Ohio Soybean Association President Marion County soybean farmer
ome see harvest as the end of the growing season, but I see it as a beginning. After all the grain is harvested and the equipment is washed and put away, what do we as farmers do? Start planning for next year’s crop. As you begin to plan for 2022, consider becoming a member of the Ohio Soybean Association. We have recently updated our membership structure to better cater to the ag community, including memberships for retired farmers and for entire farms. Take a look at our new membership structure on page 5, and see which membership is right for you and your operation.
The time in between growing seasons is also the perfect time to get involved in the Corteva Young Leader Program, sponsored by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and Corteva Agriscience. Soybean-growing couples and individuals are encouraged to apply for the program, which focuses on leadership and communication, the latest agricultural information, and the development of a strong peer network. More information can be found on ASA’s website: www.soygrowers.com
Biodiesel continues to be a high priority for our organization, whether we are advocating for policies that support the biodiesel industry or our sister organization, the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC), is working with the National Biodiesel Board to promote the biodiesel and renewable diesel industries. To see the opportunities facing the industry, take a look at the story on page 23.
Wishing you all a safe and successful harvest!
Ryan Rhoades OSA President Marion County
President
Ryan Rhoades, Marion County
Vice President
Patrick Knouff, Shelby County
Treasurer
Rusty Goebel, Williams County
Secretary
Jennifer Wilson-Oechsle, Van Wert County
Chairman
Scott Metzger, Ross County
Trustees
Jerry Bambauer, Auglaize County
Trish Cunningham, Union County
Bret Davis, Delaware County
Justin Esselburn, Holmes County
Caitlyn Heimerl, Industry Affiliate Ex-Officio
Jeff Magyar, Ashtabula County
Jeff McKanna, Hancock County
Derek Reusser, Holmes County
Andy Stickel, Wood County
Bob Suver, Clark County
Kerrick Wilson, Preble County
American Soybean Association
Board Representatives
Jerry Bambauer
Bret Davis
Scott Metzger
Staff Credits
Kirk Merritt - Publisher
Julia Brown - Editor
Madison Layman - Staff Writer
Brent Warren - Art Director
Barry Falkner - Photo Quality/Proofer
Ohio Soybean news is published six times a year by the Ohio Soybean Association, 918 Proprietors Rd., Suite A, Worthington, OH 43085. Phone: 614-476-3100. For address corrections contact Ohio Soybean News at 918 Proprietors Rd., Suite A, Worthington, OH 43085.
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MEMBERSHIP REFRESH
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Questions? Contact Emilie Regula Hancock at eregula.hancock@soyohio.org.
& YOUNG ADULT MEMBERSHIP
Open to any individual ages 18-24.
Get access to news and advocacy including:
•Subscription to Ohio Soybean News
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Membership: $45
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Date of birth is required on all applications to confirm eligibility.
•25% off retail of a Roof Maxx product
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•$200
U.S. Soy Exports Reach Record Level
By Scott Gerlt, ASA Economist
First quarter U.S. soybean exports reached a record level in 2021 in terms of volume, surpassing the previous record set in 2014. That year remains the only one to have exceeded the first quarter 2021 soybean export value. Strong Chinese demand due to a hog herd recovering from African Swine Fever continued after China had already bought most of Brazil’s soybean supply. As weather delayed Brazil’s 2021 harvest, the U.S. remained the main exporter with soybean supplies. However, as the U.S. supplies are now running thin, exports have fallen below the five-year average.
Although outstanding sales are not the best measure of next year’s
exports, the new marketing year sales for the 2021 crop at this point in the year are at their highest level since 2012. The USDA is expecting 2021/22 soybean exports to be down from the current marketing year
due to tighter beginning stocks and strong domestic crush margins that incentivize more of the beans to stay home. Weather throughout the growing season will play a large role in the actual outcome. u
MORE BUSHELS ARE OUT THERE.
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Apply for the 2022
Learn, Connect and Influence
Apply for the 2022 ASA Corteva Agriscience Young Leader Program!
