HERE’S HOW THE SOY CHECKOFF WORKS. The national soy checkoff was created as part of the 1990 Farm Bill. The Act & Order that created the soy checkoff requires that all soybean farmers pay into the soy checkoff at the first point of purchase. These funds are then used for promotion, research and education at both the state and national level.
1/2 of 1% of the total selling price collected per the national soybean act & order
Half goes to the state checkoff for investment in areas that are a priority for that state.
Half goes to the national checkoff for investment in USB’s long-range strategic plan.
Farmers and staff of ISA’s Membership & Policy Committee and the Indiana Corn Growers Association discussed potential new farm policies with state lawmakers on at the annual Bacon Bar and Brunch.
Find out how the farmer-leaders and staff of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council invested corn and soybean checkoff funds during the past year.
From Jan. 21-29, several farmers from the Indiana Soybean Alliance traveled to Argentina so see how soybeans are grown, processed and exported in the South American country.
Purdue Agronomy Professor Jianxin Ma has been named the first Indiana Soybean Alliance Endowed Chair in Soybean Improvement. ISA established this chair to advance critical soybean research.
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About the cover: Dubois, Ind., farmer Kevin Kalb is a frequent winner of the National Corn Growers Association’s National Corn Yield Contest. He and another area farmer, Terry Vissing, work to help Hoosier corn growers to improve their yields. See the story on page 36
Chairman Mike Koehne, Greensburg / D4
Vice Chairman Kevin Cox, Brazil / D3
Secretary Joseph Stoller, Bremen / D1
Treasurer
C.J. Chalfant, Hartford City / D2
Committee Chairs
Keevin Lemenager, Monrovia / D4
Carey McKibben, LaGrange / D2
Denise Scarborough, LaCrosse / D1
Directors
Allen Buchanan, Fowler / D1
Dylan Christopher, Brookston / D1
Kevin Kelley, Brookston / D1
Steve Phares, Albion / D2
Jenna Scott, Muncie / D2
Brian Warpup, Warren / D2
Mark Wenning, Cambridge City / D2
Derika Lynam-Spaetti, Richland / D3
Gary McDaniel, Boonville / D3
Jason Misiniec, Bicknell / D3
Larry Rusch, Vincennes / D3
Roger Bommer, Brookville / D4
Kevin Burbrink, Seymour / D4
Anngie Steinbarger, Edinburgh / D4
President Scott Smith, Windfall / D5
Vice President
Chris Cherry, New Palestine / D6
Secretary Sarah Delbecq, Auburn / D3
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Editor / Dave Blower Jr.
Writer / Ann Hinch
Writer / Emma Hopkins-O’Brien
Writer / Susan Hayhurst
Creative Director / Carol Johnson
Indiana Corn & Soybean Post® is published five times per year by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Growers Association.
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Treasurer Tyler Everett, Lebanon / D7
Directors
Tom Murphy, Chesterton / D1
Joe Tuholski, LaPorte / D2
Mike Beard, Frankfort / D4
J.R. Roesner, Ferdinand / D8
Mike Flock, Ramsey / D9
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Greetings to all of my farmer friends and neighbors from our farm here in rural Morgan County. This is my first column as the Chair of the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership & Policy Committee (M&P). I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and opinions with all of you during the next year. I am focused on building on the policies that previous leaders have started, plus I want to initiate new ideas to help Hoosier farmers, too.
Many of us are required to wear more than one hat on the farm. Some of us produce both row crops and livestock. Other farmers also work on school boards, church leadership, 4-H or some other service in addition to running a farm. These roles are different, but also fit the unique talents that we all possess.
Those of us who serve as ISA directors also wear two hats. ISA is Indiana’s soybean checkoff program. As checkoff directors, we work to enhance the viability of Indiana soybean farmers through the effective and efficient investment of soybean checkoff funds. ISA assists soybean farmers through its strategic initiatives of market development; environmental, social and economic sustainability; value creation and producer engagement. Checkoff funds, however, cannot be used to advocate for pro-farmer policies in the government halls in Indianapolis or Washington, D.C.
That’s when we put on our advocacy hats. ISA’s Membership & Policy Committee exists for that role. This committee, which is mostly made up of ISA board directors and our staff, tracks and follows bills and proposals that state lawmakers introduce in the Statehouse and federal legislators tout in Congress.
Recently, while on a checkoff mission to Argentina, I recognized how important our checkoff and policy organizations are to Indiana and U.S. farmers. Before going to Argentina, we knew that the South American nation was the third-largest exporter of soybeans in the world. We also knew that most of its exports were shipped to China.
I expected to see a country with modern agricultural equipment, an infrastructure system that smoothly moved crops from fields to shipping lines, and coordinated strategies to expand their production and place in the world market. Instead, I saw a country with aging farm equipment. I saw a country in which more than 90 percent of its crops were moved to grain terminals by trucks and trailers from the 20th century. And we saw farmers left without much support or resources to survive drought or other major weather events.
And yet, Argentina remains a major player on the world export stage.
I was left with the thought that Indiana and U.S. farmers are blessed to have the support and resources provided by our checkoff system. We are blessed to have national programs such as the United Soybean Board, the U.S. Soy Export Council and the Soy Transportation Coalition to help American farmers maintain a competitive edge.
We are also blessed to have policy organizations like M&P to advocate for the rules and laws that make U.S. agriculture more profitable and secure. And, we’re blessed to have national advocates such as the American Soybean Association to lobby for pro-farmer policies as Congress debates a new farm bill this year.
These organizations exist today because forward-thinking farmers from generations ago recognized a need and mission for them. They have continued to grow and prosper because farmers through the years have volunteered or joined to represent other farmers.
For American agriculture to maintain its competitive edge, we need farmers at the state and federal level to continue to step into service in these groups. Anyone interested in more information about joining M&P should contact ISA Industry Affairs Outreach and Membership Manager Khyla Goodman at kgoodman@indianasoybean.com.
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Ilove breakfast food. Coffee percolates in a pot. The griddle sizzles with eggs, sausage and pancakes as maple syrup warms nearby. A cold glass of milk is poured to refresh the mind and body. And, of course, bacon crackles in an iron frying pan. The enticing aromas of a farmer’s breakfast encourages most folks to open their eyes and get out of bed.
There’s a lot of Indiana agriculture in that meal. Poultry, pork, dairy and beef are just a few of the vital elements of a proper farmer’s breakfast. In addition to a warm bowl of grits, corn is also an important participant in that breakfast. Corn is a primary feed source for all of those chickens, pigs and cows that are involved in the meal.
Recently, we had a very interesting and influential breakfast at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. As it has for several years now, the Indiana Corn Growers Association partnered with the Membership and Policy Committee of the Indiana Soybean Alliance to present the Bacon Bar and Brunch legislative breakfast. This event has become one the most key dates on ICGA’s annual calendar.
On Feb. 8, with the delightful smell of bacon rising throughout the Statehouse, dozens of Indiana farmers concerned about agricultural policy were able to talk faceto-face with state representatives and senators regarding the issues coming up in this year’s General Assembly. The food helps to create fellowship. The fellowship leads to friendly conversations with lawmakers.
Here are a few of topics we discussed:
• HB1080 Biofuel Tax Credits – This bill provides tax credits for the sale of higher ethanol blends, the sale of
blended biodiesel and the blending of biodiesel. ICGA supports this bill.
• HB1448 Sales Tax Exemption for Agricultural Equipment – This bill states that any transaction involving the acquisition of agricultural machinery, tools or equipment is exempt from the application of the state gross retail tax regardless of the intended use of the property. The bill requires the department of state revenue to amend the administrative rules to conform with the provision added by the bill. ICGA also supports this proposal.
• HB1557 Inventory of Lost Farmland – This bill directs the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to conduct an inventory of farmland lost in Indiana from 2010 to 2022. ICGA supports this bill.
• HB1639 Watershed Development Commissions – This bill states that the executives of one or more counties may adopt ordinances designating their counties as members of a proposed watershed development commission. That commission would be established as a legal entity with the counties if it is recognized by the natural resources commission. ICGA hasn’t taken a position on this bill, yet.
• SB451 Carbon Sequestration Pilot Project – This bill corrects a spelling error in the address of the carbon sequestration pilot project. ICGA’s concern is the lack of property rights protections proposed in the bill. ICGA opposes this bill.
I am often encouraging farmers to get involved in the legislative process. The Bacon Bar and Brunch may be over for another year, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be more opportunities to represent Indiana agriculture in 2023.
Tentatively planned for July 26, ICGA staff is planning its annual Ag Policy Summit in July, and there will be oneon-one meetings with federal legislators during Shop Talk meetings throughout the year. Anyone wanting to receive more information about these events should contact Steve Howell, ICGA Senior Director of Industry Affairs, at showell@indianacorn.org
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As we enter 2023, we are reminded that we are now less than one-year out from the effective date of the decree banning most corn imports from the United States into Mexico. The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), along with state corn partners, ended 2022 sounding the alarm about this issue and we’re seeing results, though there is still work to do.
The current predicament emerged last year when President Andrés Manuel López Obrador promised to enact a decree that would ban all imports of biotech corn into Mexico, effective Jan. 31, 2024.
Since 90 percent of U.S. corn is biotech corn, and because Mexico is one of our top trading partners, the president’s promise threatened to upend a major economic partnership for our nation’s farmers. A study by World Perspectives showed that it also would adversely affect the Mexican economy and lead to issues of food insecurity. NCGA and state corn partners began an aggressive campaign to bring attention to the issue. We continue to call for the U.S. Trade Representative to file a complaint under the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
We are pressing the case through the media and through our champions on Capitol Hill. Several letters were fired off this winter from a bipartisan cadre of powerful House and Senate members calling for USTR to act.
State corn associations are working with their respective media outlets, pitching briefings to editorial boards at their state newspapers and working with their state’s legislative leadership to effect change. As a result, what started as a hard promise by President López Obrador to essentially end U.S. corn imports has begun to soften.
This is due in large part to the
involvement of USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who listened to messages from our campaign, and he acted. He told the Mexican president first-hand that the United States would act if a reasonable agreement wasn’t reached.
President López Obrador has indicated that he would be open to allowing imports of yellow corn, used for animal feed, into the country but white corn, used for human consumption, might still face hurdles. He is also said to be considering a delay of the original implementation date.
As Secretary Vilsack and USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai met with President López Obrador in late December, NCGA made it clear that we would not accept a compromise that included banning corn, white, yellow or otherwise, and that we needed the impasse resolved quickly.
The negotiations are continuing, but NCGA is pleased to see that the conversation is headed in the right direction. NCGA applauds Secretary Vilsack for his willingness to push for a dispute settlement under USMCA if an agreement is not reached.
The work on this effort is a great example of the type of advocacy that state corn associations and NCGA are performing daily. Successes would not be possible if not for the reliable relationships that we’ve cultivated through the years with policymakers on both sides of the aisle.
NCGA will continue pressing forward on this issue, and we won’t stop until a fair deal is reached on behalf of America’s corn growers.
The Next Generation Fuels Act is a low-cost solution that would help diversify the nation’s fuel supply, improve vehicle engine efficiency, decarbonize transportation and give drivers affordable choices.
This bipartisan legislation would establish a clean, high-octane standard for gasoline and require that sources of additional octane result in at least 40 percent fewer emissions, allowing automakers to significantly
improve vehicle fuel efficiency, all while supporting rural America. The Next Generation Fuels Act would also complement a federal clean fuel standard, supporting greater decarbonization of liquid fuels.
Another key component to a bipartisan energy agenda is the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. This legislation will ensure full market access for E15, often labeled as Unleaded 88 at the pump — supporting market certainty and affordable, low-carbon fuel options at the pump. Last summer, drivers who chose E15 saved 16 cents per gallon on average. This legislation would not only open the door to a staggering $20.6 billion in annual savings for consumers — it’s also an important step forward for a cleaner energy future. That’s why it’s supported by a broad coalition of more than 250 organizations and companies.
In the face of global uncertainty and rising climate threats, the Renewable Fuel Standard is just as relevant today than when it was first put in place almost two decades ago. Since then, the RFS has been a resounding success in expanding America’s fuel supply, lowering costs for drivers and
reducing emissions. In fact, according to the Department of Energy’s Argonne Lab, today’s ethanol now results in up to 52 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. America’s corn farmers are critical for the continued success of the RFS through higher corn yields and enhanced sustainability, and as the EPA begins a new phase of this program, there’s an opportunity to enable ethanol to contribute even more as a climate and energy solution.
Implementing the climate programs and tax credits of the Inflation Reduction Act – signed into law last year — are imperative for clean energy innovation and security. These key biofuel provisions, if applied with an accurate lifecycle carbon assessment — including the benefits of sustainable aviation fuel and clean fuel production — will spur greater carbon emission reductions and rural economic growth.
NCGA submitted comments to USDA, Treasury, and the IRS to ensure corn farmers have a seat at the table when it comes to implementation of these important biofuel programs and tax credits and ultimately to expand the role of ethanol in reducing emissions and providing consumers with affordable fuel choices.
To the average consumer, the winter months might appear to be a break for growers with harvest done and planting months away. However, those consumers never worked on behalf of agriculture policy.
ASA’s farmers leaders have had boots on the ground and faces on Zoom meetings this winter, especially after the December 2022 drop of unfavorable policies from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and “Waters of the U.S.”
The EPA dealt a blow to the U.S. biofuels industry late last year, when the agency released its draft “set” rule, which sets annual biofuel blending targets under the RFS. This announcement, including proposed Renewable Volume Obligations for 2023, 2024 and 2025, is disappointing for the biofuels industry and threatens the integrity of the RFS by significantly dialing back annual increases in volume obligations.
