soybean Board’s Leadership Program in 2018.
Buchanan is ISA Secretary
Allen Buchanan, a farmer from Fowler, Ind., was elected Secretary on the ISA board. He earned a bachelor’s degree in farm management from Purdue, and he has served as ISA’s representative on Purdue’s Phenomics Advisory Board. A full-time farmer since 1997, Buchanan grows soybeans and corn on his farm in Benton and Warren counties.
Scarborough takes over ISA leadership from Brazil, Ind., farmer Kevin Cox. Scarborough and her husband, Mark, grow soybeans, commercial corn, seed corn and wheat on their farm in LaPorte County. She has been a District 1 board member since 2017, and she served as the board’s vice chair this year. Scarborough works off the farm as a loan officer at the First National Bank of Monterey, and she is involved in the family excavation business.
The executive committee for the Indiana Soybean Alliance includes, front from left, Treasurer Carey McKibben, Chair Denise Scarborough, Vice Chair Joe Stoller, back from left, Market Development Committee Chair Steve Phares, Membership and Policy Committee Chair Brian Warpup, Sustainability and Value Creation Chair Jenna Scott and Secretary Allen Buchanan.
Joe Stoller, a farmer from Bremen, Ind., was elected as vice chair. He served as the chair of ISA’s Membership and Policy Committee in 2024. Stoller, a full-time farmer since 2010, grows soybeans and commercial corn on
Carey McKibben, a farmer from LaGrange, Ind., was re-elected as the board’s treasurer. He grows soybeans, corn and seed corn. McKibben began farming in 1984. He represents District 2 and was elected to the ISA board in 2018.
Brian Warpup, a farmer from Warren, Ind., was elected as the chair of ISA’s Membership & Policy Committee. In 2024, he served as the chair of the board’s Sustainability and Value Creation (SVC) Committee. Warpup grows soybeans and corn on his farm in rural Huntington and Wells counties.
Jenna Scott, a farmer from Gaston, Ind., was elected as the chair of the SVC Committee. Scott has represented District 2 since 2023. In a partnership with her father, Greg Cox, she grows soybeans, corn and vegetable transplants on her farm in Delaware County.
Steve Phares, a farmer from Albion, Ind., was reelected as chair of ISA’s Market Development Committee. Since 2021, Phares has represented District 2. As well as producing soybeans, corn, wheat and hay, he also manages an Angus beef cattle herd on his Noble County farm.
Three new ISA directors elected
Newly elected to the board are David Hardin, a farmer from Avon, Ind.; Andrew McDaniel, a farmer from Noblesville, Ind.; and Philip Springstun, a farmer from Boonville, Ind.
Hardin and McDaniel will represent the District 4 counties of Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Washington.
Hardin replaces Keevin Lemenager, who completed his third, three-year term this year. McDaniel takes to place of Roger Bommer, who also finished three, threeyear terms in 2024.
A full-time farmer since 2000, Hardin grows soybeans, corn and wheat, and he has a swine finishing operation on his farm in Hendricks and Putnam counties. Hardin earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University.
includes Clay, Daviess, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Montgomery, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Spencer, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren and Warrick counties. He takes the position of Kevin Cox, who completed two, three-year terms this year.
Springstun grows soybeans, corn, hay and manages commercial beef cows. He also owns classified forest acreage on his farm in Warrick County. Springstun has been a full-time farmer since 1976, and he has been an active member of the Warrick County Farm Bureau.
Thanking outgoing directors
“I am looking forward to working with David Hardin, Andrew McDaniel and Philip Springstun in the coming years,” said ISA CEO Courtney Kingery. “Each of them has a unique experience to offer the board. At the same time, I’d like to thank the three directors who are leaving the ISA board this year.”
Regarding Bommer, Kingery said, “Roger has shown great dedication in his service to Indiana farmers. In his nine years on the board, Roger has only missed part of one meeting. He has represented the farmers in his district very well, and he will be missed.”
Indiana’s soybean checkoff program, the Indiana Soybean Alliance, is led by the following farmer-leaders, seated from left, Brian Warpup of Warren, Carey McKibben of LaGrange, Denise Scarborough of LaCrosse, Joe Stoller of Bremen, Allen Buchanan of Fowler, back row from left, Andrew McDaniel of Noblesville, Steve Phares of Albion, Mark Legan of Coatesville, Mark Wenning of Cambridge City, Chris Eck of Boggstown, Jason Misiniec of Bicknell, Mike Koehne of Greensburg, C.J. Chalfant of Hartford City, Roger Wenning of Greensburg, Larry Rusch of Vincennes, Kevin Burbrink of Seymour, Gary McDaniel of Boonville, David Hardin of Avon, Jenna Scott of Gaston, John Peters of Monticello and Philip Springstun of Boonville. Not pictured are Dylan Christopher of Brookston, Kevin Kelley of Brookston and Derika Lynam-Spaetti of Richland.
McDaniel has been a full-time farmer since 2019. He produces soybeans and corn on his farm in Shelby and Rush counties, and he is a part-owner of a soybean seed scouting company. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural systems management from Purdue University. McDaniel has also been a member of the Agribusiness Council of Indiana since 2019.
Springstun will represent farmers in District 3, which
About Lemenager, she stated, “Keevin truly has a passion for market development and international export work. He has represented Indiana on boards such as the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council and the Soy Aquaculture Alliance. Farmers will continue to benefit from his work for many years.”
And, finally, about Cox, Kingery said, “Kevin has been a valued voice on our board and our executive committee for several years now. He exhibits a wisdom and a vision that all of our board members benefit from. He accomplished many things during his year as the board chair, and we hope he will continue to stay involved with our work in the future.”
Systems approach to conservation raises yields, cuts costs and protects soil health
BY AMIE SIMPSON
Roger Wenning, a farmer from Greensburg, Ind., has increased productivity and profitability on his operation by implementing a system that includes cover crops, no-till, drainage, crop rotation, and nutrient and weed management.
Wenning said this systems approach to conservation has increased his soil organic matter, reduced erosion, improved yields and lowered input costs during the last four decades.
“I’m seeing improvements every year,” he said. “These conservation measures and their impacts are why I’m still in the farming business today.”
Getting started out of necessity
On-farm programs for conservation
Wenning grows corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa among the rolling hills and tight clay soil of southeastern Indiana. He also has cattle and owns Wenning Excavating and Drainage.
He began using conservation practices out of necessity in the 1980s.
“I didn’t have the money to do the tillage or buy the fuel, and I was witnessing my topsoil washing off my hills,” he said. “I needed to find a way to cut costs and save my soil and learned by trial and error.”
He started off by planting cover crops and using no-till practices but ran into issues due to his tough, wet soils. He found success with no-till only after installing drainage tiles to remove excess water and continuing to utilize the root systems of cover crops to improve soil structure. By the early 2000s he was 100 percent no-till and cover crops.
“Most years when we do a yield breakdown by soil type, those more challenging soils are my best yielding because of these practices. I’ve had over 250 bushels per acre on that ground. I’ve seen firsthand the impact these practices
have had, and that’s why I’m so into it.”
Over the years he has also installed grassed waterways, filter strips, wildlife buffers, and water and sediment control basins. He has also enrolled land with steep slopes into the Conservation Reserve Program.
“I realized that each time I did one of these things, the farm got a little better and I was a little more profitable,” he said.
So, what has he learned along the way?
“That I don’t know everything and will always have something to learn,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve learned there seems to be more flexibility with planting dates by planting directly into cover crops; farming practices need to change as soil organic matter improves; and it’s important to pay attention to settings and optimize equipment performance.”