The Young Leader program, sponsored by ASA and Corteva Agriscience, provides training for actively farming couples or individuals who are passionate about the future of agriculture.
This two-phase training program is unique in that your spouse (if applicable), even if not employed full-time on the farm, will actively participate in all elements of the training.
As a Young Leader participant you will:
• Engage in leadership training that will enhance your farming operation as well as your service in other organizations
• Gain tools to better enable you to tell your story
• Meet and learn from agriculture industry leaders
• Connect with soybean farmers from the U.S. and Canada, creating valuable new agricultural relationships
PHASE I
Tuesday, Nov. 30 – Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, at the Corteva Global Business Center in Johnston, Iowa
PHASE II
Tuesday, March 8 – Saturday, March 12, 2022, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in conjunction with Commodity Classic
For more information about the Young Leader Program and to apply for membership in the class of 2022, go to SoyGrowers.com.
Investing Checkoff Dollars
Who’s Who in Airable Research Lab?
Dylan Karis
Role: Lead Chemist since September 2020
Can you tell us a little about your educational and professional careers?
I earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and then a PhD in chemistry from the University of Washington.
Role: Senior Materials Research Scientist since April 2021
Can you tell us a little about your educational and professional careers? I have a B.S. in applied physics from
Why did you want to work for Airable Research Lab and the Ohio Soybean Council?
Airable Research Lab and OSC are application-driven with the goal of research and discovery (R&D) to produce something of commercial value. This combination of application-driven research, ability to start and kill projects quickly and creative freedom are what made me want to work for Airable and OSC.
Why do you enjoy working with soy?
Sustainability is something that has always interested me but my research in academia tended to be focused on materials where the end goal was the material properties. Little attention was paid to chemical sourcing, biodegradability or sustainability.
At Airable, all of our projects are soy-centric, we can be sure that our efforts will produce something with high bio-content and therefore, more sustainable products.
Xavier University. I then continued my education at the University of Cincinnati earning a masters in material science with a polymer focus. I began working at Battelle Memorial Institute’s Advanced Material Department after receiving my masters. There I began supporting OSC in developing new uses for soy co-products.
What do you enjoy about working on behalf of farmers?
I enjoy both helping people and developing solutions. The commitment OSC has given to new product development has allowed me to contribute to patents, awards and developing soy products. It’s nice to know your work is value-added, creating demand and there is a return we are bringing back to the soybean farmers.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
I greatly enjoyed working on a project related to compostable pressure-sensitive adhesives for industrial labels. This was my first project at Airable Research Lab, and it was a great exercise that allowed me to learn about soybeans and immediately work on producing samples for a commercial client.
Where do you see the industry going in the next couple of years? Do you think corporations will look to use more biobased products?
One hundred percent yes, we are already seeing the shift to biobased products in Europe, and the U.S. will surely follow this trend. Airable and OSC have been working on new uses for soy before the need for companies to make this shift. This puts us in a unique position to become the experts in soy-based technologies and I expect our experience will be in demand in the coming years.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
Every project where a solution is developed. Surfactants are generally the most satisfying, and the glassware usually cleans itself.
What is a project that you are currently working on?
I’m working on a few things: automotive products, like leather conditioner and tire treatments, and new RoofMaxx product development.
Why should farmers continue to invest in biobased research?
Investments should always bring value back. Biobased research brings back not just returns, but new products, sustainable research and awards. u
Rob Cain
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Summer Workshop Wrap-Up: What Great Events!
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio soybean farmers, teachers are heading back into the classroom armed and ready! Armed with great curriculum and supplies, that is, and ready to share terrific learning activities and career information with students. Two GrowNextGen summer workshops made this possible.
GrowNextGen
Food science-related careers are hot in Ohio. In the Experience Food Science: Field to Package workshop, with contributions from Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT), teachers gained information about these opportunities, as well as lessons to use with their students.