Following the news, the American Soybean Association (ASA) and its grower leaders hit the ground running to advocate for more favorable volume obligations under the RFS. In January, ASA, along with others in the biofuels industry, weighed in on EPA’s draft “set” rule.
ASA Directors Dave Walton (Iowa); Chris Hill (Minn.); Rob Shaffer (Ill.); Monte Peterson (N.D.); Josh Gackle (N.D.); Alan Meadows (Tenn.); Daryl Cates (Ill.); Steph Essick (Iowa); Dennis Fujan (Neb.); Charles Atkinson (Kan.); and Jordan Scott (S.D.), along with ASA Chief Economist Scott Gerlt testified on the set rule during EPA’s virtual public hearing.
Soy growers said the new proposed rule will negatively impact producers by derailing the progress and growth made in biofuels investment. They said it also does not align with the administration’s previous commitment to mitigating climate change and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
ASA appreciates the opportunity for public comment and will continue to urge EPA to re-evaluate its proposed Renewable Volume Obligations for 2023 and beyond before publishing a final rule. Through a consent decree submitted by EPA and Growth Energy, EPA must release the final set rule by June 14.
In late December, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced their final definition of WOTUS, also called “Waters of the United States.” Agencies have stated they believe this rule will be “durable,” able to withstand legal challenges, and will be workable for both environmental and industry stakeholders.
This is the third major change to the WOTUS rule in less than eight years; and while ASA is still reviewing the 514page rule to determine exactly what it means for soybean growers, there are mounting concerns. Among the reasons soy growers are not pleased with this news:
• The agencies will use a confusing, two-part standard to identify which waters are WOTUS.
• Implementing use of these “significant nexus” standards will mean all waters and wetlands upstream of a project area are likely to be considered jurisdictional.
• The new rule will be more restrictive to land users and will likely restrict ag owners’ ability to sell to developers.
ASA President Daryl Cates, a farmer from Illinois, said the administration’s WOTUS rule “in no way provides the clear, nationwide regulatory certainty
farmers and land managers have requested repeatedly.” Cates’ and other industry stakeholders’ comments were included in February news releases from the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, calling the rule “overburdensome” and “confusing.”
Cates expressed appreciation to lawmakers for pushing back on the latest rendition of WOTUS. “We need champions in Congress to continue pushing for reversal of these potentially damaging provisions,” he added.
WOTUS is set to go into effect March 20, but efforts to delay the rule are in motion. In addition to Congress challenging the rule, industry stakeholders have already begun lawsuits to stop implementation. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court will release an opinion on a WOTUS case (Sackett v. EPA) later this spring, for which ASA joined 13 other ag groups in submitting an amicus brief.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently reintroduced the Expanding Agricultural Exports Act of 2023 to double USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development Program (FMD) funding.
Previously named the CREAATE and SMART acts, respectively, the legislation would increase MAP mandatory funding from $200 million to $400 million annually and would increase FMD mandatory funding from $34.5 million to $69 million annually.
MAP and FMD are vital to U.S. soybean farmers, as they provide opportunities to develop new markets and grow demand for U.S. products in foreign markets. Utilizing MAP and FMD funds, ASA — through WISHH and USSEC — has leveraged those dollars to increase market access, address technical barriers to entry and create on-the-ground capacity and demand for U.S. soy.
ASA, along with other members of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports, applauded the following lawmakers in the Senate: Sen. Angus King (I-Maine); Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa); Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.); Sn. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa); and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).
ASA also thanks several members of the U.S. House of
Representatives, including, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.); Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.); Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.); Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.); Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa); Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.); Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Minn.); and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) for re-introducing the bill.
According to a news release sent by the coalition, a May 2022 econometric study conducted by IHS Markit and ag economists at Texas A&M University predicted that doubling funding for these programs would generate an additional $44.4 billion in U.S. ag exports during the 2024-2029 time period.
This would directly benefit farmers, livestock producers, dairy operators and small businesses as they work to maintain and expand their global presence. Additionally, these programs generate a net return of $24.50 for every dollar spent and have contributed to the creation of 225,800 full- and part-time jobs across the U.S. economy.
The value of agricultural exports when adjusted for inflation has approximately doubled the past 30 years. While there are many reasons for this increase, research has shown part of it can be attributed to programs that help market U.S. agricultural goods to foreign buyers. MAP and FMD are two that have been important in expanding U.S. exports, but MAP funding hasn’t been increased since 2006, and FMD funding hasn’t been increased in two decades.
The Expanding Agricultural Exports Act must now be considered by the agriculture committees. ASA urges swift consideration and passage of this vital bill.
BY REP. RUDY YAKYM Republican, Indiana District 2
Dear friends and fellow Hoosiers:
It is an honor to serve Indiana’s Second District in Congress. As a fourth-generation Hoosier, it is a tremendous privilege to represent the good people from the place that my family has called home for decades.
As a relatively new Member of Congress, I have made it a priority to hear directly from my constituents and learn what’s on their mind. I often say that you can’t represent people you don’t know, and so hearing their concerns first-hand is an essential part of being effective voice for the Second District.
The importance of getting this kind of feedback is especially true when it comes to Hoosiers who, by the sweat of their brow, provide our nation and the world with an abundant and reliable supply of food.
I am proud that the agricultural industry is such a vital part of the Indiana economy. In fact, it accounts for more than $31 billion of our state’s economic output and nearly 200,000 jobs. Hoosier farmers don’t just feed Americans, they feed the world – as we are the eighth-largest state for agricultural exports. Our agricultural exports are not only a source of jobs and revenue for our state, they are also a source of pride for all Hoosiers.
That is why I am committed to having the back of our farmers and agriculture producers and fighting for policies that help them to get and stay ahead. It is no secret that we grow some of the best produce anywhere in the world right here in Indiana. If our farmers and ranchers can compete on an even playing field with other nations, our exports will win every day.
To that end, one of the top concerns I have heard from our farmers is Mexico’s attempt to block imports of most U.S corn. Unfortunately, this proposed ban, which could take effect next year, is not rooted in science but in politics.
Not only would this planned ban devastate the U.S. economy and harm our corn growers, it would also harm the Mexican people by reducing the supply and raising the
price of the corn they consume and feed to their livestock. The ban is clearly in direct violation of the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiated by former President Trump and approved by Congress.
That is why I authored a letter last month along with my friend and colleague U.S. Rep. Greg Pence (R-Dist. 6) to the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Agriculture urging them to address this barrier and enforce the trade agreements we have on the books.
I am confident that the letter Congressman Pence and I wrote, which was signed by all Republican Members of the Indiana delegation, will help bring a swift resolution to this issue so our farmers and ranchers can count on trade policies that are fair and expand – not limit – their economic opportunities.
As I continue my service in Congress, I look forward to hearing more of your insights and partnering with you to deliver Hoosier commonsense and solutions that improve the quality of all our lives.
U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym represents Indiana’s Second District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently serves on the House Budget Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
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The primary purpose of Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership & Policy Committee (M&P) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is the government advocacy the organizations provide to its membership.
Owning and operating a farming enterprise is, by no surprise to our readers, a time-consuming and demanding vocation that requires nearly no-stop focus on the day-to-day business of the operation. There are many issues, both at the state and federal level, which can and do have a big impact on the profitability of the farm.
With the never-ending demands of modern farming, how can farmers impact the debate surrounding both state and federal issues and be sure their voice is heard by lawmakers and regulators?
This is why membership in both M&P and ICGA is so important. Your membership provides you with advocacy at the State Capital in Indianapolis and in Washington, D.C.
In this issue, we will explain how M&P and ICGA members are represented and have their voices heard during the Indiana General Assembly as well as some of the legislative priorities of state leaders.
ICGA and M&P staff monitor legislation at the Statehouse to determine any impact on soybean and corn farmers. If an impact is found, either positively or negatively, we will be at the Statehouse advocating for our members.
We always watch for opportunities that will add to the profitability of the farm and work to advance those ideas. We also keep an eye on proposals which may hinder the industry and defend our members.
This year a proposal to incentivize biofuel sales was authored by Rep. Dave Heine (R-New Haven). The bill, HB 1080, provides income tax incentives for fuel retailers and distributors who offer higher blends of biofuels. Since the bill incentivizes higher blends for both ethanol and biodiesel, it will be a win for corn and soybean farmers, if the bill becomes law. The bill would ultimately lead to increased demand for both corn and soybeans.
M&P and ICGA staff worked closely with Rep. Heine and other industry stakeholders in the drafting of the legislation. During the General Assembly, we are hard
at work advocating for the bill’s advancement through the legislative process, and hopefully, to final passage. During the General Assembly, M&P and ICGA will be at the Statehouse pushing favorable bills, like HB 1080, to get a hearing in committee and to build support among the legislators to continue advancement.
If HB 1080 does receive a hearing, M&P and ICGA staff or our farmer-leaders, will be in the committee hearing providing testimony in support of the bill and explain the positive impact the bill will have on corn and soybean farmers as well as the overall economy of Indiana.
If we identify legislation that would be harmful to corn and soybean farmers, we are present at the General Assembly to explain the impact and to turn support away from damaging initiatives.
As of mid-February, HB 1080 is awaiting a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee. Hopefully the bill gets a hearing and continues through the legislative process. However, if the bill comes up short, ICGA and M&P will continue to advocate for Indiana farmers and build support for the bill in the future.
This year the legislature is meeting in what is known in Indiana as a “long” session. Indiana’s part-time legislature meets for 60 legislative days in odd-numbered years to develop and pass legislation pertaining to the state budget, as well as other bills offered by legislators. Even-numbered years do not require budget-related legislation and the legislative days are limited to 30 working days. Hence, the “long” session this year.
The 2023 session of the Indiana General Assembly convened on Jan. 9, to start the legislative season.
There are many new faces in the Statehouse with the addition of several freshman House and Senate members. M&P and ICGA staff have been busy building relationships with new lawmakers explaining how various policies impact soybean and corn farmers.
New legislators have taken leadership roles in various committees important to ICGA and M&P members, while some familiar lawmakers continue leadership in other committees of interest.
State Rep. Jeffery Thompson (R-Lizton) was tapped to chair the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over the state budget. State Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Highland) was appointed chair of the House
Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. State Rep. Alan Morrison (R-Covington) will lead the House Environmental Affairs Committee.
State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) will return as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee. State Sen. Rick Niemeyer (R-Lowell) was selected to lead the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee.
It is important to know the priorities of Indiana’s leadership to know the general theme of the legislative session. This provides a good understanding of the desired outcomes sought by the governor and the legislature. Although few high-level priorities have a direct impact on corn and soybean farmers, they do have an impact on our communities and are important to all Hoosier citizens.
Below is a brief listing of the legislative goals for the governor, House and Senate Republicans and House and Senate Democrats.
Gov. Eric Holcomb released his Next Level Agenda legislative priorities including:
• Economic development
• Pass balanced budget while maintaining healthy reserves and pay down pre-1996 Teachers’ Pension obligation
• Modernize economic development efforts
• Double funding for manufacturing readiness grants
• Build planned capital projects, such as the Westville prison, co-located schools for blind and deaf students, state archives, an inn at Potato Creek State Park
• Invest in tourism and attract more visitors and new residents
• Education and workforce
• Improve early childhood care and education
• Increase investments in K-12 education and raise teacher salaries
During the first week of session, Senate and House Republicans released their legislative priorities, laying out their top goals for the legislative session. Senate Republicans broke down their priorities into five main ideas including:
Fiscal Responsibility
• Study the possibility of ending Indiana’s income tax and reforming property taxes for Hoosiers
• Continue to pay-down the Pre1996 Teachers’ Retirement Fund
• Change state law for businesses to deduct state tax payments on federal tax returns
Mental Heath and Public Health Infrastructure
• Increase transparency of health insurance claims
• Lowering health care and drug costs
Expand Indiana’s READI program to continue economic development statewide
Supporting Law Enforcement and Ensuring Public Safety
• Raise the pay for Indiana State Police
Protecting Hoosiers’ Data Privacy
• Restrict how companies collect and use personal data
The House Republicans released similar themes for their legislative priorities including:
• Fiscal responsibility
• Support critical services and maintain responsible reserves
• Expand Indiana’s READI program, to continue economic development
• Maximize returns for Indiana’s public retirement fund
• Empowering students and families
• Lower healthcare costs and improve transparency in healthcare marketplace
• Increase energy reliability and affordability
The 2023 legislative priorities rolled out by Senate Democrats include:
• Ease Hoosiers’ economic burdens
• Restore reproductive freedom for Hoosier women
• Invest in education and workforce readiness
• Expand childcare options and establish paid family leave
The House Democrats priorities include:
• Freedom
• Fairness
• Future
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
Over warm plates of bacon, sausage, eggs and more, farmers and staff of the Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership and Policy Committee (M&P) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) discussed potential new farm policies with state lawmakers on Wednesday morning during the annual Bacon Bar and Brunch legislative breakfast at the Indiana Statehouse.
More than 200 farmers, lawmakers, legislative staff and ag industry stakeholders met to talk about potential legislation such as biofuel tax credits, a sales tax exemption for agricultural equipment, and an inventory of farmland during the breakfast. In addition, ICGA and M&P advocated for pro-livestock policies because Indiana’s livestock industry is a large and reliable customer for the state’s corn and soybean growers.