Wenning has even found success implementing conservation practices on rented farmland.
“Once you get it worked out with the landlord, it goes smoothly,” he said. “We’ve found that implementing conservation practices on land we are renting can be beneficial for us and the landowner. We plant cover crops and utilize no-till on rented ground from day one and can install tile, if necessary.”
Being willing to no-till and plant cover crops in the first year has helped Wenning stand out to landowners.
“It’s usually the reason we end up renting the ground,” he said. “Some of the people I rent from have reached out to me because of these practices.”
Paying it forward
Wenning is no stranger to getting involved and giving back to the agriculture community.
Roger Wenning raises corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa among the rolling hills and tight clay soil of southeastern Indiana. He has been using conservation practices since the 1980s. The Decatur County farmer also owns and operates Wenning Excavating and Drainage.
has been planting corn and soybeans green for years. His planter produces virtually no soil
as
He has served on boards with the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD), the National Association of Conservation Districts, and now the Indiana Soybean Alliance.
His latest endeavor is serving as one of the founding members of a new farmer-led mentor program called Farm Advisors.
“We can connect you with someone who has been implementing soil health practices on their own operations for decades,” he said. “Getting a mentor is the best thing
into cover crops.
you can do, because they can help you avoid some of the mistakes and learning experiences they went through. These people are willing to help and want to see you succeed when adopting new conservation practices.”
Wenning encourages farmers interested in implementing new conservation methods to visit farmadvisors.ag for more information. Farmer mentors will be available to answer questions and help with equipment advice, cover crop species recommendations, key conservation management decisions, and more.
Farm Advisors: a farmer-led community you can count on for ideas, advice, support, and mentorship
Farm Advisors, a recently launched program, connects farmers interested in improving soil health with mentors who have spent decades implementing conservation practices.
The overall goal of the program is to help farmers have more successful farm outcomes.
Mentors are ready to assist with:
• Equipment advice
• Key conservation management decisions
• Recommendations on cover crop species and timing
Wenning
disturbance
he no-tills
One of the best parts of farming is doing it with family. He is pictured here with his grandson, Emmitt.
Purdue researchers say automation is the future of weed management
BY CAROL BROWN
Farmers of a certain age can reminisce about “walking beans.” They walked up and down rows of soybeans to cut out any weeds and volunteer corn growing in the field. This was a rite of passage for farm kids and local teens and may have been their first paying job.
Weed management has come a long way since then. It is advancing quickly through new technology that goes beyond a sprayer driven through a field to apply herbicides. Purdue University researchers Bryan Young and Dharmendra Saraswat are focusing on automation to advance weed management technology for greater success and future applications. The project is supported by the Indiana Soybean Alliance.
Young, a weed science professor, is approaching weed management from the soil and seedbank aspect. Saraswat, an agriculture and biological engineering professor, is developing technology that integrates unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for automated weed control.
“The goal of the project is to look at better management of weeds where they are growing instead of treating the whole field the same way,” Young said. “We have the capability to spray just certain areas of a field, and because of advancements in robotics and sensors, we are applying this technology to find ways to manage weeds better.”
Prescription maps for controlled applications
Young is looking at optimizing residual herbicide applications at soybean planting to improve weed management. One way is to apply herbicide at higher rates only where it’s needed.
“When reading the herbicide labels, the application rates are based off soil organic matter and soil texture,” Young explained. “Growers commonly would use an average of their soil test results to apply the same rate of herbicide
across a field. But fields are not uniform in their organic matter or soil texture and this can influence weed growth.”
Young and his team are building “prescription” maps that indicate the variability in soil type in a field so herbicide application rates can change based on this information. Typically, rates are higher for soils that have more clay content and high organic matter, and lower for more sandy soils. After the first year of research, they didn’t see a consistent response in weed control by only using soil type indicators.
This year, Young is using another influential factor: the soil seedbank. This takes a little more sleuthing to locate high densities of weeds, especially early in the season when weeds are still small.
Young quickly found the more obvious weed population locations such as field entrances, end rows and next to waterways. His team is adding these locations into the prescription maps. And Young is taking this a step further using satellite images captured throughout the growing season to locate historically problematic weed areas.
“Satellite imagery is taken about once a week and we have public access to those images for the last five years,” Young explained. “Through these images, we can develop an idea of where weed escapes keep occurring, which is an indirect indicator of weed seedbank levels. We can then focus on higher herbicide application rates in those areas.”
A prescription map can help a farmer make their herbicides work more effectively. Young’s research showed the total amount of herbicide applied through the prescription maps was nearly the same as if it were applied consistently across the field. The variable rate application was higher in some areas and lower in others, which was more effective in controlling weeds.
Young can see these maps being incorporated into a sprayer, providing the “see and spray” technology with even more information for early-season herbicide application success.
Automation in air and on ground
The other portion of this research project is looking at fully automated weed management. Saraswat is coordinating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for more precise weed control.
“Our idea is to create an automated system where a UAV and a UGV, or ground robot, fitted with sensors can work in an integrated fashion for improved crop management,” Saraswat said.
“The UAV, or drone, captures what it sees when flying over a crop field, analyzes the image using a customized mechanism to identify the weed of interest on the go, and relays this information to the farmer through a smartphone or directly to a UGV. The farmer could send a human scout to the location to decide on the appropriate response. When the information is sent directly to the ground robot, it can navigate to the particular location to perform further diagnosis or spray the weed.”
UAVs do crop scouting well, although they have limitations including power constraints due to battery life and the drone’s overall weight, Saraswat said. Coordinating UAV scouting knowledge with a ground robot allows both automated machines to work well.
“When we first started on this research, we identified a model for the UAV that would identify two crucial items: which weed it was and where it was located,” Saraswat said. “We customized the drones with this model and ensured it could send this information to the robot on the ground.”
As he and his team conducted the experiments, they encountered a hurdle that had to be overcome.
“Once the ground robot had the coordinates of the weed, it needed to know how to get to it,” he said. “Since getting to the desired plants may involve turns at the end of the row, my team had to experiment with approaches to ensure the UGV didn’t accidentally damage the plants during those turns.”
To test end-of-row turning approaches, his team utilized advanced simulation techniques to create a virtual environment that mirrored farm fields. The simulation allowed them to experiment with the UGV’s turning capabilities, which helped them avoid plant damage (Figure 1).
The next-level challenge Saraswat and his team are focusing on is developing fully autonomous navigation capabilities for the UGV to travel to the target plant.
While this is one of the biggest challenges his team is working to overcome, they have evaluated a few possible approaches in the virtual environment, he said. He intends to someday have weed management completely automated, where a UGV parked at the field edge uses input from a UAV to follow a specific path to terminate a weed. This process would be similar to a high-end Roomba, but with strict instructions on where to travel and what to do when it arrives at the target.
With the combination of accurate mapping of weed pressure and soil type, aerial scouting by a drone, and on-the-ground robotics to terminate weeds, the future of weed management may only need human interaction to fill a tank and switch out a battery — a far cry from walking beans.
An example of a field prescription map (left) shows soil type variations that could influence the amount of herbicide sprayed. Soil samples were taken (right) by the team to confirm soil type and gather additional data such as weed seedbank levels.
Source: Bryan Young
Figure 1. These are testing algorithms in a simulated environment for UGV navigation. Source: Dharmendra Saraswat
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.