Elizabeth Murawski, CIFT Business and Workforce Development Manager, spoke about the two recognized food industry credentials CIFT has developed for Ohio’s high school students Food Industry Associate and Food Industry Specialist. Approved by the Ohio Department of Education’s Business & Industry Panel, the CIFT Food Industry Certifications provide credentials to verify high school student expertise in the areas of agriculture, food and natural resources, bioscience, food science and safety, bioresearch and food marketing and research. Murawski also informed the teachers of the ways CIFT can provide support for these programs and other educational opportunities.
GrowNextGen teacher leaders Rachel Sanders and Jennifer Foudray presented the labs during the workshop. Activities included a sensory tasting of chocolate samples provided by Winan’s Chocolates and Coffees, considering the samples’ appearance, sound, aroma, flavor and texture. Amy Snyder, COO of Winan’s, joined the workshop via Zoom
to share about the process followed to bring cacao to a usable product in their production facility.
Ready for food science? Participants prepped their workstations to prepare for making chocolate and learned about a GrowNextGen lesson on cleaning versus sanitizing and bio-based cleaners. Then they made soymilk chocolate bars and came up with a label and brand for their product.
Cold foam is a popular item in food offerings right now, and participants had the opportunity to write their own Standard Operating Procedure, or SOP, for creating one. The key ingredient is soy lecithin, an emulsifier that can convert almost any flavored liquid into a light, airy foam. Then they followed this protocol to produce a cold foam or air product for a cold brew or iced tea beverage.
Other special guests included Halle Redfearn and Rachel Carson from the food science department at Cornell
Ag Biotech Academy in partnership with Pioneer has trained 250+ teachers and contributed over $100K in classroom supplies to Ohio schools.
University. Both shared about what they are working on now and how they are part of an outreach committee working to connect with the public to help them understand more about food science.
This is the third year that GrowNextGen has offered this workshop. While the primary focus is teachers in the A3 pathway, the goal is to help all teachers learn more about how to incorporate food science lessons into their science classrooms.
Ag Biotech Academy
Ag Biotech Academy, sponsored by the Ohio Soybean Council with support from Pioneer, has been a popular summer workshop since it began in 2013. This year the level was ‘stepped up’ to provide more in-depth training
for teachers through the Ag Biotech Graduate Academy.
The two days of intensive learning at Otterbein University began with a greeting from OSC’s Tom Fontana. Alexandra Knight, field agronomist with Pioneer, talked to the teachers about the history of agriculture research and how biotech is helping face the challenge of feeding a growing population. Despite having less arable land, farmers are increasing yield due to new traits in seeds. “Biotechnology is a toolbox to make things easier in developing new varieties through predictive plant breeding,” Knight said.
The workshop participants were able to complete a variety of activities to help them understand more about biotechnology’s connection to agriculture.
Presenter Zack Bateson of the National Agricultural Genotyping Center began with a DNA extraction lesson. While this activity is a familiar one in high school classrooms, the twist of developing their own protocol got the teachers excited about using this with students. Next, Bateson presented a musical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) lesson developed by HudsonAlpha. The PCR technique is used to detect bacteria or viruses in disease diagnosis and to assist scientists in the development of GMOs, among other applications.
At this two-day workshop all participants will experience biotech lab skills, food science labs, biofuels labs and industry speakers addressing current trends in the use of biotechnology in agriculture.
Bateson also presented lessons on phylogeny using bioinformatics and using the NCBI database to identify viruses through DNA sequences.
Co-presenter Jamie Allison teaches biotech at Loveland High School. Allison is a Bio-Rad Explorer Fellow and shared two Bio-Rad activities. The first, Out of the Blue, introduces the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology. Participants learned how to edit DNA, turning it from blue to white. This shows how beneficial genes can be added to crops or used to cure diseases. Got Protein?, the second activity, was a protein analysis using a Bradford assay. The participants tested almond, oat, and soy milk; soy protein powder; and dry milk powder.
Jerron Schmoll, Product Lifecycle Manager at Corteva Agriscience, spoke at the industry dinner about the mechanics of CRISPR and how it is being used at Corteva in agriculture. The workshop wrapped up with a field trip to Waterman Farm to learn about the research done there. Participants received their choice of the Bio-Rad kits as well as
Ag Biotech Academy introduces biology, chemistry and environmental science teachers to the ways biotech is used in agriculture through food science and biotechnology labs.
other classroom supplies worth $200.