“One of the great things about our Bacon Bar legislative breakfast is we can easily explain – to people who are not from the farm – the connection that livestock farmers have with rowcrop farmers,” said M&P Chair Keevin Lemenager, a farmer from Monrovia, Ind. “Livestock farmers are important customers for Indiana corn and soybean growers. A lot of the state’s soybean and corn crops go to feed livestock in Indiana.”
Most of the breakfast foods served at the event, such as eggs, yogurt, corn fritters and more, were connected to Indiana agriculture. The egg casserole and the corn fritters were cooked in high oleic soybean oil. Many livestock industry partners participated, as well. Indiana Kitchen offered pork bacon; Maple Leaf Farms brought duck sausage; the turkey sausage was from Perdue; and the American Dairy Association of Indiana included milk. Brunch sponsors included Corteva Agriscience, Farm Credit MidAmerica, Indiana Beef Cattle Association, the Indiana Ethanol Producers Association, Indiana Pork,
the Indiana State Poultry Association, Indiana Dairy Producers, Indiana Farm Bureau and Bose Public Affairs.
“We had a great turnout with a lot of representatives and senators attending,” said ICGA President Scott Smith, a farmer from Windfall, Ind. “We enjoyed good conversations with the state legislators and their staff about the issues concerning farmers right now. ICGA is and should be the voice for Indiana’s corn growers. Events like this give us with a good place to start conversations, build relationships and promote the issues that are important to farmers. We also want to show support for the legislators who support us.”
Each year a new set of proposed laws and regulations in the Indiana General Assembly catch the eyes of M&P and ICGA staff. In the 2023 session, the organizations are following a proposed tax credit. The bill, HB1080, would provide tax credits for the sale of higher ethanol blends, the sale of blended biodiesel and the blending of biodiesel. Both ICGA and M&P support this bill.
Agriculture adds an estimated $31.2 billion to Indiana’s economy, according to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. The state’s corn and soybean crops are Indiana’s top two agricultural commodities. Ethanol and biodiesel are two leading products derived from those crops.
Indiana is the sixth-largest biodieselproducing state with more than 289 million pounds of soybean oil grown in the state going to biodiesel production each year. Vehicle fleets using a blend of 20 percent soy biodiesel with 80 percent petroleum diesel have reduced carbon emissions by 11,000 tons since 2021.
Indiana ranks as the fifth-largest
producer of U.S. ethanol – generating more than 1.4 billion gallons per year. The Hoosier State produces nearly 8 percent of the total U.S. ethanol output. There are 15 biorefineries in the state. Collectively, they consume about 43 percent of Indiana’s total corn crop – more than 450 million bushels. A blend of 15 percent corn ethanol with 85 percent petroleum gasoline, also known as E15, cuts greenhouse gas emissions by 455,000 metric tons each year.
“Biodiesel and ethanol produced from soybean and corn grown on farms across Indiana and processed here in the state are an immediate solution to providing Hoosiers economic relief at the pump while lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” said Steve Howell, Senior Director of Industry Affairs for ICGA and M&P. “An income tax incentive for retailers would boost investment in modern fuel pumps and tanks, which will create both a wider range of fuel options for Hoosiers and increased demand for corn and soybeans grown by Indiana farmers. These clean fuels add power to our state’s rural economy.”
Increasing the blend of ethanol into gasoline from 10 to 15 percent would add $377 million to Indiana’s economy and boost demand for Indiana corn by an additional 51 million bushels. At the pump, Hoosier motorists would save 5-10 cents per gallon with higher blends of ethanol, such as E15, if the Biofuels Tax Credit is adopted this year.
Here is more proposed legislation drawing attention from ICGA and M&P:
• HB1448 Sales Tax Exemption for Agricultural Equipment
– This bill states that any transaction involving the acquisition of farm machinery, tools or equipment is exempt from the application of the state gross retail tax regardless of the intended use of the property. Both M&P and ICGA support this plan.
• HB1557 Inventory of Lost Farmland – This bill directs the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to conduct an inventory of farmland lost in Indiana from 2010 to 2022. Both M&P and ICGA supports this bill.
Most of these bills are still in the committee phase. This year’s General Assembly will not wrap up its legislative work until May. Visit www.iga.in.gov to follow all pieces of legislation during this session.
The Bacon Bar and Brunch is also an attempt to bridge the rural-urban divide – especially with so few state lawmakers familiar with farm issues. Indiana State Sen. Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) enjoyed a plate of bacon, duck sausage and corn fritters will talking with farmers.
“A lot of people think because you represent a non-rural area, like Indianapolis, that we don’t have an interest in what’s going on out there with our farmers. And that’s just far from the truth,” said Taylor, who is the Indiana Senate Minority Leader and represents Senate District 33 in Marion County.
Taylor heard from farmers about Senate Bill 451,which could infringe on property owners land rights by allowing Wabash Valley Resources to use subsurface pore space to store CO2. Taylor said people need to understand that a landowners property goes from above ground to the core of the earth.
“Well, everybody should be protected. It’s not just about farmers. It’s about every property owner,” he added. “What we have to do is a balancing act from a public policy standpoint. We have to be able to make sure that we’re protecting the rights of our citizens, but at the same time, we don’t stymie any economic development opportunities. So, we have to create jobs and opportunities for people.”
Indiana State Rep. Cory Criswell (R-Middletown) represents ag-heavy Henry and Rush counties. He appreciated the opportunity to meet with farmers. Criswell said, “I’ll listen, I’ll make my own decisions, but obviously if you have all the farmers reaching out saying this is a good thing or this is a bad thing, then you probably need to lean on the experts when it comes to that.”
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch both attended and talked with farmers.
ICGA and M&P rely on event sponsorship and membership dollars to advocate on behalf of Hoosier farmers. Anyone interested in joining these policy organizations should contact Khyla Goodman, Industry Affairs Outreach Manager for M&P and ICGA, at 317-614-0377 or email kgoodman@ indianasoybean.com
Corn and soybean yields have expanded by bushels and bushels in the last 30 years. Much of expansion of production is due to university research that started more than 30 years ago. That message, and more, was the focus of a Purdue University professor’s remarks during a Senate Ag Committee meeting in December about 2023 Farm Bill spending.
Dr. Katy Martin Rainey is an associate professor of agronomy at Purdue and the director of the Purdue Soybean Center. Representing Purdue and the American Seed Trade Association, Rainey told the U.S. senators on the committee that research funding is essential to increased production.
“Breeding and distributing the best seeds and other stocks is integral to U.S. farm productivity and food security, requiring substantial investments in (research and development),” she explained. “Agriculture research through publicprivate partnerships, including seed companies, universities and federal research entities, is foundational to crop improvement, and to U.S. farmers’ access to the best varieties and hybrids.”
Rainey specializes in soybean genetics and plant breeding. She believes that is where advancements in agriculture begins.
“Efficient and productive agriculture systems all start with seed,” Rainey said. “Strong investments in research from discovery through development lead to better seed, which means better outcomes for our farmers, our consumers, our land and our environment in the short and long-term.”
She said public-private research has been producing positive results for American farmers for years.
“My colleagues working on soybeans provide a perfect
example of public-private cooperation on federally funded outputs to benefit consumers,” Rainey said. “A USDA geneticist at the Plant Genetics Research Unit in Columbia, Mo. discovered soybean mutants that produce healthier oil, and then collaborated with a University of Missouri soybean breeder to develop new varieties with funding from commodity organizations, the university and the USDA. Today, the ag tech company Benson Hill has a vertically integrated program working with farmers to produce and sell the healthier oil, known as Veri brand soybean oil, which is offsetting global deficits in the availability of sunflower oil due to the war in Ukraine.”
Rainey suggested that American farmers could lose their competitive advantage on the world market if government funding of research does not increase.
“While there are many competing needs in the farm bill, we must prioritize a robust investment in ag research,” she said. “Over the past decade, other countries have rapidly expanded investment in public agriculture research, threatening U.S. competitiveness.”
Rainey added that government entities play a key role in crop advancement.
“USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) leverages long-term investments for high-impact payoffs,” Rainey said. “Its management and utilization of vast collections of genetic resources is the type of research that can’t be done by an individual university or company. A great example of utilization of the National Plant Germplasm System is the Germplasm Enhancement of Maize project at ARS, which focuses on identifying useful genetic diversity in exotic germplasm for commercial use in developing new hybrids in the U.S.”
She added that her work and Purdue have both benefited from federal funding in research, and she provided some examples.
Becoming a member of the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) or Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership & Policy Committee (M&P) means you are joining a group of elite Indiana corn and soybean farmers. This group covers the State of Indiana and promotes agriculture policy that positively impacts farmers themselves.
Members play a vital role in promoting agriculture in Indiana. Farmer members create a voice to be heard. Policymakers are moved by the hundreds of farmers that ICGA and M&P represent. The more members join, the bigger the voice to be heard.
Do you want to make an impact on Indiana agriculture? Become an active member!
Our members are encouraged to attend exclusive events throughout the state during the year that include an extensive invite list of industry leaders, federal and state legislators, and other top-producing farmers.
“Another key initiative, and one I’m passionate about given my role with Purdue University, is land-grant capacity funds, and funding for non-land grant colleges of agriculture,” Rainey said.
“Capacity funds through the Farm Bill allow land-grant universities, like Purdue, to invest in infrastructure and people for cutting-edge research that has a direct impact on farmers in our states and beyond, and these capacity funds allow us to respond quickly to emerging issues.”
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) is a member of the Senate Ag Committee and spoke with Rainey before and during the farm bill hearing.
“Dr. Rainey, we had a nice conversation earlier today, and we focused on a couple of things,” Braun said. “One was the increasing anxiety among farmers going through a year like 2022. Many farmers indicated to me a concern about rising input costs. One farmer called from a combine in a county just south of where I live, and he just made it through all of that uncertainty. He, and others, have expressed that they are worried about 2023. I think it could
This gives you, the farmer, the opportunity to talk to your legislators in person about ag policy that directly impacts your livelihood. This is your chance to take action and make changes on ag policy that affect your farming operation.
Exclusive events are a great way to meet other farmers in the state. Networking is a great way to learn about different farming practices and bounce ideas off peers to try new ideas. It’s a great way to make connections for inputs, needs or words of wisdom on your farm. You never know who you might meet at the next M&P or ICGA event.
Want to join this group of elite Hoosier farmers? Go online to www.indianasoybean.com/memberships
Or, call Khyla Goodman at 317-677-3137 or email kgoodman@indianasoybean.com for any questions or to sign up over the phone.
be a tougher scenario for many farmers to get the 2023 (planted) with all of the inputs they need.”
Braun said he is focused on making sure that Hoosier farmers have the tools they need to continue to produce bountiful crops. He said crop insurance and funding to react to livestock disease outbreaks, in addition to research funding, are his spending priorities in the farm bill.
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) President
Scott Smith was elected to a second term on the policy organization’s Board of Directors while Joe Tuholski and J.R. Roesner were first-time winners during the election earlier this year. Both Tuholski and Roesner joined their first ICGA Board meeting in late 2022.
Smith, a Windfall, Ind., farmer, was first elected to the ICGA Board in 2019. Although new to ICGA, both Tuholski and Roesner have experience on the state’s soybean and corn checkoff Boards. Tuholski, a Mill Creek, Ind. farmer, served for nine years on the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) Board from 2011-2019, and he was the ISA Chair in 2019.
Roesner, a farmer from Ferdinand, Ind., is an active member of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) board, and he currently serves as its treasurer.
Smith was re-elected to District 5, which includes the counties of Delaware, Tipton, Madison, Grant, Hamilton, and parts of Howard. Roesner will represent District 8, replacing Mike Nichols, who completed his nine years of service in November. District 8 includes all of Vermillion, Parke, Vigo, Clay, Owen, Greene, Sullivan, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Gibson, Pike, Dubois, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Perry, Orange, Crawford and part of Fountain counties.
Tuholski was elected in District 2. He will follow Christian Rosen, who is also finishing six years on the board. District 2 includes all of St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall, Starke, Fulton, Pulaski, Miami, Wabash, and parts of Cass, Kosciusko and LaPorte counties.
“We want to congratulate the new board members, but first we’d like to sincerely thank Mike Nichols and Christian Rosen who completed their current terms on the board in November,” said ICGA CEO Courtney Kingery. “Your service to the ICGA Board has been much appreciated.”
The following are brief biographies of these board members:
Along with his wife, Terri, Smith owns Triple S Smith
Farms and Sharp-View Farms in Tipton, Madison, Grant and Howard counties. He has a diversified, third-generation farm that produces corn, soybeans and process tomatoes. A fulltime farmer, Smith began farming in 1974. His goal is to promote economic and environmental policies that help Indiana farmers and to encourage the growth of the state’s ethanol industry.
“As a corn producer, I want to promote the ethanol industry,” he said. “I also want to protect farmers’ rights from government regulations. I am supportive of food safety and legal immigration to provide a sufficient workforce for farmers.”
Tuholski raises corn, seed corn, popcorn, soybeans and alfalfa on his farm in LaPorte and St. Joseph counties near Mill Creek, Ind. Tuholski started farming in 1995. He has two children: Nathan and Lukas.
“We have a basic corn and soybean farm,” Tuholski said. “We are 100 percent no-till and also use cover crops. I hope to proactively support Indiana agriculture by being a voice locally, statewide and nationally.”
An ICMC board member since 2015, Roesner was also elected in July to the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) Corn Board. Roesner is only the third Hoosier farmer to be elected to NCGA – the first since 2018. He and his wife, Charlotte, are raising two sons, Clayton, age 14, and Beau, age 11, on his farm that touches parts of Dubois, Pike, Spencer and Warrick counties.