Purdue research studies effects of cereal rye on soybean yields
Fertility Considerations for Soybean Following Cereal Or
Does Cereal Rye Immobilize Nitrogen or Sulfur in
Shaun Casteel
Jan 13, 2025
BY SHAUN N. CASTEEL, Purdue University Extension Soybean Specialist
Indiana Soybean Post
Cereal rye is the most commonly grown cover crop in the Upper Midwest because it overwinters and produces considerable biomass in the spring. Cereal rye can decrease nitrogen (N) losses in tile-drained landscapes, increase soil carbon (C) sequestration, improve N cycling and reduce soil erosion.
Soybeans are often planted into cereal rye with no problems, but some situations have been noted where yield was reduced. These reductions often are associated with stand establishment and/or plant survival (e.g., slugs, vols). I have observed other situations where plant development and nutrient supply and uptake seem compromised.
One field caught my eye a few years ago when a farmer was exploring the potential for ammonium sulfate (AMS) on his farm. The field happened to have cereal rye across the whole field followed by strips with or without AMS applied after planting.
Soybeans without AMS were shorter, had fewer pods, fewer nodes and lighter in color (Figure 1). This translated into 11 bushels less per acre than the AMS treatment (84 bushels vs. 73 bushels). This begged the question if it was a sulfur (S) responsive field or if there was an interaction with the presence of cereal rye preceding the soybean crop. Furthermore, is the positive response of soybeans to AMS due to N, S or both nutrients.
Evaluating cereal rye’s influence
With the support of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, the state’s soybean checkoff program, we began our evaluation of cereal rye’s influence on the availability of N and S for soybean development and maximum production in 2023 and 2024. The experimental design
was 2 x 4 factorial with cereal rye (yes/no) and four fertility regimes: none, 40 pounds of N/acre (urea), 20 pounds S/ac (pelletized gypsum), and 40 pounds N/acre plus 20 pounds S/acre.
Cereal rye is the most commonly grown cover crop and produces considerable biomass in the spring. It losses in tile-drained landscapes, increase soil carbon reduce soil erosion. Soybean is often planted into cereal situations have been noted where yield was reduced. stand establishment and/or plant survival (e.g., slugs, where plant development and nutrient supply and uptake
The eight treatments were established in field-scale trials near West Lafayette in 2023 and 2024 as well as Columbia City in 2023. Preliminary results will be discussed from West Lafayette in 2023 and 2024. Fields near Columbia City, Farmland and Butlerville have been added for evaluation in 2025.
One field caught my eye a few years ago when the farmer ammonium sulfate (AMS) on his farm. The field happened field followed by strips with or without AMS applied were shorter, fewer pods, fewer nodes, and lighter in bushels less than the AMS treatment (84 bu vs. 73 bu), sulfur (S) responsive field or if there was an interaction the soybean crop. Furthermore, is the positive response nutrients.
Target termination for cereal rye was 1216 inches tall with approximately 1,000 pounds of dry biomass per acre to allow for timely planting of soybeans and fertilization. The cereal rye was terminated on April 18, 2023, and accumulated 553 pounds of acre of biomass with 228 pounds C, 11.4 pounds N, and 0.9 of a pound S per acre. This biomass resulted in C:N ratio of 20.2 and C:S ratio of 257:1.
Figure 1. Cereal rye (~14 inches tall) terminated a Tipton county. With 100 lb of AMS (21-0-0-24S)/acre pods/plant with 18.4 nodes and yielded 84 bu/acre (left pods/plant with 16.6 nodes and yielded 73 bu/acre (right
Figure 1. Cereal rye (approximately 14 inches tall) terminated a few weeks ahead of soybean planting in Tipton County. With 100 pounds of AMS (21-0-0-24S)/acre applied at V2, soybean produced 66 pods/plant with 18.4 nodes and yielded 84 bushels per acre (left side). Soybeans without S averaged 44 pods/plant with 16.6 nodes and yielded 73 bushels per acre (right side).
With the support of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, we influence on the availability of N and S for soybean 2023 and 2024. The experimental design was 2 x 4 factorial fertility regimes: none, 40 lb of N/ac (urea), 20 lb S/ac
For more on Purdue soybean research
stands were not influenced by cereal rye or fertilizers (average of 118,400 plants/ac).
Figure 2: At left, cereal rye terminated April 18; middle, fertilizers applied May 4-5 and soybeans planted May 6; at right, nitrogen deficiency in soybeans due to poor nodulation and nitrogen fixation via sulfur immobilization.
Figure 2 (A) Cereal rye terminated April 18th, (B) fertilizers applied May 4-5 and soybean planted May 6th, and (C) nitrogen deficiency in soybean due to poor nodulation and nitrogen fixation via sulfur immobilization
Slight differences between no cover and cereal rye were noted in soil nitrate, but no differences in soil fertility and sulfur were noted in 2023. Fertilizers were applied May 4-5 followed by soybean planting on May 6. Plant stands were not influenced by cereal rye or fertilizers (average of 118,400 plants per acre).
Soybean concentrations of N and S were influenced as early as V4 with the primary sources from the fertilizers and the interaction of cereal rye and fertilizer. Cereal rye suppressed S concentrations of soybean at R2 (full bloom) and R4 (full pod). The early suppression of S translated into a shortfall in N at R4. Nitrogen concentrations increased with the addition of gypsum (alone or in combination with urea) at R2 and R4. Gypsum (calcium sulfate) provided S, which is needed as a co-factor of nodulation and N fixation (i.e., N supply for soybean). Gypsum additions improved S concentrations at V4, R2, and R4 as well as improving the N:S ratio at the same time. Cereal rye also created an imbalance of N to S in soybeans at V4 and R2.
Soybean concentrations of N and S were influenced as early as V4 with the primary sources from the fertilizers and the interaction of cereal rye and fertilizer. Cereal rye suppressed S concentrations of soybean at R2 (full bloom) and R4 (full pod).
The early suppression of S translated into a shortfall in N at R4. Nitrogen concentrations increased with the addition of gypsum (alone or in combination with urea) at R2 and R4. Gypsum (calcium sulfate) provided S, which is needed as a co-factor of nodulation and N fixation (i.e., N supply for soybean). Gypsum additions improved S concentrations at V4, R2, and R4 as well as improving the N:S ratio at the same time. Cereal rye also created an imbalance of N to S in soybeans at V4 and R2.
per acre with cereal rye compared to the untreated control in 2023 (61.2 vs. 54.7 bushels/acre) and in 2024 (81.5 vs. 73.8 bushels/acre). The addition of urea did not increase or decrease soybean yield regardless of cereal rye.
The addition of S overcame the yield suppression by cereal rye to the point that yields were equal between cereal rye and no cover in 2023 at approximately 71 bushels per acre and in 2024 at about 86 bushels per acre (Table 1).
by the eight treatments
Figure 3: This is an aerial view of soybeans affected by the eight treatments (2 Cover x 4 Fertility) in Year 1 of this project near West Lafayette, Ind. Soybeans were R4 (full pod). Picture taken Aug. 10, 2023.
of
Soybean yield was suppressed ~7 bu/ac with cereal rye compared to the untreated control in 2023 (61.2 vs. 54.7 bu/ac) and in 2024 (81.5 vs. 73.8 bu/ac). The addition of urea did not increase or decrease soybean yield regardless of cereal rye. The addition of S overcame the yield suppression by cereal rye to the point that yields were equal between cereal rye and no cover in 2023 at ~71 bu/ac and in 2024 at ~86 bu/ac (Table 1). The vast majority of this yield increase was through better leaf retention that translated into larger seeds. Protein increased with S applications while oil decreased.