GrowNextGen workshops are rated consistently high in participant evaluations, providing hands-on experience with the curriculum as well as supplies to implement the activities in the classroom. Teachers also appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with other educators and to talk with industry experts. All this is made available at no cost to them, thanks to the generosity of OSC and the check-off program.
This valuable professional development is even more critical and appreciated by teachers due to challenges they’ve had to overcome related to the COVID pandemic.
Coming in September, more workshops! The popular ChickQuest workshop will train elementary teachers on STEM lessons related to life cycles and chickens. Also, a new water quality workshop, presented in partnership with Ohio Corn & Wheat, will allow educators to do biotic testing at Lake Erie and learn about how farmers are working to protect the environment through sustainable practices.
Visit grownextgen.org to learn more! u
Maintaining Soybean Quality After Harvest
By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader
It is generally recommended to harvest soybeans between 12% and 15% moisture. When soybeans are at or above 18% moisture, there is concern they can be damaged or crushed. Most newer rotor combines can effectively thresh soybeans up to 20% moisture. Soybeans that have not reached complete physiological maturity are more difficult to cleanly harvest, and a large number of pods end up in the grain tank.
“You have got to harvest them clean,” said Bruce Wymer, vice president of food grade soybeans for Citizens Elevator. The soybean quality cannot be improved once it is harvested and put in storage. If beans are not properly cleaned before entering the bin, the excess pods and weed seed can result in decreased air flow and circulation and lead to increased insect population and mold growth.
“Ideally the soybean plants mature and the beans dry in the field. That provides the best situation for clean harvesting of the crop. If they are killed by frost or a freeze, or if a herbicide is used as a harvest aid, then clean harvesting is more challenging,” Wymer said. “Ideally, a farmer can harvest the beans clean, dry them as necessary, cool the beans and put them in storage. You will never improve the quality of the soybean, only maintain it.”
The stakes are higher, though with specialty beans.
“If you need to mechanically dry the beans, depending on the specific market requirements, maintaining soybean quality while drying takes time and patience. Most grain companies are not as concerned about maintaining
the soybean quality as they are about getting the soybeans dry for storage. Food grade beans and seed beans are a different story,” Wymer said. “The key to drying soybeans while maintaining quality is to use low heat and go slow. At Citizens, we will typically run the soybeans through the dryer before storage. We can take beans from 20% moisture and dry them and still maintain the quality we need. We keep the heat low 90 degrees so we do not crack the hulls, and then run them through the dryer. We will run them through the dryer twice if necessary. We have found that once we get above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the hulls crack open, which is problematic for food grade soybeans.”
Proper drying and storage is a key to maintaining soybean quality and having a marketable crop. According to Ken Hellevang, an Agricultural Engineer at North Dakota State University Extension, there are several things to keep in mind when drying soybeans.
If using natural air-dry flow, rate recommendations are to use an airflow rate of at least 1 cfm/bushel to natural air-dry up to 15% to 16% moisture soybeans.
Start the fan when the outdoor temperature averages about 40 degrees F.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for high-temperature drying soybeans.
Monitor the soybean quality and reduce the drying temperature if excessive cracking or splitting occurs.
Reduce the fire hazard by keeping the soybeans flowing in the dryer. Pods and trash can become lodged and combustible.
Frequently clean the dryer to remove anything that may impede flow. Constantly monitor the dryer when drying soybeans.
It is also important to ensure good ventilation when drying during cold temperatures. Check vents and exhausts
Proper drying and storage is a key to maintaining soybean quality and having a marketable crop.
Ken Hellevang
for ice or frost to avoid damage to the roof. Leave the access door open to relive pressure when operating the fan at temperatures near or below freezing. Over drying can also be an issue. It’s important to not heat beans over 120
degrees Fahrenheit as high temperatures can cause damage to seed coats and lead to increased risk of the soybeans splitting. A study found temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit caused 50% to 90% of seed coats to be cracked, increasing the amount of split beans to 20% to 70%. Soybean seed is softer than corn and more easily damaged by drying temperatures as well as augers or other handling equipment.