“I grow corn, soybeans and wheat in cooperation with my brother,” Roesner explained. “We farm in four counties in southwestern Indiana. I have been farming full-time since graduating from Purdue University in 2000.”
The Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) is seeking Indiana corn producers interested in serving on its board of directors. The ICMC manages corn checkoff investments and determines promotional, educational and research activities will strengthen Indiana’s corn industry.
The ICMC board includes 17 voting farmer-directors. Five seats - in Districts 3, 6, 9 and two At-Large - will be filled through the ICMC’s annual elections in August 2023.
• District 3. One seat up for election – The counties of LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, DeKalb, Whitley, Allen, Huntington, Wells, and Adams.
• District 6. One seat up for election – The counties of Blackford, Jay, Delaware, Henry, Randolph, Wayne, Fayette, and Union.
• District 9. One seat up for election – The counties of Franklin, Jennings, Jefferson, Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio, Clark, Switzerland, and Scott.
• At Large. Two seats up for election to represent the entire state of Indiana.
Candidates for the ICMC board of directors are required to be registered voters, at least 18 years of age, corn producers in Indiana, and have an assessment on corn during the previous two years. To be a candidate, you need to fill out and sign a petition form. It is available at County Extension offices, at www.incorn.org/elections, or by calling the Indiana Corn office at 1-800-735-0195.
Petitions must be returned to the ICMC office and postmarked before June 1, 2023.
Represent your district.
This is an exciting time to become more involved with a dynamic organization as the Indiana Corn Marketing Council continues to move forward to responsibly invest state checkoff in programs that will improve the bottom line for Indiana corn producers. The focus going forward will be on Market Development, Value Creation, Sustainability and Producer Engagement. Please call the corn office for additional information, 1-800-735-0195.
Elected to lead the Indiana Corn Marketing Council’s Board of Directors are, from left, Sustainability and Value Creation Committee
Chair Matthew Lucas, Brownstown, Ind.; Treasurer J.R. Roesner, Ferdinand, Ind.; President Paul Hodgen, Roachdale, Ind.; Vice President Tim Gauck, Greensburg, Ind.; Secretary David Ring, Huntingburg, Ind.; and Market Development Committee Chair Susan Brocksmith, Vincennes, Ind. ICMC was established by the Indiana General Assembly to promote the interests of corn growers in the state and to manage corn checkoff funds. The Council is composed of 17 voting directors who guide investments of corn checkoff funds on behalf of more than 20,000 Indiana corn farmers. The ICMC works to assist corn farmers through its strategic initiatives of market development; environmental, social and economic sustainability; value creation and producer engagement.
The Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC), the state’s corn checkoff program, added a new member, welcomed four incumbents and elected new executive officers during its meeting last week. Returning to board service at ICMC are Fowler, Ind., farmer Natasha Cox; Roachdale, Ind., farmer Paul Hodgen; Ferdinand, Ind., farmer J.R. Roesner; and Huntingburg, Ind., farmer David Ring.
Hamilton County farmer Adam Sheller was elected to an at-large position on the ICMC board earlier this year. Sheller will serve in the position vacated by Anderson, Ind., farmer Josh Miller, who was elected in July as Chairman of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). Miller served for six years on the
ICMC board, and he was the board’s president for two years (2020-2021). He chose not to seek re-election to the ICMC board, after serving for six years, due to his USGC duties.
“We want to congratulate our newest board member, Adam Sheller, but first we’d like to sincerely thank Josh Miller,” said ICMC CEO Courtney Kingery. “Thank you, Josh, for your dedication and commitment to the board all these years. I have learned so much from you, and we look forward to your leadership at the national level on U.S. Grains Council.”
Sheller grows corn and soybeans, and also raises goats, on his farm near Noblesville, Ind. 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. While on the board, Sheller said, “I hope to improve the market conditions for growers, no matter if they have large farms or small farms.”
An ICMC board director since 2016, Cox has worked with many farm organizations including Indiana Farm Bureau, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture Advisory Board and the Purdue Dean’s Advisory Council. She represents District 1, which includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Pulaski, Jasper, White, Benton, and Newton counties.
Among the first priorities at last week’s meeting was electing new officers.
Hodgen, who served as the board’s president in 2022, was re-elected to the post for 2023. Greensburg, Ind., farmer Tim Gauck was selected as vice president. Ring was elected as the board’s secretary, and Roesner will serve as treasurer.
Adam Sheller was elected to an at-large position on the ICMC board. Sheller grows corn and soybeans, and also raises goats, on his farm near Noblesville, Ind. A farmer since 2016, he has a degree in agricultural education from Purdue University.
Vincennes, Ind., corn grower Susan Brocksmith will lead the checkoff’s Market Development Committee, and Brownstown, Ind., farmer Matthew Lucas will chair the Sustainability and Value Creation Committee. In those roles, Brocksmith and Lucas will serve on the executive committee for ICMC.
Hodgen, a full-time farmer since 2012, grows corn and soybeans and raises beef cattle on his farm that touches Putnam, Montgomery, Tippecanoe and Hendricks counties. On the board, Hodgen represents District 4, which includes the counties of Warren, Tippecanoe, Montgomery, Putnam, Owen, Clay, Vigo, Parke, Vermillion, and Fountain.
Gauck grows corn, soybeans and wheat in rural Decatur, Rush and Ripley counties. He started farming in 1972. Gauck participated in the Decatur County Corn Growers Association and served as the group’s president from 198891. He was first elected to the ICMC Board in 2017. Gauck is an at-large board director.
Ring, also an at-large board member, grows corn, soybeans and wheat on his farm that stretches into Dubois, Spencer and Warrick counties in southern Indiana. Along with his son, Brent, they also raise turkeys for Farbest Foods. Ring earned a bachelor’s degree in business education from Oakland City University and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Evansville.
On the ICMC board since 2015, Roesner was also elected to the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Board in July. 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.
Brocksmith and her husband, Mike, grow non-GMO corn and soybeans on their no-till farm in Knox County. Off the farm, she works as a professor at Vincennes University. Brocksmith has been an at-large board director since 2019.
Lucas grows corn and soybeans in a partnership with his father, James, on their farm in Jackson County. They are also contract swine producers. Lucas earned a degree in agribusiness from Purdue University in 2020.
The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) manages soybean farmer investments from the soybean checkoff. The ISA Board of Directors represents the nearly 28,000 soybean farmers in Indiana who contribute their dollars to the checkoff.
ISA is seeking soybean farmer leaders to join a 24-member farmer board that is responsible for annually investing Indiana soybean checkoff funds in Market Development, Value Creation, Sustainability and Producer Engagement.
Elections will take place in all four districts. To be a candidate you must:
• Be engaged in the growing of soybeans in the last two years.
• Certify ownership or share ownership and risk of loss of soybeans.
• Fill out director expectation statement and return it to ISA. (Director expectation statement must be returned by March 3, 2023.)
To learn more about serving as an ISA Director, or to receive a director expectation statement, go to www.indianasoybean.com/elections or call the ISA office at 1.800.735.0195
Election ballots will be distributed by mail in May 2023. All ballots must be postmarked by June 30, 2023. The election will take place in June, and results will be announced in July.
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
Four newly elected board members began their service on the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Board of Directors, while a handful of directors were selected as executive officers during two days of meetings in late 2022. Earlier in the year, four incumbents and four newcomers earned election to the state’s soybean checkoff board.
Two new board members filled each of the seats in Districts 2 and 3, and incumbent board members returned to service in both Districts 1 and 4.
“Congratulations to the new board members,” said ISA CEO Courtney Kingery. “We’re looking forward to their expertise and contributions to the board.”
Four 2022 board directors are moving on to other adventures this year. In District 2, which is in northeastern Indiana, incumbents Matthew Chapman of Springport, Ind., and Elaine Gillis of Dunkirk, Ind., completed three, three-year terms each. In District 3, which is in southwestern Indiana, Oaktown, Ind., farmer Craig Williams finished his nine years in office, and Oaktown, Ind., farmer Andrew Miller did not seek re-election.
“We want to congratulate the new board members, but first we’d like to sincerely thank those directors who completed their terms on the board in December,” Kingery added. “Thank you to Craig Williams, Andrew Miller, Matt Chapman and Elaine Gillis for your dedication and commitment to the board all these years. I have learned so much from you -- thank you for the counsel and wisdom you’ve shared with me and Indiana’s farmers.”
The new directors in District 2 are Jenna Scott and Mark Wenning. District 2 includes Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Madison, Noble, Randolph, Steuben, Wayne, Wells and Whitley counties.
Scott, a full-time farmer, produces soybeans, corn, hemp and vegetable transplants in a partnership with her father, Greg Cox, near Muncie, Ind. She is a 2006 Purdue University graduate. Scott and her husband, Doug, are raising two children.
Wenning, also a full-time farmer, grows soybeans and corn on his Henry County farm near Cambridge City, Ind. He studied ag economics and agricultural systems management at Purdue University where he graduated in 2012.
Chapman and Gillis are continuing their service for Indiana farmers. Gillis has been named as a director to the American Soybean Association (ASA) board, and she starts her threeyear term this year. Chapman is starting his first, threeyear term as a board member of the United Soybean Board (USB).
Gillis has been farming with her husband, Craig, since 1999 on their farm that covers Blackford, Delaware and Jay counties. They produce soybeans and corn. Chapman has grown soybeans, corn and wheat on his Henry County farm since 2004. He also raises hogs.
Winning the District 3 race were Jason Misiniec and Larry Rusch. 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.
Misiniec grows soybeans, seed soybeans, white corn and wheat on his farm near Bicknell, Ind., in Knox, Daviess, Greene and Sullivan counties. A full-time farmer, he also owns a small, show pig operation and operates JAM Feeds. He and his wife, Heather, have two children. Rusch, a full-time farmer, grows soybeans and corn on his farm near Vincennes, Ind. He began farming in 1991. He earned degrees from Vincennes University and Western Kentucky University. Rusch and his wife, Jerri, have three children.
Like Chapman and Gillis, Williams isn’t ending service, either. During his years serving District 3, Williams was frequently Indiana’s representative to ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health, or WISHH. This organization works to encourage the use of soy products and proteins in developing countries around the world. In 2022, Williams was elected as Secretary on the WISHH executive committee.
Williams has represented District 3 since 2013. He has grown soybeans, corn and melons on his family farm in rural Knox and Sullivan counties since 1995. Williams earned an associate’s degree from Vincennes University in 1989, and he earned his bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in 1993.
In District 1, Bremen, Ind., farmer Joe Stoller were re-elected. He won a second term on the ISA board. He operates J.R. Stoller Farms in Marshall and Elkhart counties, growing soybeans and commercial corn. 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.
The elected officers of ISA’s Executive Committee include, from left, M&P Chair Keevin Lemenager, Monrovia, Ind.; Secretary Joe Stoller, Bremen, Ind.; Chair Mike Koehne, Greensburg, Ind.; Treasurer C.J. Chalfant, Hartford City, Ind.; and Vice Chair Kevin Cox, Brazil, Ind.
Jennings, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Monroe, Morgan, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Shelby, Switzerland, Union and Washington.
Part of the business during the December ISA board meetings was the process of selecting its leadership. Koehne was elected as the board chair by his peers. He takes over for Jim Douglas, who has served as the board’s leader for the past year. Koehne has served in many roles during his six years on the board, including two years as the chair of ISA’s Membership & Policy Committee (M&P).
In District 4, Seymour, Ind., farmer Kevin Burbrink and Greensburg, Ind., farmer Mike Koehne were re-elected. Burbrink won a second term. A full-time farmer since 1973, he grows soybeans, corn, wheat on his farm and has also grown popcorn, tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers for pickles. Koehne earned a third ISA board election. He grows corn, hay and raises cattle. A first-generation farmer, he started in 1992, and he also owns a farm drainage business.
District 4 counties are Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Jackson, Jefferson,
Kevin Cox, a farmer from Brazil, Ind., was elected as vice chair. The new secretary is Stoller; and entering his second year as treasurer, is Hartford City, Ind., farmer C.J. Chalfant. The board also selected three committee chairs. Monrovia, Ind., farmer Keevin Lemenager will lead the M&P Committee; LaGrange, Ind., farmer Carey McKibben will lead the Market Development Committee; and Denise Scarborough of LaCrosse, Ind., will lead the Sustainability and Value Creation Committee for a second year.
“Between the young farmers just joining our board and the veteran board members who are returning, we have a really good group to lead this organization,” Koehne said. “I’m excited for this next year. I’m excited for the things we’re going to accomplish in the next 12 months.”
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 Tuesday, 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 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 other subgroups. If appointed, the term would begin December 2023.
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 fifth-largest state in soybean production in the United States,” said ISA Chair Mike Koehne, a farmer from Greensburg, Ind. “Serving on the USB not only helps soybean growers from Indiana, but it also helps us direct checkoff funds for farmers from all over the country. Those who serve on the USB board will learn a lot about innovative projects that make our soybeans a more valuable crop for all soybean farmers.”
Indiana soybean farmers who want to be an ISA nominee to the USB board should complete a background form and a candidate questionnaire.
Visit www.indianasoybean.com/election or send an email to Amber Myers, ISA Board Leadership Manager, at amyers@indianasoybean.com for an application. All application forms must be received in the ISA office by Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.
The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) seeks farmer leaders to join its 24-member board responsible for investing Indiana’s soybean checkoff funds each year in programs that develop new markets for Indiana soybeans, create value to the state’s soybean growers, engage producers in events and support farmer’s environmental, social and economic sustainability.