Table 1. Soybean yield response to cereal rye and fertility combinations in 2023, 2024, and pooled across years at West Lafayette, IN.
Table 1: This indicates soybean yield response to cereal rye and fertility combinations in 2023, 2024 and pooled across years at West Lafayette, Ind.
Results on soybean yield
Soybean yield was suppressed approximately 7 bushels
The vast majority of this yield increase was through better leaf retention that translated into larger seeds. Protein increased with S applications while oil decreased.
Cereal rye immobilized S primarily, which reduced soybean growth, N supply via nodulation and N fixation, pod development, leaf retention and yield. Sulfur applications overcome these negative effects via pelletized gypsum, but AMS should be another S fertilizer to consider.
This adaptive management could provide an opportunity to increase soybean yield and protein, while providing soil and environmental benefits that are often noted with cereal rye inclusion. We will continue this evaluation in 2025 across multiple soil types and locations to determine repeatability.
Cereal rye immobilized S primarily, which reduced soybean growth, N supply via nodulation and N fixation, pod development, leaf retention, and yield. Sulfur applications overcome these negative effects via pelletized gypsum, but AMS should be another S fertilizer to consider. This adaptive management could provide an opportunity to increase soybean yield and protein, while providing soil and environmental benefits that are often noted with cereal rye inclusion. We will
Figure 3. Aerial view of soybean affected
(2 Cover x 4 Fertility) in Year 1
this project near West Lafayette. Soybeans were R4 (full pod). Picture taken Aug. 10, 2023.
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Corn nitrogen management headaches and the soil nitrogen supply conundrum
BY DAN QUINN, Ph.D Purdue University Extension Corn Specialist
Nitrogen fertilizer is a hot topic each year in corn management due to its high cost, necessity for adequate yield production and environmental impacts. However, nitrogen fertilizer is and will continue to be a very challenging nutrient to manage due to its unpredictability and connection with weather conditions.
For example, in an agronomic system, plant available nitrogen is constantly being supplied (mineralization, fixation, fertilization), lost (volatilization, denitrification, leaching) or becoming unavailable (immobilization).
And to add to the complexity, all of these factors are highly difficult to predict and are often environmentally controlled.
Therefore, accurately predicting the “when, what and how much” when it comes to in-season nitrogen losses and contributions is nearly impossible. In addition, weather conditions also impact corn nitrogen uptake and use efficiency. This is why accurately predicting the total nitrogen fertilizer rate required for corn from year to year and field to field is so hard.
and evaluating yield responses with different nitrogen fertilizer rates applied each year, farmers can at least get in the ballpark of the correct nitrogen rate needed.
Corn response to nitrogen
By understanding various aspects such as field characteristics (rotation, soil type, drainage class, etc.) and evaluating yield responses with different nitrogen fertilizer rates applied each year, farmers can at least get in the ballpark of the correct nitrogen rate needed.
However, by understanding various aspects such as field characteristics (rotation, soil type, drainage class, etc.)
One of the most eye-opening – and also challenging – factors when understanding corn response to nitrogen fertilizer is the ability (or lack of ability) of the soil to supply available nitrogen to the corn plant during the season. One interesting aspect from doing a lot of nitrogen rate research trials, each of which contain replicated treatments across different fields, is observing how much grain yield can actually be produced when no nitrogen fertilizer is applied, and how this differs based on year and location. Many people often assume if they don’t apply any nitrogen fertilizer, then their yield will be terrible, which often isn’t always the case. Figure 1 shows corn grain yield data from replicated research plots performed across multiple Indiana locations in 2023 and 2024 and highlights both the level and distribution of yields when no nitrogen fertilizer is applied.
In just these four locations in 2023 and 2024, corn yields when no nitrogen fertilizer was applied ranged from 20 bushels per acre to 210 bushels per acre. Therefore, this data showcases the drastic differences in soil nitrogen
For more on Purdue corn research
supply and yield potential with no nitrogen fertilizer just based on location.
The field located in Farmland, Ind., was lower in soil organic matter, more poorly drained and less productive than the field in West Lafayette, Ind. In addition, the optimum nitrogen rate required follow a similar pattern to these results with the field in Farmland requiring a higher optimum nitrogen rate (more than 240 pounds N/acre) vs 2024 West Lafayette (180 pounds N/acre) to reach maximum yield.
Furthermore, yields at the optimum nitrogen rate for the field in Farmland were approximately 230 bushels per acre, whereas at 2024 West Lafayette, yields at the optimum nitrogen rate were about 295 bushels per acre.
What is the target amount?
I still often get asked the question “What is the target amount of yield I should get per pound of nitrogen fertilizer applied?”
Just from looking at this data shows how much that number can change and differ based on year and location. In addition, yield and nitrogen fertilizer rates applied are not linear relationships.
Overall, I share this data to further highlight the complexities of managing and determining optimum nitrogen fertilizer rates in corn, the fact that in some locations and years strong yields can be achieved with no nitrogen fertilizer applied, and where further research and examination is still needed.
There are many aspects about managing nitrogen
Figure 1: This shows corn grain yield level and distribution at 0 pounds per acre of nitrogen fertilizer applied on fields in West Lafayette, Farmland, Wanatah and Butlerville, Ind., in 2023 and 2024. The data was collected from replicated small and large-scale plots within the same field at each location.
fertilizer in corn that are nearly impossible to predict due to our inability to accurately predict weather over an extended time period, yet that doesn’t mean we can’t keep getting better.
Also, don’t be afraid to try placing a couple small blocks within a field with no nitrogen fertilizer applied to get an idea of what the soil nitrogen supply capacity is. In addition, varying multiple nitrogen rates within a field or two to further refine and assess optimum nitrogen rates in your own fields and locations can help you be more efficient and cost effective with your nitrogen fertilizer applications.
USDA has announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs – Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC). Farmers can submit applications to USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) for ARC and PLC for the 2025 crop year from Jan. 21 to April 15.
ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many farm bill-authorized programs for another year, including ARC and PLC.
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARCCounty (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2025 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm it will continue for 2025 unless an election change is made.
If producers do not submit their election revision by the April 15 deadline, their election remains the same as their 2024 election for commodities on the farm from the prior year. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the cropland.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
USDA also reminds producers that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products including Supplemental Coverage Option, Enhanced Coverage Option and, for cotton producers, the Stacked Income Protection Plan (commonly referred to as STAX).
For more information, and to apply, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center at farmers.gov/service-locator.
With 2024 in the rearview mirror, Purdue on the Farm tracks results
BY SCOTT GABBARD
The 2024 growing season is in the rearview mirror with only marketing, handling and deliveries left to be made. Ahead is 2025 with a multitude of holes to punch on to-do lists that range from equipment repair or replacement to crop inputs and contracts. Hopefully everyone had a few days to work in friends and families during the holidays.
Now is time to share some results from 2024. Not including faculty, we had 29 extension educators and staff throughout the state scouting soybean and corn fields in 27 counties.
Before we dive into the details, a huge thank you needs to be extended to our farmer partners throughout the state who let us walk their fields, take samples, ask questions and provide clarity to our answers. This partnership allows us greater access beyond the relationships Purdue has with the farm community and gives us additional insights to events or trends that happen during the cropping season.
nematode (SCN), if applicable. Following pollination (R2-R3), we took foliar samples of the uppermost mature trifoliate or ear leaf and again assessed weed, disease and insect pressure. We assessed weed, disease and insect pressure every time we walked the fields and sent samples to the Purdue Plant and Pest Disease Lab (PPDL) for confirmation or if requested by state extension faculty. Late in the season, some also helped confirm tar spot throughout the state and sent in mycotoxin samples at harvest time. Cooperative efforts such as this will only increase and improve in the future.