Some additional soybean storage recommendations from Iowa State University Extension include:
Level off bins immediately after harvest.
Avoid using worn augers and mechanical spreaders that will damage the seed while filling.
Aerate the bin as soon as it is filled to remove the heat, regardless of the moisture.
Aerate the stored soybeans to maintain grain temperature at 35 degrees to 40 degrees F in winter and 40 degrees to 60 degrees F in summer.
Check bins every couple of weeks throughout the season for signs of crusting, aerate if needed u
USSEC and OSC host Virtual Trade Teams
By Madison Layman
Travel restrictions do not stop the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) from reaching international soybean customers. In late June, OSC and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) hosted a Virtual Trade Teams meeting via Zoom. Soybean customers were invited to learn about the latest developments in Ohio and U.S. soy from Ohio soybean farmer Bill Bayliss, Mac Marshall of the United Soybean Board, and Neil Donovan of Bunge USA.
A total of 75 soybean buyers from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Albania and Turkey tuned in virtually. This group of viewers included feed or general commodity soybean customers as well as poultry integrators and feed mills.
Moderators for the meeting were Katie Reardon, OSC Global Demand and Market Development Manager; Iani Chihaia, USSEC country representative for Greater Europe and Romania; and Brianna Metts, USSEC Industry Relations. Chihaia called the meeting to order, and Bauer introduced the first speaker, Bill Bayliss. Bayliss, who serves on OSC’s Board of Trustees and is a USB director, then led the group through an Ohio Soy presentation. He lives in Logan County.
“Food-grade soybeans were a topic of interest as I realized how important the quality and taste are valued amongst different cultures,” said Bayliss. “We appreciate the environment and the quality of our product and put a lot of pride in growing the food-grade beans even though it’s more effort.”
Following Bayliss’s presentation and Q&A, Bauer introduced Mac Marshall. Marshall’s role as Vice President for Marketing Intelligence at USB includes evaluating and establishing long-term strategic initiatives in support of advancing domestic and international
trade opportunities for the U.S. soybean industry. Marshall’s presentation covered the overview of his work as well as a market outlook.
“It was interesting to hear him talk about trade
issues around the world,” said Bayliss. “Mac was super knowledgeable, and the information he presented was useful. It is very important farmers use the information to make informed decisions.”
Finally, Neil Donovan wrapped up the presentations talking about his role as an exporter. Donovan has worked with Bunge for 14 years transporting and adding value to agricultural commodities. He has moved into various commercial roles in the U.S. and in Brazil trading corn, fertilizer and soybeans. Donovan gave an informational presentation on his efforts in export marketing and finished up with a Q&A.
“I am looking forward to hosting trade visits and traveling abroad again,” said Bayliss. “There is a personal touch when we are able to be in-person for these things.”
The last in-person trade team visit took place in August 2019, and OSC hosted more than 30 company representatives from Korea, China and Japan. Trade team visits are one way OSC communicates value and quality to key players in the soybean market. These visits give international customers an opportunity to learn about the latest developments in the U.S. food-bean supply chain and to confirm the dependable market system and sustainable supply chain of Ohio. u
Ohio Soybean Value Chain Commodity Flows
FIGURES SHOWN FOR 2019/2020. FIGURES FOR 2020/2021 ARE FORECAST ESTIMATES.
SUPPLY OF SOYBEAN TO MAIN PRODUCTS
Animal Agriculture
is Ohio soybean farmers' number one customer. In 2019/20, Ohio produced 918 million pounds of meat from animals that consumed Ohio soybeans and soybean meal.
3.1 million tons of soybean meal was produced in 2019/20. Of that, 1.23 million tons were used to feed livestock such as poultry, hogs and cattle.
Exports Exports
In 2019/20, 22.8 million bushels of Ohio soybeans were exported to foreign locations. The top 3 foreign export locations were China, Egypt and Mexico.
From Ohio's fields, Ohio soybeans are shipped to domestic and international markets for diverse uses.