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 2023 election are due by Friday, March 3.
In District 1, Kevin Kelly of Brookston, Ind. is finishing his first term, and Denise Scarborough of LaCrosse, Ind. is completing her second 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.
In District 2, the incumbents are C.J. Chalfant of Hartford City, Ind., finishing his second term, and Steve Phares of Albion, Ind., who is completing his first term.
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, Mark Legan of Coatesville, Ind., and Derika Lynam-Spaetti, are completing their second 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.
Two new candidates are needed in District 4 because Jim Douglas of Flat Rock, Ind., and Anngie Steinbarger of Edinburgh, Ind. will term off. 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.
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 March 3
Go online to www.indianasoybean.com/elections 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.
To my fellow farmers:
Each year brings new opportunities and challenges for Indiana corn growers. This past year was no exception. Our ability to meet these trials and tribulations is based on our willingness to continue to grow, evolve and invest.
Fifteen years ago, the Indiana corn checkoff was just such an investment.
I can say without reservation that the last 15 years have been an investment well spent by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council. We’ve worked to create valuable markets here at home and around the globe, raise awareness of sustainable farming practices and grow markets for our corn.
This farmer-funded value is delivering dividends. All told, for every checkoff dollar collected, Hoosier corn farmers see a return on their investment through market development, value creation, sustainability and producer engagement. Overall, I believe we’ve grown, evolved and invested where it mattered. And we’re looking forward to continued momentum in the years to come.
Respectfully,
Paul Hodgen President
The ICMC Board of Directors is made up of 17 farmer-directors from around the state. The Board also includes Ex-officio non-voting Directors.
Your checkoff is working for you here in Indiana and around the world to bring ROI back to the farm. Check out the results of the programs where your dollars are invested.
Working with partners to accelerate demand for corn in all forms.
Thanks to relationships and investments into ethanol infrastructure, there are now 87 E15 and 265 E85 fuel retail stations in Indiana, and growing
100+ international trade representatives from 12 countries visited Indiana to excel conversations about grain and high octane ethanol
ICMC invests in national grain and livestock export organizations. A 2022 report from the US Meat Export Federation shows that corn revenue back to Indiana generated by pork and beef exports totaled $200 million and contributed $128.70 per Indiana corn acre
1.4 billion gallons of ethanol were produced by Indiana’s 15 biorefineries in 2022.
Finding new markets and new uses for corn and increasing the value of corn grown.
In an effort to increase the amount of corn-derived bio based products in the market, ICMC funded 4 research projects in FY22 ranging from pharmaceuticals to industrial applications that will ultimately lead to higher prices and increased demand for Indiana corn.
ICMC partnered with Indiana FFA and the Indiana Dairy Bar to provide corn-based plastic utensils, straws and cups during the Indiana State Fair, reaching thousands of visitors.
Promoting farm sustainability through environmental, economical and community outreach programs.
4,300 students participated in The Journey of Corn virtual program sponsored by ICMC.
$200,000+ invested annually in university research on pest, disease and drought solutions.
More than 4,500 acres enrolled in ICMC’s cover crop programs in 2022.
20 million impressions of Unleaded 88 and ethanol promotions on the Big Ten Network.
In 2022, ICMC relaunched its Farmers Deliver website, farmersdeliver.com, reaching local decision makers with info on the economic impact of agriculture.
Engaging more deeply with Indiana’s 20,000 corn farmers.
Partnered with Pheasants Forever to increase technical assistance and outreach capacity to connect corn farmers to conservation programs and financial assistance.
Sponsored 5 field days providing agricultural information to over 1,000 Indiana farmers
ICMC invests dollars directly back to the farm. Fees for 4,327 farmer PARP credit training courses were covered.
5 grain rescue tubes donated to rural volunteer fire departments, training
144 firefighters.
As we look back on the past year, I hope my fellow soybean farmers are as proud as I am.
With every harvest, we are not only supporting our families, but also building investments for future generations. The Indiana Soybean Alliance is here to support that same mission. Our checkoff dollars work hard to bring ROI back to the farm through value creation, sustainability, producer engagement and market development programs.
With every partnership we build, and each program we fund, our checkoff is working to build on what our predecessors have accomplished, for the next generation of soybean farmers. What we’re investing in today will return better markets, better growing practices, and hopefully better yields for tomorrow. I encourage you to learn more about what the checkoff does for your farm, and to get involved where you can.
Thank you for allowing me to represent you and all Indiana’s soybean farmers.
Jim Douglas 2022 Chairman Indiana Soybean Alliance2022 INDIANA SOYBEAN ALLIANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The ISA Board of Directors is made up of 24 farmer-directors from around the state. The Board also includes ex-officio non-voting Directors.
USB Director: Tom Griffiths, Kendallville
USB Director: Don Wyss, Fort Wayne
USB Director: Jim Douglas, Flat Rock
USB Director: Kevin Wilson, Walton
ASA Director: Kendell Culp, Rensselaer
ASA Director: Mike Koehne, Greensburg
ASA Director: Phil Ramsey, Shelbyville
Indiana Corn Marketing Council: Paul Hodgen, Roachdale
Indiana Corn Growers Association: Scott Smith, Windfall
Purdue University: John Baugh, West Lafayette
Purdue University: Bernie Engel, West Lafayette
Dept. of Agriculture: Bruce Kettler, Westfield
Farm Bureau: Kevin Underwood, Indianapolis
Indiana Grain Buyers: Harry Wilmoth, Indianapolis
Your soybean checkoff is investing dollars in programs and services to bring ROI back to you and your farm. Read on for the results of these investments.
Working with partners to accelerate demand for soybeans, oil and meal.
ISA welcomed 200 trade representatives from 14 countries and the United Nations: Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, the United Nations, Vietnam.
The value of US soybean exports reached $ 33.3 billion.
ISA invests in national grain and livestock export organizations. A 2022 report from the US Meat Export Federation shows that soybean revenue back to Indiana generated by pork exports totaled $98.6 million Pork exports contributed $1.65 per soybean bushel value.
14 Indiana retailers offering biodiesel blends above B5.
3 new fleets joined the B20 Club of Indiana, contributing to the 11,000 tons of C02 reduced through biodiesel use of members.
Finding new markets and new uses for soybeans and increasing the value of soybeans grown.
Indiana DOT applied PoreShield™ to 10 miles of Indiana highway in our biggest project to date. This application utilized 5,000 gallons of soybean based concrete durability enhancer
Indiana farmers led the country with nearly 500,000 acres of high oleic soybeans planted in 2022.
In an effort to increase the amount of soybean derived bio based products in the market, ISA funded 11 new uses research projects in FY22 ranging from food products to industrial applications that will ultimately lead to higher prices and increased demand for Indiana soybeans.
Promoting farm sustainability through environmental, economical and community outreach programs.
3,500 students participated in It’s All About the Genes virtual program presented by the Glass Barn.
97,000 people visited the Glass Barn during the 2022 State Fair with 14 , 50 0 playing the educational BeanGo game to win a hat.
In 2022, ISA relaunched i ts Farmers D eliver website, farmersdeliver.com, reaching local decision makers with info on the economic impact of agriculture. Over $500,000 invested annually in research on pest, disease and drought solutions.
Engaging more deeply with Indiana’s 20,000 soybean farmers.
Sponsored 5 field days providing agricultural information to over 1,000 Indiana farmers.
ISA invests dollars directly back to the farm. Fees for 4,327 farmer PARP credit training courses were covered.
Partnered with five state soybean organizations to launch its Future State of Soy website, futurestateofsoy.org, and share research results, which identified ways to future-proof the farm.
BY EMMA HOPKINS-O’BRIEN
Few farmers truly achieve celebrity status. However, one southern Indiana farmer’s success at a national level is bringing new opportunities. Kevin Kalb of Dubois, Ind., is gaining fame by winning multiple National Corn Yield Contests hosted by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) yearafter-year.
That success has led Kalb and his friends to open a crop consultation program, and he is featured in a television show. As it turns out, growing a 409 bushel-per-acre corn yield will do that to a person.
“Live to Farm” is the show that features Kalb’s family on the RFD-TV and Discovery channels – thanks to his corn celebrity status.
On a more serious note, Midwest Advanced Crop Consulting (MACC) is the program Kalb has put together with the help of Terry Vissing to share his wisdom and recipes on growing high-yield corn and soybeans. MACC was founded on the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the program to inadvertently lock itself into a mostly internet Zoom-based format, because MACC now has clientele quite
met in-person with a group of farmers in Dubois County to give new and perspective clients a feel for what goes on in the program.
“We have people enrolled in probably 30-35 states,” Vissing said. “And we’ve got a Canadian fellow here today, and we’ve got two South Africans who are involved – and we’ve got a French guy who actually farms in Ukraine now.”
MACC is a three-year, membership-based group that meets by Zoom about three months during the planting season along with an in-person winter meeting. The program also includes at least one, big field day during the cycle in which members observe some of Kalb’s own fields. Being a 14-time winner of the NCGA’s National Corn Yield Contest, it’s easy to see why other farmers would want in on Kalb’s formula for success. He currently operates his family’s five-generation farm under the name Kevin Kalb Farms, where he raises turkeys along with corn and soybeans in Dubois County. Vissing, who works alongside Kalb in public relations for MACC, farms corn and soybeans in Marysville, Ind.
Having accomplished his own goals for producing corn, Kalb decided to spread the wealth, so to speak, in 2019. He created MACC to spare other farmers the mistakes he made to get to the current level of his operation.
“I became pretty good friends with Terry Vissing, and we were just talking about the national contest and how much we learned from it, and all the mistakes that we made,” Kalb said. “We thought maybe we could go out and help other farmers get to where we’re at. So, we share our knowledge a little bit. Instead of taking some of the other guys 10-15 years to learn what we have, we try to teach them in two or three years.”
MACC relies heavily on two techniques: The use of liquid fertilizer and an analysis of leaf tissue samples to track the plant’s nutritional needs.
Kalb has relied on NCGA to do a lot of soil and other testing on his fields. He said he has probably spent $150,000 on products that do not work over the years, and he believes the reason is a lack of attention given to soil health. Kalb and Vissing are tuned in to soil life and biology and believe that is how growers can get to the next level of productivity in corn and soybeans.
“So many of us were always taught by the universities to use dry fertilizers, but Kevin has found that the salts in the dry fertilizers are damaging the hair roots on the corn and keeping the yields down,” Vissing said. “We see guys here all the time restricting themselves and spending lots of money on dry fertilizers, and they don’t realize that it’s not getting up into their plant.”
Using a particular leaf from the plant, Kalb takes tissue samples once per week during the growing season to see if plants are pulling in the nutrients they need, thus making sure they are feeding the plant rather than just the soil.
Another “secret” in Kalb’s high-yield formula is the use of humic acids. These are extracts of the organic compounds that exist in humus — the major organic fraction of soil. Kalb and Vissing describe the effect on the soil as it being able to “breathe” better and lower levels of compaction.
“The fertilizer that you put out there — you just can’t put it out there and it miraculously goes into the corn plant,” Kalb explained. “It takes biology to do that, so we’re actually feeding our soil biology with the humics — the carbon and the sugars to stimulate them.”
Kalb’s formula cuts down on inputs, particularly where fertilizer is concerned. He says his fields are now down to using only half a pound of nitrogen per bushel of corn. He then uses those savings to spend on sugars and humics. His program aims not to spend more money on crop inputs, but to cut down on some inputs and use the savings to spend on more contributions to soil life and biology that will enable the fertilizer to get swiftly where it needs to go. This way of encouraging soil health is environmentally friendly, as it improves and nurtures life in the soil rather than degrading it, Kalb explained.
“I think the advantage learning from us, and our group, is we make a living farming ourselves,” he said.
“I mean I don’t know how you can learn better than
from farmers that are trying to make money and be the most efficient they can. Chasing high yields is great, but you’ve got to make money doing it and address the soil biology.”
David Wolmack, who is in his third year of MACC, has seen marked improvement in his yields and stood in front of the 30 or so newbie MACC clients to prove it by sharing his yield results and tissue samples.
“One thing you’ll learn in this group is that stuff that’s been true for the last 50-70 years is not true anymore,” Wolmack said. “Even 10 years ago, if you talked to people planting corn in April, they would say that’s too late. And now we’re planting corn in June. Two years ago, I planted the first field of corn I’d ever planted on June 2. And it was one of the best yields of corn I’ve ever had.”
Wolmack’s father, who had been 88 years old at the time, said he had never seen corn yields like that in his life. Kalb said what sets MACC apart from other consultation programs is the concept of farmers teaching farmers — every grower in the group is willing to give up information such as what they see on their farm that works or does not work, and together they analyze it.
“For one thing, everybody gets to see not just our high yield recipe that we use, but they get to see our average tissue samples,” Kalb said. “They get to see 100 percent of everything that we do on our farm to help make us successful. We teach them why we use it and help them understand why we do what we do and how much more economic they can be with their fertilizers.”
Growers can learn more about the MACC program by going online to www.midwestadvancedcrop.com
“ The fertilizer that you put out there – you just can’t put it out there and it miraculously goes into the corn plant. It takes biology to do that. ’’
Perennial corn yield champion Kevin Kalb and his family can be found all through the leaders of the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 2022 National Corn Yield Contest. Kalb, a corn grower from Dubois, Ind., once again won the Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated division with a yield of 360.1445 bushels.
Kalb finished nearly 25 bushels more than secondplace finisher Dale Hadden of Jacksonville, Ill.