In 2024, extension educators partnered with 29 soybean farmers on 33 fields in 22 counties, scouting more than 1,996 acres. For corn, educators partnered with 27 farmers on 34 fields in 23 counties, scouting 1,704 acres.
Details of the information we gathered were in the previous column, but here is a speed-read recap: At planting we gathered planting dates, rates, seed treatments and pre/post weed control plans. Then we went to the field. After establishment (V2-V4), we measured plant populations, took an overall average and stratified soil sample (0-4 inches, 4-8 inches) with a portion of the 4-8 inches sample tested for soybean cyst
Sample size increased in 2024
Also in the September column, the 2023 sample size was reported. In 2024, it increased. For soybeans, extension educators partnered with 29 farmers on 33 fields in 22 counties, scouting more than1,996 acres. For corn, educators partnered with 27 farmers on 34 fields in 23 counties, scouting 1,704 acres. While not indicative of any specific county, when observations are compiled throughout the state, trends begin to emerge or confirm observations already made. We’ll start with the planting dates. During the last two decades, soybean planting dates have moved earlier into the spring. Our scouted fields had soybean planting dates range from March 29 to June 9 while corn spanned April 18 to June 20.
(Continued on page 41)
For information about Purdue On-the-Farm
Feb. 28 is deadline for Indiana farmers to apply for seat on United Soybean Board
Farmers interested in serving as a director on the United Soybean Board (USB) should submit an application to the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the state’s soybean checkoff program, by Friday, Feb. 28.
Comprised of 77 volunteer farmer-directors, the USB oversees the investments of the national soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. All USB directors serve three-year terms. Indiana has four seats on the USB Board.
The current Indiana farmers holding the two seats that are up for election are Matthew Chapman, a farmer from Springport, Ind. and Don Wyss, a farmer from Fort Wayne, Ind.. Other Hoosier farmers serving on USB include Tom Griffiths of Kendallville, Ind., and Jim Douglas of Flat Rock, Ind.
The soybean checkoff program allows farmers to contribute to the market development, promotion, production and utilization of soybeans. The USB farmerdirectors ensure the investment of checkoff funds create value for soybean farmers in appropriate programs. USB asks that directors commit to attending three board meetings each year, usually in February, June and December. In addition, directors serve on committees or
(Continued from page 40)
Overall soil fertility was much better this year, especially when compared to last year. However, this is more likely due to when we took the samples (V2-V4) which was ideal for most in 2024 but too hot and too dry in 2023. Looking at the foliar leaf samples of 2023, plant fertility did not reflect the soil test deficiencies because the rains had returned and uptake had commenced. For 2024, the one disturbing trend was that 87 percent (27 or 31 fields) of corn showed sulfur levels below .25 percent. While the lack of rain during pod and kernel fill left some of the yield in the field, sulfur deficiency was likely another.
Weed and insect pressure
Weed pressures were all of the usual suspects. Insects threw a curve ball.
There was aphid pressure in 26 percent of the scouted fields and 21 percent of the soybean fields during
other subgroups. If appointed, the term would begin December 2025.
Any Indiana farmer eligible to apply must grow soybeans or own or share in the ownership and risk of loss of soybeans. Although the USDA Secretary appoints directors to the USB Board, the ISA – as the state soybean checkoff organization – submits director candidate names to the USDA for consideration.
“Indiana is the fourth-largest soybean-producing state in the United States, so managing checkoff funds is important work,” said ISA Chair Denise Scarborough, a farmer from LaCrosse, Ind. “Serving on USB not only helps soybean growers from Indiana, but it also helps direct checkoff funds for farmers from all over the country. Those who serve on the USB Board learn a lot about innovative projects that make our soybeans a more valuable crop.”
Indiana soybean farmers who want to be an ISA nominee to the USB Board, should complete a background form and a candidate questionnaire. Visit incornandsoy.org/ISAelection or send an email to Amber Myers, ISA Board Leadership Manager, at amyers@indianasoybean.com for an application. Application forms must be received in the ISA office by Friday, Feb. 28, 2025.
midseason scouting. While nobody likes to see aphids in the fields, spotting them during these growth stages serves as an indicator of just how good reproductive conditions were (cool and cloudy) before the tap turned off. A total of 36 percent of the corn fields and 18 percent of the soybean fields indicated fungicide use.
As mentioned earlier, every county in Indiana had tar spot this year. Fortunately for many, it was either treated in the early reproductive stages or came on late which reduced its impact.
So, our team tracked what many farmers lived through in 2024. A swath in the northeastern part of the state had delayed plantings where most of the rest the state enjoyed near-ideal establishment and early growth. We weathered a derecho and an early hurricane peppered us with rust.
Here’s to straight rows and great growing season in 2025, and a big thank you to all of those that have helped us monitor the 2024 crop.
Kingery appointed to Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
For farmers to maintain profitable margins, new markets must be found around the world for the agricultural goods they produce. In Indiana, that means exporting corn, soybeans and meat products is vitally important.
Global demand continues to grow for corn and soybeans. As a top producer of both commodities, Indiana benefits from a thriving export market. The total output from corn and soybean trade to Indiana’s economy is $4 billion. Farmers invest their dollars in building export markets through the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC), the state’s soybean and corn checkoff programs. Many farmers from across the state participate in trade missions in countries interested in Indiana corn and soybeans.
On Jan. 8, Courtney Kingery, CEO of ISA, ICMC and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA), was appointed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds. This is one of many committees that advise USDA and the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office (USTR) on policy that impacts global access to valuable markets.
“I’m pleased to represent Indiana’s corn and soybean farmers on this committee,” Kingery said. “Indiana’s agricultural exports are not just numbers on a balance sheet; they represent the hard work of Hoosier farmers and the global connections that sustain our rural communities. By expanding access to international markets, we secure a stronger future for Indiana corn and soybean farmers and our economy as a whole.”
Other members of this committee include Guy Allen of Kansas State University, Asif Chaudry of Washington State University, Rosalind Leeck of the U.S. Soybean Export Council, Jess McCluer of the National Grain and Feed Association and Matthew Rekeweg of Corteva
Agriscience. Former ICGA Board Director Mike Nichols, a farmer from Rockport, Ind., is also on the committee. These appointees will serve on the committee until December 2028.
In all, USDA and USTR will have seven committees and 53 appointed advisors. The other six committees include: the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee, the Trade in Animals and Animal Products Committee, the Trade in Fruits and Vegetables Committee, the Trade in Processed Foods Committee, the Trade in Sweeteners and Sweetener Products Committee, and the Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Hemp Committee.
The advisory committee system was created by Congress in 1974 to ensure that U.S. agricultural stakeholders have input and insight into U.S. trade policy and negotiating objectives. For more information, go online to www.fas.usda.gov/atacs
Value of Indiana ag exports
Approximately 1.8 billion bushels of U.S. soybeans were exported worth a value of $28 billion in 2023, according to USDA data. The value of soybean exports from Indiana was an estimated $2.6 billion in 2022. In 2023, Indiana’s corn exports enjoyed similar success generating $1.3 billion. In addition, Indiana ethanol exports added another $217 million.
ISA and ICMC work with many partners, such as the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). These partners coordinate in-country staff and trade programs and provide education, training and customer service in developing markets.
“Relationship building is a critical component of commodity export programs to ensure a place for Indiana-grown products in the competitive marketplace,” Kingery said.