In 2019/20, 129.4 million bushels of Ohio soybeans were exported to domestic locations where the soybean meal was used for animal feed and soybean oil for biodiesel production and food and industrial usage.
FOREIGN
Carbon Farming: U.S. Soy Can Play Critical Role Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
By Julie Deering
Sowing seeds and reaping a harvest.” This is the traditional view of farming, but there’s so much more that farmers do.
“Sometimes people think agriculture is sort of an old-fashioned business that doesn’t change much,” said Jim Sutter, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s always something new coming in agriculture.”
Carbon farming is one of those things. Programs are underway and being developed to incentivize those who are not there yet, and reward those who are, for best practices to sequester carbon dioxide in the soil. It’s recognizing agriculture’s ability to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
“Regenerative farming has the potential to store around 5 gigatons of carbon per year into the soil,” said Rabobank Executive Board Member Berry Marttin. “These are not production emissions. This is the sequestration of carbon that was already emitted. That’s a service. Others have emitted the CO2, and farmers are doing a service to capture it again.”
This was part of the conversation during a recent Soy Suite, where Sutter spoke with Marttin on wide-ranging issues that probed evolving consumer demands, environmental conditions and the business landscape.
One of the questions that came up: why is it necessary to have a system that incentivizes farmers for their efforts to capture and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
The agricultural community must increase production to feed the growing global population on less land and with fewer resources while remaining a part of the climate solution. U.S. soybean farmers help contribute to climate goals by using climate-smart agriculture to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have to go back to the basics,” said Marttin. “In the Paris Climate Agreement everybody suddenly woke up to food
Practices like no-till and cover crops help to keep carbon in the soil, which could, in turn, help farmers by enhancing overall soil fertility and productivity.
production. Actually, food production emits about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. If we want to feed everybody sustainably, we need to tackle this, and we can.”
Marttin said six of the 12 gigatons of emissions (from food production) are contributed by the conversion of land to new uses. An additional six gigatons are from actual food production. Another two gigatons comprise food waste.
Sustainable agricultural practices include nutrient management, no-till or conservation tillage, the use of precision or digital agriculture, integrated pest management, buffer practices, and plant breeding innovation and biotechnology.
For farmers who adopt best practices to trap carbon, Marttin said they should be paid for the service.
“From the options we have, the sequestration of carbon to the land by no-tilling, crop rotation or other techniques, agriculture is the cheapest,” said Marttin. “The next alternative is $300 to $400 per ton. Farmers can capture carbon for $10-$50 per ton, and farmers should be paid for it.”
Marttin added that farmers can capture one to two tons of carbon per acre annually, and cumulatively store 10-20 tons of carbon.
This not only benefits the environment, but it also creates new cash flow opportunities for farmers.
Rabobank recently pioneered a Carbon Bank to restore soils, generate additional revenue for farmers and enable corporations to invest in nature-based solutions to decarbonize supply chains. Rabo Carbon Bank pilots propositions that reduce emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere while providing an additional revenue stream or other financial incentives for farmers.
The initiative connects farmers with organizations seeking to meet net-zero commitments and offset unavoidable emissions. Marttin said Rabobank is committed to making a difference as a cooperative, customer-driven financier. It aims to be a socially responsible bank, championing customer issues that have a major impact on society.
“By changing some of our practices and thinking different about farming, it’s very easy to get to net zero,” he added. “We as an industry can actually be positive in relation to the challenges we have as humanity on our planet. It’s about changing habits.”
U.S. Soy supports independent, third-party efforts to develop carbon sequestration incentives, as well as continuous improvement in sustainable farming practices.
U.S. Soy is verified sustainable through the U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP), a certified aggregate approach audited by third parties that verifies sustainable soybean production at a national scale. And by the year 2025, U.S. soybean farmers aim to:
Reduce land impact by 10%.
Reduce soil erosion by an additional 25%.
Increase energy efficiency by 10% of BTUs used per ton.
Reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 10%.