The No-Till Non-Irrigated division was swept by the Kalb family. Kevin’s daughter, Nikia, won the category with a yield of 355.7383 bushels. Kevin’s wife, Shawn, was second at 350.0314 bushels; and another daughter, Rhylan, was third at 350.0301 bushels.
Another child, Emmersen, was third in the Conventional Non-Irrigated division with a yield of 340.0538 bushels. That category was won by Cory Atley of Cedarville, Ohio at 366.3266 bushels.
U.S. farmers planted and harvested a large crop in 2022 despite an array of weather challenges. The 27 national winners in 9 production categories had verified yields averaging 340.7245 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 172.3 bushels per acre nationwide. The National Corn Yield Contest is now in its 58th year and remains NCGA’s most popular program for members.
“Corn plays an incredibly important role in so many aspects of life in America and abroad,” said Lowell Neitzel, chair of NCGA’s Member and Consumer Engagement Action Team. “This contest offers a unique opportunity for all farmers to take part in the innovation and creativity that
move our industry forward. Contest winners, at the national and state levels, find new ways to excel while using a variety of techniques. Ultimately, the data generated and insights found by farmers and input providers enable U.S. farmers to continue to meet the future demand for critical food, feed, fuel and fiber.”
For more than half a century, NCGA’s National Corn Yield Contest has provided corn growers with the opportunity to compete with their colleagues to grow the most corn per acre, helping feed and fuel the world. This has given participants not only the recognition they deserved but the opportunity to learn from their peers.
Kevin Kalb, Shawn Kalb, Nikia Kalb and Emmersen Kalb all were leaders in the Non-Irrigated categories in the statewide contest, too.
Winning the No-Till Irrigated category was Brandon Cardinal of Oaktown, Ind., at 307.5487 bushels, which was slightly better than Jerry Wishmeier, Brownstown, Ind., who had a yield f 307.2239.
Adam Motz of Bourbon, Ind., won the Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Irrigated division in Indiana with a yield of 318.7866 bushels. That was less than one bushel better than Kevin D. Smith of Rochester, Ind.
In the Conventional Irrigated division for Indiana, Brooks Cardinal, Oaktown, Ind., won with a yield of 309.6519 bushels. Kathy Little of Hebron, Ind., was second at 286.2328 bushels.
Visit www.ncga.com/NCYC for the complete list of 2022 National and State winners.
ICMC has worked to increase livestock and meat exports by working with our national and international partners, including the US Meat Export Federation. The projected market value of red meat exports to Indiana corn over the next 10 years is $1.25 Billion*
See how animal protein markets are driving corn value at incorn.org.
Barbara Hatton of Greensburg, Ind., won the new Farm Babies category in the National Corn Growers Association’s (NCGA) 2022 Fields-of-Corn photo contest. Hatton earned the $300 top prize in the category for a photo of a raccoon peeking through a hole in a tree.
In addition to Farm Babies, there are many categories including Scenery and Landscapes, Farm Family Lifestyle, Corn, Growing Field Corn, Farming Challenges, Equipment and Conservation.
Amanda Johnson of Nebraska won the grand prize in NCGA’s 2022 Fields contest. Johnson’s photo, “All the Fall Colors,” was submitted under the Scenery and Landscapes category.
The most popular entry came from the Farm Family Lifestyle category, by Kari DeMoss of Iowa, with the photo, “The Future of the Farm.”
“There are a lot of very talented photographers who enter the contest, and each year we get a wide variety of photographs,” said NCGA Graphic Communications Manager Beth Musgrove. “After nine years, there should be some exciting changes for the tenth contest in 2023.”
In total, 26 prizes were awarded across the eight categories. Winners are determined through a combination of Facebook likes and consideration of a panel of judges. Images submitted to the contest are valuable assets for NCGA in publications, social media channels and the website.
To see all of the prize-winning photos, go online to www.fields-of-corn.com
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farmers can be found everywhere around the globe. And despite the crops they grow, the climates they live in or the challenges they face, many of these farmers share a passion for what they do.
From Jan. 21-29, several farmers from the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) traveled to Argentina so see how soybeans are grown, processed and exported in the South American country. Argentina is the third-largest exporter of soybeans. In 2022, according to published reports, Argentina exported 4.8 million metric tons (mmt). Argentina’s leading customer, at more than 91 percent of its total exports, is China – also a top customer of U.S. soybean exports.
Despite these impressive numbers, what Hoosier farmers saw was a country that lacked much of the technology and equipment that U.S. farmers may take for granted. Indiana’s
soybean growers talked to farmers in Argentina suffering from severe drought and draining economic conditions.
ISA CEO Courtney Kingery, who traveled with the farmers to Argentina, said she expected to see modern equipment, bins full of grain, large-scale farms and newer infrastructure. Instead, Kingery explained the group witnessed farmers in stress, repaired farm equipment kept in service despite its age and temporary silo bags in place of sturdy grain bins –among other differences.
“But, yet, when you get growers together, South American growers with Indiana growers, there’s also so much that is very similar between them,” Kingery said. “You saw their passion for agriculture; you saw their passion for the land; you saw the passion for their families and wanting to do the best they can do to take care of their land and take care of
their crops.”
She added, “Argentina is different from an economic perspective; it’s different from an operational perspective, but the passion and heart of farmers is the same whether they are Indiana farmers or farmers in Argentina. And even though they are speaking different languages, they are still speaking the same language. That’s what was really interesting to me –that human connection.”
ISA board director Kevin Cox, a farmer from Brazil, Ind., said Argentina’s economic conditions create unique challenges for its farmers. “The poverty level in Argentina was noteworthy,” Cox stated. “The annual wage for skilled labor is only $3,600 per year. Argentina has a large middle class. Education is free for everyone –including college. So, the population is highly educated, but wages are still low. Despite the level of poverty, though, many things throughout the county seemed clean and modern.”
He added that the Argentinian farmers, families and people were welcoming and friendly. Cox said the farmers they met are optimistic for the future and had knowledge to share with their Hoosier counterparts.
“With all our advances in technological communications, language barriers can still be a challenge,” Cox said. “With patience, though, we were able to share general ideas. We also got some ideas of what we can do better when we host international trade teams in Indiana – to make them feel better
and present the information in a way they can understand it.”
An overwhelming concern for farmers in Argentina is severe drought. Crops in late January in Argentina should look like crops in Indiana during late July. ISA board director Mark Legan, a farmer from rural Coatesville, Ind., said some farmers in Argentina were still planting. He said many of the fields they saw had distressed plants that may not recover.
“Some of the people that we talked to, who have been in the industry for long time, are looking at about a 40 percent decrease in production,” Legan said. “They should be setting a lot of pods on the soybean plants; the corn should be tasseling. About the tallest corn we saw was knee high or maybe waist high. So, they’re hurting. There’s no doubt about that.”
More than farms, the Indiana growers also toured a seed technology facility, the Argentina Ministry of Agriculture, the Bolsa de Rosario mercantile exchange, the Argentinean Soybean Association office, and Satus – a sister company of Purdue’s Ag Alumni Seed.
Among other things, Satus conducts research on industrial crops for companies in the Northern Hemisphere. Ag Alumni Seed, a hybrid popcorn seed company based in Romney, Ind., near Purdue University, works with Satus. During the tour, the Indiana farmers met Satus popcorn breeder Dr. Lujan Farace, who led them through the facility, their plantbreeding nursery and a demonstration of popcorn planting.
“I found it interesting that Ag Alumni Seed was there looking for ways to protect popcorn plants from diseases that we don’t have in the U.S.,” said ISA board director Larry Rusch, a farmer from Vincennes, Ind. “Some may believe this is counterproductive to farmers, but we think this information will help the researchers and seed breeders know what will help Indiana farmers.”
Legan added, “The visit to Ag Alumni Seed research in Argentina was interesting. We learned how they, and other seed companies, can carry out seed-breeding programs in the Southern Hemisphere to hasten genetic improvement of varieties and hybrids, especially those not using GMO or CRISPR techniques.”
The Indiana farmers toured Grupo Don Mario Seeds, an ag technology company that also specializes in plant genetics including soybean research, development and commercialization services. More than one-third of all worldwide soybean production includes genetics from Grupo Don Mario Seeds, which is based in Buenos Aires.
At the Bolsa de Rosario, the Indiana farmers walked through the historic mercantile exchange that was founded in 1884. Bolsa de Rosario serves as a forum for trade negotiations of several markets including grain, oilseed, agricultural products and by-products as well as securities and other assets. The region around Rosario contains the world’s largest concentrations of oilseed crushing plants. The ports in this area handle more than 90 percent of the exports of soybeans from Argentina.
Indiana’s farmers also visited one of the largest grain terminals on the Parana River, which is owned and operated by Louis Dreyfus Company. A global company, Louis Dreyfus also has a soybean-crushing plant in Claypool, Ind. Argentina’s port system is the link between production and the global markets for the country’s agricultural supply chain – 90 percent of their crops are moved to the ports by truck.
Talking with the farmers in Argentina was a primary focus of this trip for the ISA farmers and staff. One of the farms they visited belonged to Alejandro Calderon in the Pergamino area. The main crops on the Calderon farm include soybeans, corn, wheat, barley and green peas. Calderon plants his crops on approximately 800 acres. He also raises Red Angus beef cattle, and the farm provides bulls to beef cattle ranches throughout the Pampa region of Argentina. The Calderon farm, like many, suffered from drought, but it is making ends meet through diversification.
“It was very interesting to see how a large-scale grain farm in Argentina operates,” said ISA board director Allen Buchanan, a farmer from Fowler, Ind. “Their efficiencies are similar to ours, but some things they do are very different to the way we do it in the U.S.”
ISA board director and Bremen, Ind., farmer Joe Stoller added, “One thing I noticed was just how little technology some of the equipment that we saw had. I think we saw one or two tractors in the field with auto-steer. At home, that’s pretty common anymore.”
Kendallville, Ind., farmer Tom Griffiths, who also is a director
on the United Soybean Board (USB), said many people don’t value what they have until they meet people who live without those benefits. He said American farmers benefit from a national soybean checkoff program.
“U.S. farmers sometimes question the value of our checkoff. And, in all honesty, the most well-versed state and USB directors might find it challenging to explain those benefits to a skeptical producer in the States,” Griffiths said. “The reason for that is there are so many projects that drive value and demand of soybeans. Many times, farmers have become complacent with the checkoffs’ successes – always waiting for the next big demand driver.
While in Argentina, I saw the expressions on the faces of Indiana’s new board directors as they realized, first-hand, the challenges of a soybean powerhouse like Argentina, which does not have the support of a national checkoff. Indiana’s checkoff directors now understand how important their future decisions are to our continued success. As in life, sometimes it’s easier to see what you have, after you see and experience those without.”
Our founding farmers took action 22 years ago to launch ASA’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health so WISHH could grow new markets for U.S. Soy. Today, WISHH is working with strategic partners that use soy for food or feed in 28 countries across Asia and Latin America to sub-Saharan Africa.
Find out how WISHH’s three pillars of trade, development and food security cultivate new markets for U.S. Soy protein.
Trade. Development. Food Security.
Farmers know, perhaps better than most, that early planning can be a key ingredient to success. That principle also applies to childhood education.
The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) is partnering 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 educators with lesson plans and support materials, signature E-Units for student use, and web-based assessments aligned to academic standards. ISA provided free subscriptions to this curriculum and online tools to students and teachers.
“Cutting Edge Curriculum greatly appreciates the partnership with Indiana Soybean Alliance to offer all Indiana agricultural educators with access to the Middle School Agriscience curriculum,” said Lindi Kocher, executive director of Cutting Edge Curriculum.
Within a 5E lesson, there are multiple student activities supporting inquiry-based instruction. This approach 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.
Whitney Sauerheber is an eighth-grade teacher at North Harrison Community Schools in Ramsey, Ind. Before coming to Indiana, she taught in Illinois for six years and used the MYCAERT system there, and she found it useful. Now she teaches a variety of subjects during the day – including agriculture.
Lindi Kocher, executive director of Cutting Edge Curriculum, speaks to a group of Indiana ag educators about middle school curriculum that is made available for free to schools across Indiana through sponsorship by the Indiana Soybean Alliance.
In 2022 and 2023, Kocher reported that more than 7,000 logins into the curriculum library. Teachers across Indiana are using this material to teach the basics of agriculture to middle school students.
“Most of the students who are studying this material will not become farmers, but teaching all middle school kids about agriculture is important to all of us who farm,” said ISA Vice Chair Kevin Cox, a farmer from Brazil, Ind. “Better understanding builds trust. As these young minds learn more about agriculture, trust will grow between farmers and our neighbors.”
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. Accordingly, each lesson encompasses the following: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
“As a teacher who teaches something different in every class period, I’m grateful to have this system and curriculum to help,” Sauerheber said while attending a state meeting of agricultural educators. “This is my first year teaching eighth graders. It has been a goal of mine to get back to teaching the basics of agriculture. This curriculum is helping me do that.”
The middle school agriscience curriculum allows Indiana educators to have access to 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.
“It is great to work with an industry leader to provide input and review of curriculum materials,” Kocher said. “The Indiana Soybean Alliance is utilizing partners to amplify key messages in assuring proper representation of content is being expressed within lessons related to its industry.”
Other partners that supported the development of the lessons include Indiana Farm Bureau, Farm Credit MidAmerica, Indiana Pork, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Spriestersbach Farm Corporation.
For more information about the program, go online to www.mycaert.com
BY MARY PECK
Food producers and manufacturers around the world want to answer this question confidently. To help members of the soy supply chain do this, the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) hosts events around the world and welcomes customer trade teams to the United States.