A USGC study showed that U.S. agricultural export value increased by $24.50 for every dollar invested in export market development from 1977-2019. The annual increase in export revenues was 13.7 percent during the same time period.
Kingery
Beef, pork exports to Latin America see robust growth through support from Indiana growers
U.S. red meat exporters will once again have the opportunity to meet faceto-face with buyers from across Latin America this summer as the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) hosts the Latin American Product Showcase (LAPS) in Guatemala City. The event, which USMEF hosts every other year, moves across Latin America and is supported by the Indiana Soybean Alliance.
LAPS was in Cartagena, Colombia, in 2023 and brought some 220 importers together in one room with 70 exporting companies from the United States. It’s a rare opportunity to get hands-on with product and make sales across the region. The 2025 LAPS will be July 30-31.
For more on USMEF
That focus on Latin America brought striking results in 2024. With data available through November, pork exports to Central America already reached an annual record of $450 million, up 28 percent from the previous year. Beef exports to the region were also strong, with value increasing 9 percent year-over-year to $147 million.
When December data is available, pork exports to the Caribbean will likely reach an annual record, fueled by another strong year in the Dominican Republic and newfound business in Cuba. Beef exports also increased in 2024, led by larger shipments to the DR, the Netherlands Antilles and Cuba.
In South America, U.S. beef exports have softened, largely due to temporary restrictions in Columbia related to avian flu in dairy cattle which have since been removed. But pork export growth is strong, up 28 percent at $391 million through November of 2024, already an annual record.
Colombia has been leading that explosive growth in pork demand and USMEF is working with industry partners to push sales even further with
the introduction of new products developed from the Boston butt. The centerpiece is the new Boston butt burger.
The product originated from USMEF’s representatives in Colombia, Maria Ruiz and Homero Recio, and was further developed at an annual training seminar USMEF holds with Latin American processors at the University of Nebraska. Three Colombian importer/ processors worked with University of Nebraska and USMEF staff to refine the new product. USMEF then worked with a Colombian market research firm to test it with consumers.
“We used a firm in Colombia that’s been around for 30 years,” explained Recio. “They told us that they were astonished by the results with consumers. They said that in their 30 years of doing this work, they had never had a product that was met with such consumer acceptance.”
“It’s not a burger made with pork trim,” Recio said. “This is a Boston butt burger. It’s different. It has marbling. It has better fat; it has firmer fat. It’s going to cook differently. It’s going to stay juicier.”
The Boston butt burger is currently being launched in foodservice and retail in multiple outlets in Colombia. Other companies are looking to expand its use in other parts of South America including a retail smash burger product in Chile.
USMEF is working with industry partners in Colombia to push more sales with the introduction of new products developed from the Boston butt. The centerpiece is the new Boston butt burger.
The Boston butt burger is one of eight new product ideas derived from the Boston butt presented to foodservice and retail at launch events across Colombia including ribs, steak, meatballs, sausage, cubes, pulled pork, ground pork and burger patties.
For more about the 2025 Latin American Product Showcase, visit www.USMEF.org/events
Recent numbers show turkey, egg exports increasing while broiler exports decrease
U.S. turkey exports for January through November 2024 increased in volume and value from the same period of last year, egg exports registered gains in value, while broiler exports decreased according to new trade data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
While U.S. total broiler exports were down due largely to decreased shipments to China, other export markets such as Hong Kong, Vietnam, Angola, Ghana, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Canada, Dominican Republic, Gambia, Turkmenistan, Qatar, Colombia, Philippine, Mauritania and Suriname showed tremendous gains in broiler exports from the same period a year earlier.
Broiler exports for the first eleven months of 2024 were 2,997,042 metric tons, down 9.8 percent from the same period of last year, while export value was $4.298 billion, down 0.9 percent (Figure 1). Of the total export volume, 51.5 percent or 1,542,426 tons were shipped to the top six markets, including Mexico, Cuba, Taiwan, Philippines, China and Canada.
Shipments to Mexico in January-November 2024 were 672,077 metric tons, up 1.8 percent from the same period a year earlier. During the same period, Brazilian chicken exports to Mexico reached 204,757 metric tons, up 19.5 percent year over year, while Chilean chicken exports to Mexico were 20,971 metric tons, down 13.7 percent.
187,989 tons, down 22.3 percent; Philippines, 160,737, up 2.9 percent; Canada, 144,526 tons, up 7.8 percent; Vietnam, 126,248 tons, up 18.8 percent; Guatemala, 125,005 tons, down 4.6 percent; Angola, 111,931 tons, up 18.5 percent; Hong Kong, 77,827 tons, up 53.0 percent.
Broiler exports in November 2024 were 287,568 metric tons, up 1.6 percent from the same month a year earlier, while export value reached $446.8 million, up 20.8 percent. Exports to China decreased by 16.7 percent to 15,675 tons (of which 55.0 percent or 8,617 metric tons were frozen raw chicken paws).
Exports to China decreased by 62.8 percent to 145,186 tons (of which 72.5 percent or 105,273 metric tons were frozen raw chicken paws), while shipments to Cuba decreased by 0.7 percent to 231,912 tons. Exports to other important markets were Taiwan,
Shipments to Mexico decreased by 0.2 percent year over year to 61,311 metric tons, while shipments to Taiwan increased by 74.9 percent to 24,945 tons. While exports to Vietnam, Colombia, Cuba, Gambia, Angola, Canada, Ghana, Philippines and Dominican Republic increased notably year over year, exports to UAE, Iraq, Congo (Brazzaville), South Africa and Mozambique decreased significantly.
Cumulative turkey exports
Cumulative turkey exports for the first eleven months of 2024 were 204,089 metric tons, up 0.6 percent from the same period a year earlier, while export value was $617.0 million, up 6.7 percent (Figure 2).
Of the total quantity exported, 82.9 percent or 169,289 metric tons were exported to the top six markets, including Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and El Salvador, with Mexico alone accounting for 75.3 percent or 153,598 metric tons.
Indiana is the third-largest egg-producing state in the United States.
Through feed, poultry is a leading customer for Indiana soybeans and corn.
Turkey exports in November 2024 were 19,117 metric tons, down 14.2 percent from the same month a year earlier, while export value was $61.5 million, down 2.0 percent.
Shipments to Mexico decreased by 6.6 percent to 13,928 metric tons, while exports to Canada decreased by 51.9 percent to 332 metric tons. While exports to Dominican Republic, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Samoa, Nicaragua, and Netherlands Antilles increased notably, shipments to El Salvador, Leeward-Windward Islands, Costa Rica, Taiwan, Haiti, Guatemala, Bahamas, Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon and Congo (Kinshasa) decreased significantly.
Total egg exports
Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) for January through November 2024 decreased by 2.2 percent to 158.8 million dozen. The value of those exports increased by 4.6 percent to $281.3 million (Figure 3).
Cumulative exports of table eggs from January to November of 2024 were 75.2 million dozen, down 7.8 percent from the same period a year earlier, while export value reached $175.7 million, up 18.7 percent. Of the total shipments, 88.5 percent or 66.6 million dozen were shipped to the top six export markets, namely Canada, Bahamas, Netherlands Antilles, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Table egg exports for November 2024 were 6.1 million dozen, down 1.0 percent from the same month a year earlier, while export value reached $16.7 million, up 58.9 percent. October exports to Canada reached 3.9 million dozen, up 17.4 percent from the same month of 2023, while exports to Hong Kong were 79,380 dozen, down 84.5 percent. While exports to Bahamas, Netherlands Antilles, Turks and Caicos Islands, EU-27, and Bermuda increased notably, exports to Cuba, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados decreased significantly.