To learn more, go to www.ussoy.org/ channel/sustainability. Watch Marttin and Sutter’s full Soy Suite conversation on the U.S. Soy YouTube page. u
Biodiesel Industry Update and Future Predictions
In the 90s, biodiesel became the low-carbon diesel replacement made from renewable feedstocks that helped soybean farmers benefit from the entire bean. That’s why the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) and soybean checkoff work closely with the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) to support efforts that increase biodiesel demand. NBB continues to support soybean farmers by looking at past trends to predict and work towards a greater future for biodiesel.
According to a study done by StoneX, an institutional-grade financial services network, biodiesel adds 13% to the cash value of soybeans. USB reported that 47% of the value of the bushel is soybean oil. Today it takes about 7.5 pounds of soybean oil to produce one gallon of biodiesel.
The last three decades have shown significant strides for the biodiesel industry. In 2020, the biodiesel industry marketed 3 billion gallons of biodiesel for the first time. The industry used 9 billion gallons, or 35%, of all U.S. soybean oil in 2020, making biodiesel the second largest user of soybean oil. Food use was number one at 12 billion gallons. In 2021, NBB expects to sell at least 3.2 billion gallons of biodiesel. According to USDA, that will use 9.5 billion pounds of soybean oil, which is oil from an extra 45 million bushels of soybeans.
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) under the Energy Policy Act (EPA) has been a large market driver for the biodiesel industry. The RFS program is a national policy that requires a certain volume of renewable fuel to replace or reduce the quantity of petroleum-based transportation fuel, heating oil or jet fuel. There were 2.43 billion gallons of renewable fuel used in 2020, and NBB is asking that the EPA push for 2.71
“OSC’s work with NBB increases soybean farmers’ profitability by promoting and driving demand for biodiesel.”
Mike Heffelfinger
billion in 2021, driving demand for soybean oil higher.
“Biodiesel is an environmentallyfriendly fuel alternative made from agricultural oils, recycled cooking oils and animal fats,” said Mike Heffelfinger, NBB board member and Ohio soybean farmer from Van Wert County. “OSC’s work with NBB increases soybean farmers’ profitability by promoting and driving demand for biodiesel.”
Carbon regulations and sustainability goals have also been market drivers for biodiesel. More than 25 states have committed to decarbonizing or partly
decarbonizing their state economies. California is leading the pack as they had a 1-billion-gallon biodiesel market in 2020 due to their Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a plan which reduces petroleum dependency. In collaboration with the RFS, the state carbon regulations created a 1.7-billion-gallon biodiesel market in 2020. As other states follow, there is a predicted 3.3-billion-gallon demand by 2030.
Other market drivers include Bioheat and renewable diesel. The heating oil industry committed to transitioning to all Bioheat by 2050 due to local and state carbon regulations. Renewable diesel benefits soybean farmers because soybean oil is considered the industry’s number one choice for feedstock.
Biodiesel is better for the environment, better for the economy and better for Ohio farmers’ bottom line. NBB works to create sustainable biodiesel and renewable diesel industry growth through education, communication, governmental affairs and technical and quality assurance programs. u
“THE CHECKOFF IS ABLE TO INVEST IN GROUPS THAT PROMOTE BIODIESEL. BY INVESTING IN THESE GROUPS, IT DRIVES THE DEMAND FOR SOYBEANS IN OHIO. THE CHECKOFF INVESTMENT HAS A DIRECT IMPACT.”
BY INVESTING IN THE SOYBEAN CHECKOFF AND WORKING WITH THE OHIO SOYBEAN COUNCIL, SOYBEAN FARMERS CONTINUE TO GROW THE DEMAND FOR BIODIESEL WHILE RAISING SOYBEANS PROFITABLY. BIODIESEL DEMAND INCREASES SOYBEAN DEMAND. BIODIESEL DEMAND ALONE HAS PROVIDED FARMERS AN INCREASE IN PROFITS OF 63 CENTS PER BUSHEL.
L E ARN MORE AT S OYO H I O.ORG / H E R E WE G R OW.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY OHIO SOYBEAN FARMERS AND THEIR CHECKOFF