“Our goal is to provide a comprehensive view of U.S. Soy so grain handlers, livestock producers and food manufacturers can explain to their customers where their soy products originate,” said Rosalind Leeck, USSEC executive director of market access and strategy and regional director of Northeast Asia. “Event attendees and trade team participants get to sit down face-to-face with key links in their supply chain.”
USSEC hosts trade teams every year, allowing participants to connect with the farmers and suppliers that raise and ship their soybeans. At the same time, USSEC intentionally sends famers to meet with their end users.
Farmer engagement plays a critical role in these events. While some soybean growers have a general idea about where their soybeans go, that concept becomes real when they meet those people and the companies that buy their soybeans to feed pigs, chicken and fish or to produce tofu, soy drinks and more.
“Including farmers serving in soybean industry leadership positions both within and outside USSEC allows more of them to understand and share what customers need from U.S. Soy,” Leeck explains. “Whether meeting on customers’ home turf or on U.S. farms, we nurture relationships that help every link in the soy food value chain learn how they can deliver value to the others.”
Indiana farmers prioritize these opportunities.
For example, they welcomed representatives from nine countries, including key program supporters from Korea, to Indiana for the U.S. Soy International Oil Masters event
last summer. The immersive event included farm visits to help soy oil customers understand production, as well as visits to Purdue University, an input supplier and a crushing to highlight research, processing and more.
During late 2022, various farmers from around the state attended USSEC’s Southeast Asia Cooperators Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Americas CrushCon, held in Cartagena, Colombia. They sat alongside customers to learn about global demand, U.S. yield potential, ongoing supply chain issues, challenges of rising input costs and more, while actively advocating U.S. Soy farmers’ commitment to continue partnering with them.
In the middle of harvest, Indiana farmers welcomed the Taiwan Soybean Oil Masters team to their farms. They took time away from the combine to explain how they sustainably plant, nurture and harvest high-quality soybeans.
Fostering these relationships produces longterm benefits in the form of market share around the world.
“For example, U.S. Soy has collaborated with Japan since 1956, and today we enjoy a 75 percent market share there,” Leeck said. “Based on their culture, we need to continue to share our appreciation for that long and rich partnership.”
She added that U.S. Soy is currently celebrating 40 years of partnership with China, which is now the world leader in pork, egg and aquaculture production, as well as soy food consumption. The country is also the top export customer for U.S. Soy.
“When farmers meet soy customers in person, they learn how those customers use soy to produce their products and how interact with their end customers,” Leeck said. “This influences how they raise soybeans and validates that their efforts to continue improving the quality and sustainability of U.S. Soy really does benefit the full supply chain.”
Whether it’s improving soybean meal to outperform the competition or promoting the sustainability of U.S. soy, the soy checkoff has been working behind the scenes to help farmers satisfy their customers’ needs. We’re looking inside the bean, beyond the bushel and around the world to keep preference for U.S. soy strong. And for U.S. soybean farmers like you, the impact is invaluable.
See more ways the soy checkoff is maximizing profit opportunities for farmers at unitedsoybean.org
Biodiesel is accelerating the demand for Indiana soybeans and has boosted soybean farmers' income by $36 per acre. Indiana Soybean Alliance puts checkoff dollars to work by promoting and expanding the availability of biodiesel in local farm communities.
Learn more about biodiesel programs and availability at Indianasoybean.com .
BY DAVE BLOWER JR.
At this time of year, many Hoosiers prepare and look forward to many traditional events and gatherings. From gift-giving and holiday parties to popcorn and basketball games, Indiana’s calendar is packed with traditions that are eagerly enjoyed each year. Indiana agriculture has its traditions, too.
Among the most important is working together toward a common goal. The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) turns Hoosier farmers’ tradition of cooperation into action. Recently, ISA established a new partnership with the Indiana Pacers professional basketball team to use high oleic soybean oil in food preparation for all events at the Pacers home arena, Gainbridge Fieldhouse. ISA proudly supports Indiana soybean farmers with the slogan “We Grow Soybeans” – on signage around Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
In addition, ISA will have informational signage around the fieldhouse about the benefits of high oleic soybean oil used in the food preparation and the local farmers who grow the soybeans. High oleic soybeans are sustainably grown in Indiana on familyowned soybean farms and transformed into soybean oil at three facilities located around the state.
“Indiana is the No. 1 producer of high oleic soybean oil in the world. Basketball is one of the biggest traditions in Indiana, and the Pacers play the game at the highest level in the state,” said ISA Chair Mike Koehne, a farmer from Greensburg, Ind. “To have the Pacers agree to use high oleic soybean oil in food preparation at games and events in Gainbridge Fieldhouse will benefit the Pacers, their fans and Indiana soybean farmers. This partnership is a slam dunk.”
The Indiana Pacers are proud to celebrate their association with the state’s farmers. The Pacers sell tickets to fans with the slogan, “We Grow Basketball.” In addition, the Pacers are partnering with the upcoming Indiana State Fair. The Fair recently announced that “Basketball” is the theme of the 2023 event. ISA is also a partner of the Indiana State Fair. The Glass Barn is a permanent structure at the fairgrounds and one of ISA’s primary educational facilities to reach consumers about the work and products of Indiana’s soybean farmers. Basketball will be incorporated into the activities at the Glass Barn this year, too.
In part to promote the high oleic soybean oil now used to cook food in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Soybean Alliance has partnered with Pacers Entertainment, Inc. With the slogan, “We Grow Soybeans,” there are signs throughout the Pacers’ home arena touting the health benefits of high oleic soybean oil and Indiana’s soybean growers.
High oleic soybean oil is a new vegetable oil that lasts longer for food preparation at restaurants– making it more economical. The demand for high oleic oil is growing, so Indiana farmers are paid a premium for growing high oleic soybeans by companies who market the oil to food processors. More high oleic soybeans are grown in Indiana than anywhere else on Earth.
“To create a better understanding of Indiana agriculture and how we grow our crops, checkoff dollars are used bridge the gap that exists between farmers and our neighbors – both rural and urban,” said Koehne, who grows high oleic soybeans on his Decatur County farm.
“The Glass Barn, for many years, has effectively taught folks about farming in Indiana. We believe this partnership with the Pacers to use high oleic oil also fits with our goals at the checkoff. It creates a new market for Indiana soybeans; it highlights our sustainable growing practices and showcases Indiana’s leadership in transforming high oleic soybeans.”
Whether buying Valentine’s Day candy, purchasing a new car or shopping for food, most U.S. consumers are feeling the pinch of inflation. Grocery prices have increased 21 percent (from January 2020 to August 2022), and retail fat and oil prices have increased 30 percent — soybean oil being a key ingredient for frying, baking, margarine, cooking oils and salad dressings.
Pair that with soy oil used for biofuel production, which has quadrupled during the past decade, and it’s no wonder soy oil is a hot topic right now. But a new study only adds to evidence that U.S.-grown soybeans are well suited for people looking to cook, fuel up or find other sustainable solutions.
The United Soybean Board (USB) partnered with Purdue University on a Food and Fuel study to evaluate whether the increased use of soybean oil in biofuels has contributed to the rising retail prices of food products for consumers.
One key element missing from this equation is that only one-fifth of the soybean is oil. The vast majority of the soybean is meal used as a high-quality protein in animal diets. This expanded crush for oil to meet biofuel demand creates more availability for meal, driving down the price of animal protein products.
This partially offsets the growth of oil and bakery prices, leaving the overall “food at home” portion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) essentially unchanged. This can be attributed to meat prices representing a larger share of the CPI than fats and oils.
“The economic model we created links the farm supply of soybeans to retail demand for various food products. What we found, after assessing the impact of rising soybean oil demand on prices at the grocery store, was little change to the CPI,” said Jayson Lusk, food and agricultural economist at Purdue University. “While the increased demand for
biofuels pushed up retail prices for oil between 0.16 percent and 4.41 percent across different categories, retail animal product prices for dairy, beef, pork, chicken and eggs declined between -0.01 percent and -0.16 percent.”
A 20 percent increase in the quantity of soybean oil demanded for use in biofuels generates the following price impact breakdown (all else equal):
• Soybean oil increase of 0.16 percent in retail price for frying and baking, 0.82 percent in retail margarine price, 4.41 percent in salad/cooking oil and 0.16 percent in other oilcontaining food.
• Animal protein decrease of 0.16 percent in retail egg prices, 0.13 percent in retail chicken prices, 0.06 percent in retail pork prices, 0.02 percent in retail dairy prices and 0.01 percent in retail beef prices.
• Additionally, farm-level soybean prices increased 0.73 percent, farm revenue for soybean producers increased 0.92 percent and overall crude soybean oil prices increased 8.17 percent.
“Research continues to support our industry philosophy that U.S. Soy has the unique ability to solve two existential challenges: food security and renewable energy. Further, this study shows the increase in biofuels has had limited impact on inflation at the grocery store,” said Mac Marshall, USB vice president of market intelligence. “It’s also important to keep in mind many factors contribute to rising food prices, such as energy and transportation costs, higher wage rates and supply chain disruptions, not to mention drought in the Western U.S. and the Russia-Ukraine war.”
The USDA’s Economic Research Service estimates that for every $1 consumers spend on food, only about 14 cents is a result of the cost of raw farm commodities, implying 86 cents is a result of other post-farm factors such as transportation, processing, packaging and retail costs.
In a 2019 Indianapolis Star report on the status of White River water quality, which flows through Indiana’s state capital, a city planning administrator observed, “When you take a shower in the morning, that’s the White River splashing in your face; when you drink that cup of coffee in the morning, you’re drinking the White River.”
The sprawling Upper White River Watershed spans multiple counties in east-central Indiana, channels rainfall and melting snow to creeks and streams. One of the major notes of the Star report was the types and amounts of pollutants entering the river – including farm fertilizers and herbicides.
One way to cut down on use of agricultural fertilizer in farmland is to improve soil’s ability to retain plant nitrogen – as well as retain more soil in the field rather than losing it to erosion. Crop scientists, for years, have been beating the drum on the benefits of planting cover crops as a method for doing both.
Six years ago, the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) introduced its Upper White Cover Crop (UWCC) program. Corn and soybean
growers, who sign up 40 acres of their land, receive fall aerial application of a cover seed mix free of charge. They can participate for up to five years as long as there are open slots in the program each summer. For the first year, a farmer must not already plant a cover crop.
“We, as Indiana farmers, are among the leaders in the nation in cover crop adoption, and we are just trying to increase adoption of cover crops and get farmers to plant them, year to year,” said Madeline Lilly, Sustainability and Value Creation project manager for ISA and ICMC.
In the 2017 Census of Agriculture, USDA reported Indiana ranked third in the nation for cover crop acres planted into corn and soybeans, at about 8.2 percent of those acres.
And according to a 2022 Conservation Survey conducted by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Indiana Conservation Partnership, the state’s farmers planted roughly 10 percent of all cultivated acres in over-winter, living cover crops – including wheat. This also included 550,000 acres of cover planted in corn and 780,000 acres in soybeans prior to harvest in 2021.
In previous years, ISA and ICMC have assisted with funding from the Walton Family Foundation through the American Soybean Association (ASA). Lilly said the 2023 signup will not be open until this summer, and details are still in progess. The state’s corn and soybean checkoffs use Beck’s Hybrids seed and partner with the Indiana-based, seed company for technical expertise.
Beck’s Small Seed Product Manager Ryan Moore as well as ISA and ICMC Sustainability and Value Creation Director Ben Forsythe, provide field sampling. Every year, new participants in the UWCC receive a nutrient test from their 40-acre cover plot as a baseline. Farmers each year also receive above-ground biomass sampling to measure nitrogen and carbon sequestration levels.
Moore talked about some of the advantages and challenges of cover-cropping during an ISA and ICMC lunchand-learn program in mid-January. In addition to working for Beck’s, Moore and his father farm in Tipton County. He used examples from his fields as well as from other farms in his presentation.
By using cover crops and no-till, Moore said a farmer can increase soil organic matter by about one-quarter of 1 percent over a decade. That doesn’t sound like much, but a 1 percent difference in matter between two fields means the higher-organic soil can hold another 25,000 gallons of water
per acre in its pores – not pooled on the surface, but down where plant roots can pull productively from it.
Moore said a grower can start seeing visible difference in the health of their land within 3-5 years of planting annual cover. “You have soil, versus what I call ‘dirt’ in a conventional tillage system,” he noted.
Farmers in UWCC have the cover seed broadcasted by
plane in late August or early September to take advantage of rain to help establish the crop before the weather starts getting cool. Moore said the timing is also meant to be convenient for farmers, and they don’t have to worry about buying the seed and running a planter. First-year participants are delivered a terminal oat/radish mix, while those in years 2-5 receive a non-terminal mix of oat, barley, crimson and rapeseed planted in corn or a winter rye and rapeseed mix planted in soybeans.
Cover is often paired with a no-till system but can also be used with conservation, or minimal, tillage practices. “It’s such a different concept from what I was raised farming,” Moore said, referring to conventional tillage, which can result in crusted soil, compaction, deep ruts that don’t disappear and standing water that drains slowly. “Why were we ever tilling?”
Joe Rorick, who works as the On-Farm Sustainability Research and Project Coordinator for ISA and ICMC, said the current UWCC project year signed up 60 farmers, including 15 new participants, with a total of 2,400 acres. The initial soil sampling is quite valuable, as it tells the grower what they have to work with, at first. He noted that a quarter of Indiana farmers don’t do any soil sampling and just apply nutrients to their crops without knowing how much, if any, is needed.