For egg products, exports in January-November 2024 totaled 22,947 metric tons, down 15.0 percent from the same period a year earlier, while export value was $105.5 million, down 12.8 percent. Exports to the top six markets including Japan, EU-27, Mexico, Canada, South Korea, and Australia accounted for 86.0 percent or $90.8 million.
November exports of egg products were 1,763 metric tons, down 10.9 percent from November 2023, while export value was $9.7 million, down 12.5 percent. Export sales to Japan were $3.4 million, up 51.5 percent year over year, while exports to Mexico reached $2.8 million, up 72.6 percent. While exports to Singapore, Philippines, Israel, and Cayman Islands increased significantly, export sales to Canada, EU-27, South Korea, Colombia, Australia, and Bahamas decreased notably.
Figure 1. Total U.S. Broiler Exports: Broiler exports for the first eleven months of 2024 were 2,997,042 metric tons, down 9.8 percent from the same period of last year, while export value was $4.298 billion, down 0.9 percent.
Figure 2. Cumulative Turkey Exports: For the first eleven months of 2024, cumulative turkey exports were 204,089 metric tons, up 0.6 percent from the same period a year earlier, while export value was $617.0 million, up 6.7 percent
Figure 3. Total Egg Exports: (Table eggs plus egg products in shell egg equivalent) for January through November 2024 decreased by 2.2 percent to 158.8 million dozen. The value of those exports increased by 4.6 percent to $281.3 million.
USSEC partners with Indiana checkoff program to foster connections along the soy value chain
BY LYNDSEY ERB, USSEC Director of Industry Affairs
Where do Indiana soybeans go?
While many of them are crushed in Indiana and surrounding states, roughly 30 percent get exported to customers around the world. In fact, soybeans and related soy products account for about half of the state’s agricultural exports, according to the Indiana Department of Agriculture.
Indiana farmers know in theory their soybeans could go anywhere, but that concept becomes real when they meet the people from around the world who buy and use them.
At the same time, international soybean buyers, crushers and food manufacturers want to know where their raw materials come from. They know they are buying soybeans from the U.S., but they understand what that entails when they see the U.S. Soy supply chain in action.
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) intentionally connects international soybean customers with farmers and exporters. The combination of trade teams comprised of customers visiting the U.S. and trade missions of U.S. soybean farmers traveling to other countries provides a comprehensive view of U.S. Soy.
Our goal is to nurture relationships and help each link in the soy value chain learn how to deliver more value to others.
Meeting import company decision makers and their customers at home helps farmers understand how production and handling decisions impact the final product. At the same time, showing international buyers and decision makers each link in their upstream supply chain gives them more confidence in U.S. Soy as a supplier.
Throughout the past year, Indiana farmers and USSEC partnered to build and foster the long-term relationships that make U.S. Soy a valuable agricultural export.
Meet in Bogotá, Ho Chi Minh City and Beyond
Indiana soybean farmers participated in several USSEC events around the world, meeting customers and learning about key markets for U.S. Soy. For example, USSEC works with the U.S. Grains Council and U.S. Wheat Associates to host U.S. Agricultural Cooperators Conferences in the Americas and Southeast Asia regions. Representatives from Indiana attended both premier industry supporting efforts by building relationships and developing business opportunities. The Americas Cooperators Conference was held in Bogotá, Colombia, in June 2024. Prior to the conference, a visit to Solla, the third-largest feed producer in Colombia, provided the opportunity to engage with their feed mill team to hear about their use of the Sustainable U.S. Soy label and the value of U.S. Soy to their business. Then, during the conference, Phil Ramsey, a farmer from Shelbyville serving as an American Soybean Association director, provided a crop update as part of a panel discussion.
Phil Ramsey, an ASA director from Shelbyville, Ind., provided a crop update as part of a panel during the Americas Cooperators Conference in Bogotá, Columbia, in June 2024.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, hosted the Southeast Asia U.S. Agricultural Cooperators Conference in September 2024, where industry leaders from 20 countries discussed critical aspects of U.S. agriculture. Indiana Soybean Alliance director Joe Stoller from Bremen was among the farmers sharing production strategies applied on their U.S. Soy farms.
In addition, the Indiana Soybean Alliance sponsored Soy Connext in San Francisco in August 2024. USSEC convened more than 400 international soy customers from 62 countries, and a delegation of Indiana farmers had valuable conversations with customers about soybean production.
For more about USSEC
. . . Or in Indiana fields
Indiana soybean farmers and agribusiness also welcomed many international trade team participants to their fields, elevators and offices to demonstrate how the U.S. Soy supply chain works.
ISA hosted the International Soybean Oil Masters Program with USSEC last May for participants from 11 countries, taking them to the Indy 500 and hosting a reception at the Howell farm near Middletown. Smaller groups of attendees visited a variety of different farms. For example, a group from Cost Rica visited Everett Farms and Seed in Lebanon and Triple S Farms in Windfall, while attendees from Bangladesh and Jamaica headed to Sheller Farms in Noblesville and Cox Farms in Gaston.
Participants from China, Morocco and Taiwan visited Kelley Ridge Farms near Brookston and Eck Family Farms in Boggstown. Guided tours of Corteva Agriscience headquarters, Beck’s Hybrids and a Bunge grain elevator gave them all a look at the science and innovation behind soybean seeds and a snapshot of U.S. Soy’s logistics network.
In August 2024, 14 U.S. Soy customers from the Americas visited Indianapolis for a firsthand look at key links in the U.S. Soy supply chain, including soybean genetics at Beck’s Hybrids, IP grain handling and cleaning at the Pence Group and grain logistics and merchandising at Kokomo Grain Facility. Their time at Maple Farms near Greentown highlighted the trip, as they learned about sustainable farming practices.
Prior to Soy Connext, two trade teams visited Indiana. Eleven soy food manufacturers from South Korea learned about crop conditions, non-GMO food grade soybean varieties and the soybean market outlook. They visited Kelley Ridge Farms near Brookston for discussions about the growing season and their sustainable farming practices. At Pence Group, they heard about non-
GMO and organic soybean seed and marketing, and at Corteva, learned about seed management and soybean genetics.
At the same time, 10 crushers, feed millers and importers from Japan learned about the latest developments and technology releases for new soy products and gathering information on U.S. Soy advantages to use in future purchase decisions. They visited Gary McDaniel’s farm by Boonville and received a behind-the-scenes tour of CGB Enterprises river terminals in Jeffersonville.
The conversations between Indiana farmers both at home and abroad provide valuable, first-hand answers to customer questions. Even small interactions contribute to building confidence and trust with those buying U.S. Soy around the world.
USSEC looks forward to ongoing collaboration to continue strengthening customer relationships. As Indiana farmers travel with us to visit customers and welcome them to their farms, they invest in the longterm connections that result in purchases of U.S. Soy.
A group from Japan visited Gary McDaniel’s farm before attending Soy Connext 2024.
ISA director Joe Stoller spoke about sustainable farming practices as part of a farmer panel at the Southeast Asia U.S. Agricultural Cooperators Conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Soybean Oil Masters program participants visited Chris Eck and Eck Family Farms in Boggstown, Ind.
The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC) 202425 Corn Harvest Quality Report, the 14th such annual survey, was published globally in December. The 2024 U.S. corn crop is projected to be the third largest on record with the highest 100-kernel weight in the history of the report and lower broken corn and foreign material (BCFM), lower total damage and lower moisture than in the last five years.
Favorable growing season conditions contributed to the highest projected average yield on record and promoted good grain quality. Relatively warm, dry conditions during September and October also permitted an effective dry-down and timely harvest, thus maintaining the overall quality of the 2024 corn crop.
Despite slightly lower harvested hectares compared to last year, total production is projected to be 384.64 million metric tons (15,143 million bushels). The report also showed that 89.2 percent of the samples met all grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 1 grade, and 96.2 percent met the grade factor requirements for U.S. No. 2 grade corn.
“The Council takes pride in producing this annual report that proves the quality and abundance of U.S. corn year over year,” said Verity Ulibarri, USGC chairwoman. “Because the U.S. is dedicated to transparency and sharing it with potential buyers, it helps them make informed decisions and aligns with the Council’s mission of developing markets, enabling trade and improving lives.
“The information contained in the report provides the foundation for evaluating trends and the factors that impact corn quality. The cumulative reports also enable export buyers to make year-to-year comparisons and
assess patterns of corn quality based on crop growing conditions across the years.”
The Council is presenting its findings to buyers around the world in a series of rollout events through the first quarter of 2025, offering participants clear expectations regarding the quality of corn for this marketing year. During these initiatives, crop quality information is accompanied by updates on U.S. corn grading and handling, that provides importers and end-users with a better understanding of how U.S. corn is moved and controlled through export channels.
“Every year the U.S. Grains Council conducts corn quality rollouts throughout our global offices, where we discuss with our international customers about what we found in the report,”
Alexander Grabois, USGC manager of global strategies and trade said.
“The rollouts allow for the Council to discuss key market specific topics to help guide our end-users on how to maximize the efficiency and results when using U.S. corn and other feed grains.”
In many cases, the Council invites U.S. producers to speak at the rollouts, where they provide valuable insight on their specific farm, practices and crop quality while also showing customers how they approach each part of harvest.Hearing these first-hand experiences is a valuable way for international customers to create a deeper connection with U.S. farmers while simultaneously building a greater understanding of the early stages of the U.S. grain marketing system.
Read the full 2024-25 USGC Corn Harvest Quality Report online at grains.org/corn_report and stay up to date on its associated rollout events on the USGC’s website.
Alexander Grabois
Verity Ulibarri
For more about USGC
Indiana’s soybean checkoff program seeks candidates for board elections
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) is seeking farmer leaders to join its 24-member board responsible for investing Indiana’s soybean checkoff funds in programs that develop new markets for Indiana soybeans, create value for the state’s soybean growers, engage producers in events and support farmer’s environmental, social and economic sustainability efforts.
The ISA Board of Directors represents approximately 20,000 Indiana soybean farmers who contribute their dollars through the checkoff program, and it manages soybean farmer investments. Eight board seats are up for election this year.
Applications for the 2025 election are due by Friday, Feb. 28.
In District 1, incumbents Joe Stoller of Bremen, Ind. is finishing his second term, and John Peters of Monticello, Ind. is completing his first term. District 1 includes Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Elkhart, Fulton, Howard, Jasper, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lake, Marshall, Miami, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, St. Joseph, Starke, Tipton, Wabash and White counties.
For ISA election information
completing their first terms on the board. District 3 includes the counties of Clay, Daviess, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Montgomery, Owen, Parke, Pike, Posey, Putnam, Spencer, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren and Warrick.
At least one new candidate is needed in District 4 because Mike Koehne of Greensburg, Ind., will term off at the end of 2025 after completing his third three-year term. Kevin Burbrink of Seymour, Ind., is finishing his second term. The District 4 counties are Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Washington.
In District 2, the incumbents are Jenna Scott of Gaston, Ind., and Mark Wenning of Cambridge City, Ind. Both completing their first terms. The counties in District 2 include Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley.
Both incumbents in District 3, Jason Misiniec of Bicknell, Ind., and Larry Rusch of Vincennes, Ind., are
Each candidate must meet these requirements:
• Has paid into the federal soybean checkoff within the last two years.
• Certify ownership or share ownership and risk of loss of soybeans
• Completes a director expectation statement and returns it to ISA by Feb. 28. Go online to www.incornandsoy.org/ ISAelection to learn more about serving as an ISA director or to download a director expectation statement. Send an email to Amber Myers at amyers@indianasoybean.com for more details. The ISA will distribute election ballots to soybean farmers by mail this spring. ISA will announce election results this summer.
Indiana soybean checkoff offering a free middle School ag curriculum
The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) has partnered with Cutting Edge Curriculum to teach agriculture to middle school students. Cutting Edge Curriculum is a not-for-profit corporation created by agricultural education advocates with a focus on curriculum development for Career and Technical Education (CTE) including Ag Education, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Industrial Technology.
Cutting Edge Curriculum houses the MYCAERT system to provide this curriculum to teachers and students through an online subscription. The MYCAERT system delivers lesson plans and support materials, signature E-Units for student use, and webbased assessments aligned to academic standards.
ISA provides free subscriptions to this curriculum and online tools to Indiana students and teachers.
provides effective strategies while students learn to conduct investigations and dig further into a topic. Lessons are accompanied with student E-units, online assessments, and PowerPoints. An E-unit is a student textbook unit as it is written to match each lesson. Online assessments are completed by students while reports can display how students are achieving in relationship to academic standards.
Kevin Cross has been an ag teacher and FFA advisor for 12 years. In August 2024, he took that role at LintonStockton High School in Linton, Ind. He was excited to use the MYCAERT curriculum.
Brooklyn Williams is an ag teacher and FFA advisor in her second year of teaching at Sullivan Middle School and Sullivan High School in Sullivan, Ind. She is grateful that the farmers who pay into the state’s soybean checkoff program offers the MYCAERT system curriculum to ag teachers across the state.
“I’m glad the farmers have taken a portion of their money to go toward this,” Williams said. “These are the future producers, the future agriculturalists that we need. This is an opportunity for my students to see the kinds of things they will be doing in the future. We are thankful to the Indiana Soybean Alliance for making this possible.”
The middle school agriscience curriculum is designed to provide Indiana agricultural educators with the essential tools to stimulate student interest in the field of agriculture. The lessons use an inquiry-based format known as a 5E lesson plan. Each lesson encompasses the following: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate.
Within a 5E lesson, there are multiple student activities supporting inquiry-based instruction. This approach
“When the Indiana Soybean Alliance first started funding this and made it available free of charge to ag teachers, I picked it up pretty quick,” Cross said. “I had used some older MYCAERT curriculum that was created a long time ago. When I saw that it was available, and I started looking into it and did a couple of trainings, I thought this would be really good to juice up my middle school curriculum. You can do so many things with this middle school curriculum. I jumped on it pretty quick because it’s good stuff.”
The middle school agriscience program allows Indiana educators to access a sophisticated curriculum system. Educators, especially agricultural educators, have many responsibilities. Providing additional tools through a paid subscription not only allows for teachers to feel appreciated but provides them with an inquiry-based lessons to strengthen student knowledge.
“This curriculum is easy to use,” Williams said. “I can go and pick what I want to teach. There are many different options. You can go in and pick what you want; you don’t have to use all of them. The kids like because you can do different things. There’s PowerPoint; there’s worksheets; there’s activities and labs. It gives you the option of handson learning, which is really what ag is all about.”
For more information about the program, go online to www.mycaert.com.
Ben Linder, ISA Consumer Outreach Manager, speaks to Indiana agricultural teachers about books and curriculum available to them through the state’s soybean checkoff program during a convention at the FFA Leadership Center in Trafalgar, Ind., in mid-January.
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