The chain of improvement begins with better soil biological activity, then improved organic matter turnover, better nutrient cycling, improved soil structure, and more water availability to the plant. Rorick noted the first visible results usually come at the stage of improved soil structure.
“We’re not talking about replacing tile drainage with cover crops … we’re talking about what we can affect, here,” he said. He wants farmers to be realistic about their gains, including improved water-soil permeability. “When our management of our soils creates a bad relationship with our most important input (water) then we start to have troubles.”
Mat and Julie Berger own 150 acres in Wayne County, where they plant corn and soybeans, as well as some hay and wheat. They also raise Shorthorn cows and fat cattle. The Bergers also work off-farm. Mat Berger is an ag loan officer with Merchants Bank of Indiana.
This summer will be his third year to sign up for UWCC, but he’s hardly unfamiliar with cover crops – his dad, Don, has been using cover on his farm five miles away for about 20 years. Berger thinks he was probably one of the first growers in his area to implement the practice. “Dad’s always been a little more forward-thinking on that stuff,” he said.
Don used to grow hay, a natural cover, for his dairy cows. When he sold the herd, he didn’t feel right working the ground right away, so he transitioned to no-till and cover crops. Now, he does plant cash crops in that ground, still using cover.
In addition to any soil health benefits, Berger is looking for a way to work cover into his livestock program. If he can later establish a good stand of the right kind – such as cereal rye – in the field after harvesting corn and soy, he thinks he can graze cattle in the winter and spring and save on inputs and manure handling. “It can save you some labor, some feed costs, and it’s a little less facility involved.”
He intends to sign up with UWCC all five years and appreciates the chance to learn what works, and doesn’t, without the typical expense of experimentation. “It just kind of gives you a lot of flexibility; you don’t have any money invested in it,” he pointed out.
“It’s really simple to use, really easy to sign up, and I’ve never been billed for anything. There’s no risk, so why not try something new if there’s no cost upfront?”
Another Wayne County grower, outside Greens Fork, Jeannine Winters owns 107 acres with her husband, Kevin. She grows soybeans and corn and, up until this year, had also raised tilapia for pond-stocking. Winters said the price of propane to heat the water has become prohibitive, for now. She is waiting to sign up for her fourth year in UWCC.
“It’s been different,” she said of how her cover stand turns out. “The first year we didn’t get much (growth); the second year, we got too much. This past year we didn’t get much again.”
In 2021, the cover mix grew so much between application and when her combine driver harvested the soybeans in
November (because rain kept them out of the field earlier) he almost backed out because it was difficult to combine.
“That cover crop just absolutely took off,” she said, observing with some humor that it was also a great season for local deer seeking easy grazing.
She signed up for UWCC the first time in 2020 because her land has highly erodible ground, and she wanted to curb further erosion, plus she had a lot of weeds. She bought the property in 1995 but rented out the land to another farmer for years before deciding to work it herself. Her sons, Levi, 18, and Tristan, 11, help as well.
In comparison to the acreage she plants to cover, Winters has another 30 acres – separated by the driveway – where she is using traditional herbicide on weeds. For now, she said that burndown is beating out cover for controlling weeds. She has also noticed the emergence of shattercane, a sorghum-type weed that looks similar to corn, in the field growing the cover mix.
Winters has yet a third section of her farm, about 30 more acres, that is compacted and erodible and keeps developing big unwanted ditches. She grows wheat here and is looking into adding different cover crops to loosen and improve the soil, as well as installing drainage tile.
She likes participating in the UWCC program, especially attending the ISA and ICMC meetings to learn more about cover, no-till and other “good information.” While her father worked on farms while she was growing up, they did not live on one, so she has to learn much about agriculture on her own.
“There’s so much to learn, you’ll never know it all,” she said. “It seems like practicing, all the time.”
To be added to the list for the announcement of the 2023 UWCC signup period, or ask questions about the program, email Madeline Lilly at mlilly@indianasoybean.com
Participants in years 2-5 of the program receive a non-terminal mix of oat, barley, crimson and rapeseed planted in corn or a winter rye and rapeseed mix planted in soybeans. Above is an example of a field with winter rye as a cover crop.
From distributing over 20,000 boxes of soybean crayons to educating students at the Glass Barn, to partnerships with American Lung Association and Greater Indiana Clean Cities, ISA is invested in promoting the positive impact of soybeans to millions of consumers.
We're coloring an impactful soybean story. See how at Indianasoybean.com.
Purdue Agronomy Professor Jianxin Ma has been named the first Indiana Soybean Alliance Endowed Chair in Soybean Improvement. The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) established this chair to advance critical soybean research that would be both productive and progressive. Dr. Ma’s work will include research will include research in such areas as the creation of the genome-editing pipeline and the utilization of phenotyping.
The Purdue University Board of Trustees ratified Ma’s appointment at its February meeting on Feb. 3.
“As a leader in the field of soybean genomics, Dr. Ma is at the cutting edge of expanding the value of Indiana soybeans while producing them with environmentally sustainable practices,” said ISA CEO Courtney Kingery. “ISA established this endowed chair for soybean research because our mission is to bring value to Indiana farmers in a way that sustainably improves their yields and
profitability. Dr. Ma’s work is critical to our goals of higher yields and responsible farming techniques.”
Kingery added that Indiana farmers have benefited from having a world-leading agricultural research institution like Purdue University within the state. Purdue’s reputation brings the top minds and researchers from around the world to work in Indiana. She said ISA created the Chair in Soybean Improvement to advance critical research.
“Dr. Ma is undoubtedly one of the best soybean geneticists in the country and has received international recognition for his innovative research,” said Bernie Engel, Purdue Agriculture’s senior associate dean for research and graduate education. “Among his many accomplishments are dissecting the genetic network underlying soybean agronomic traits and disease resistance and harnessing untapped genetic diversity from wild soybeans and relatives. He is extremely passionate about his work with Indiana soybean farmers.”
Denise Scarborough, a farmer from Lacrosse, Ind., and the chair of the ISA’s Sustainability and Value Creation Committee, addressed the ISA Board of Directors’ commitment to the position.
“We believe that soybeans are a versatile crop that has proved its sustainability over the years. We are very optimistic with the future options of soybean uses,” said Scarborough. “ISA is committed to bringing value back to Hoosier farmers by investing in research that will lead to a more efficient crop with new uses across the state for decades to come. Investing in this chair strengthens the alignment between Purdue University and our organization. We are excited to see how Dr. Ma, and the researchers who follow him, impact Indiana agriculture.”
Ma, who is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has been honored by the Crop Science Society of America, spoke about how humbled he is by the ISA’s and Purdue’s belief and confidence in him and his research team’s work.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this endowed chair appointment, which represents a significant investment from all soybean farmers in Indiana. Over the years, our soybean genetics research has been generously funded by (ISA). This strong support will further enhance our capability to acquire new knowledge and translate it into innovative approaches and tools for soybean improvement that will increase farm profitability in Indiana and across the nation.”
Ma, who has been a Purdue faculty since 2006 and serves on the editorial boards of seven scientific journals. He has authored 103 peer-reviewed publications in the field of plant genetics and genomics. Much of Ma’s research focuses on characterizing the genomics of globally important crops.
He is internationally renowned for his work on the soybean genome and his prominent role in decoding the genomic structure of rice, cacao and other plants. Ma is the primary inventor on three patents and patent applications and has received international accolades for his research, most recently for his work in identifying novel genes for broad spectrum resistance to root and stem rot in soybean plants.
Ma said genomics research not only advances fundamental understanding of genome structure and evolution, but also provides powerful tools for dissecting important traits in plants and for translating acquired new knowledge into solutions for precision crop enhancement.
Ma was also recognized last year by the Soybean Genomics Executive Committee (SoyGEC) with the MidCareer Achievement Award in Soybean Genetics and Genomics during the Soy2022 conference.
Ma said it is hard for him to claim the celebration of his work without acknowledging the colleagues and students who’ve played crucial roles in every step of the way. “Any honor I receive certainly also belongs to my former and current lab members and the collaborators I have had the good fortune to work with over the years,” he said.
“ ISA is committed to bringing value back to Hoosier farmers by investing in research that will lead to a more efficient crop with new uses across the state for decades to come. ’’
Ma said he has built the success of his research program based on translating basic discoveries in the lab to reallife changes in the work taking place in the fields, working directly with farmers to address their needs. Ma said he looks forward to applying his translational genetics and genomics work with CRISPR-based gene-editing and other technologies to precision breeding of new cultivars with increased grain yield, improved nutritional values and enhanced resilience to climate change.
Ma follows genetic traits to breed more resilient plants. A newly identified gene may boost soybeans’ natural resistance to a devastating disease – Phytophthora. He is trying to identify an individual gene responsible for Phytophthora resistance, allowing plant breeders to detect which plants carry the trait.
Phytophthora is a mold responsible for root and stem rot that can ravage soybean fields and costs farmers annually more than $1 billion worldwide. Like fungi and other pathogens, the soil-borne mold has evolved through time, and the resistance of existing soybean lines is waning, said Ma who also is a part of Purdue Next Moves in plant sciences and a member of Purdue’s Center for Plant Biology.
“This pathogen is difficult to manage using fungicides, which also are costly and have potential environmental impact,” he said. “Genetic resistance is the best way to prevent it.”
Ma added, “Only a tiny DNA sample is needed for a test with a molecular marker, so even seeds can be easily checked for this disease resistance. We don’t have to wait for a plant to grow to see if it carries this trait or waste resources breeding plants without it. Precision breeding accelerates the speed at which a new, robust cultivar can be put in the hands of farmers.”
He has identified a promising gene. Referred to as Rps11, this gene confers broad-spectrum resistance to the pathogen. Ma’s team identified and cloned the gene, a critical step to creating molecular markers that precisely detect the presence of the gene. “In addition to Rps11, the collaboration has resulted in identification of three more genes, which also confer excellent resistance to the pathogen, that we hope to also be able to clone,” he said.
The Rps11 gene is found in a complex region of the genome. This region carries a dozen genes that are structurally similar to, but functionally distinct from Rps11, and the number of such genes in the region varies among plant varieties from five to 23, making it difficult to find Rps11.
“If we had only relied on publicly available soybean reference genomes, we would not have captured Rps11,” Ma said. “The region is present in those genomes, but the counterpart of the gene that gives resistance is not there. Thus, we had to decode the entire region in the Rps11 donor line.”
Guided by the entire sequence from the region, the team was able to design a set of DNA markers for highthroughput genotyping of more than 17,000 individual plants in a matter of a few months to eventually pinpoint the gene, he said.
The research team hopes to be able to do the same for the other three genes they identified, he said.
“If plants can be bred with multiple genes that confer disease resistance, they would have layers of protection,” Ma said. “We also plan to explore how structural variation of this genomic region gave rise to the resistance, to understand and possibly improve disease resistance in other ways. We want to provide as many tools as we can for sustainable agriculture.”
AgriNovus Indiana, a non-profit coalition focused on growing the agbioscience economy, announced that Aker Technologies from Effingham, Ill. has won the AgriNovus Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, earning the agtech company $25,000 to accelerate development of its software.
Presented and defined by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) and Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge asked innovators to create a tech solution to improve on-farm data accuracy that could lead to reducing the cost of operating capital and improving net farm income.
“Working with producers and many across the industry, it’s clear that conquering the complexity of on-farm data while providing a potential path to lower cost of operating capital is an unmet challenge in today’s agtech economy,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus Indiana. “Aker’s unique approach to tackling this challenge provides an interesting opportunity that could lead to improved on-farm data, more efficient operations and position users to improve net farm income.”
AgriNovus Indiana is the state’s initiative focused on advancing the agbiosciences sector as a nationally recognized leader through education, research and talent development; strategic collaborations among corporations, industry associations, government and universities; the creation and support of new companies; and branding and targeted promotions to elevate the sector. AgriNovus Indiana is part of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), an effort dedicated to the region’s continued prosperity and growth.
Aker Technologies provides software to improve the workflow of soil analysis, enabling producers access to soil zones and operational analysis that are custom to their farm. Using Aker’s soil mapping zonification technology, and an integration with a DIY soil sampling probe and analysis startup, producers are able to make better
informed, more precise decisions when it comes to inputs that ultimately lower their risk to insurers and lenders and increase their savings by 43 percent.
“Satellite technology advancements can now be used to improve how growers create soil zones for fertility prescriptions, saving time and money,” said Orlando Saez, co-founder and CEO of Aker Technologies. “We are excited that the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge judges recognize this as a genuine and compelling opportunity for growers.”
Moody’s Analytics startup
Accelerate Farm Profits earned the runner-up position in the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge. Founder Doug Johnson created a technology that provides producers a dashboard of what is impacting their bottom line - weather, markets, news. As new data arrives in the platform, new living financial statements are created and provided to their lenders, giving both farmers and lenders a current view of the financial health of farm operations.
The company’s technology is currently in beta testing with banks and producers in 2022 and will launch more broadly in 2023.
“All of the teams that participated in the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge offered innovative solutions to helping producers improve their bottom line,” said Janis Highley, a Huntington County producer, director for ICMC and judge for the Challenge. “As a producer myself, I was excited about the Aker Technologies opportunity because it has immediate implications directly for growers on-farm but could also help reduce risk for lenders and insurers, which in turn also positively impacts the entire environment.”
To learn more about the 2022 Producer-Led Innovation Challenge and the winning team, Aker Technologies, go online to www.agrinovusindiana.com/producer-ledinnovation-challenge
To learn more about AgriNovus Indiana, visit www.agrinovusindiana.com
