South Dakota Scoop on Soybean Blog

South Dakota Women Who Grow Food Start Conversations with the Women Who Buy It

sdsoybean — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:44:07 +0000

CommonGround™ South Dakota Hosts ‘Conversations about Farming and Food’ Dinner

FOOD.

We buy it. We eat it. We talk about it.

But not everyone gets a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how food is grown and goes from the farm to the plate. With more Americans growing up in urban and suburban areas, and now, more than ever, people are concerned about their food choices; South Dakota farm women decided it was a time to start a conversation.

Thanks to a program called CommonGround, these South Dakota farm women are sharing their personal stories and experiences about farming and the food it provides.

“I have lived, eaten and breathed agriculture my whole life, and because of that, food is an issue I am very passionate about. As a consumer myself, I understand the importance of feeding my family safe, healthy food,” said Amanda Folkens. Folkens is a CommonGround volunteer, and farms with her family just across the South Dakota border near Rock Rapids, Iowa. “CommonGround is all about trying to rebuild the confidence in our food system. To do that, we are working to show the commonalities between real farm families and consumers who benefit from all that farmers grow — to show there is, in fact, CommonGround.”

Women community leaders from the Sioux Falls area joined the CommonGround volunteers for dinner to have conversations about food and farming. Topics discussed during the event included everything from how farmers care for their animals to the qualities of corn-fed and grass-fed beef.

Amanda Folkens visits with guests at her table about farming and food.

All CommonGround participants are volunteers who are passionate about agriculture and want to set the record straight on the facts about farming and food. They represent a diverse mix of farmers, serving as valuable informational resources on everything from dairy cattle, to pork production, to growing crops.

“The best thing about the CommonGround program is that it involves real farm women connecting with other women to talk about any questions and concerns they may have about food,” said Morgan Kontz, CommonGround volunteer from Colman, S.D. “We are not advocating that people buy a certain kind of product. Our purpose is to introduce people to farmers and make sure they have good, straightforward answers to their food questions so they can make informed decisions about their food choices and feel good about those choices.”

The CommonGround program is a national program that is coordinated state-by-state. South Dakota was one of the first five states to implement the program in 2010. Since then, the program has grown to include 13 other states across the country.

South Dakota CommonGround volunteers, Dawn Scheier, Morgan Kontz, Sarah VanDerVliet, Amanda Folkens & Ginger Post. (Not pictured: Peggy Greenway)

We hope you’ll join the conversation:

• Website: www.FindOurCommonGround.com

• YouTube: FindOurCommonGround

• Twitter: @CommonGroundNow

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/CommonGroundNow

SDSA President Testifies Before Senate Finance Subcomittee

sdsoybean — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:05:27 +0000

SDSA President, Paul Casper of Lake Preston, S.D.

SDSA President, Paul Casper Testifies on Importance of Asia-Pacific Region to U.S. Soybean Industry

Paul Casper, a soybean farmer from Lake Preston, S.D., and president of the South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA), went before a Senate Finance Subcommittee on Wednesday to highlight the importance of the Asia-Pacific Region to U.S. Soybean Industry.

Testifying before the International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee, Casper stressed the importance of a strong and expanding relationship with trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region, and advocated for the aggressive pursuit of market-opening initiatives within the area.

Representing SDSA, and the American Soybean Association (ASA), Casper cited the staggering growth and potential of the Asia-Pacific region, which represents close to 60 percent of world GDP, nearly 50 percent of world trade, and is home to more than 2.7 billion people, as a major factor in expanded export opportunities for U.S. soybean producers.

“The rapidly growing markets in the Asia Pacific region, led by China, are key drivers of U.S. soybean demand. In fact, six of the top ten foreign markets for U.S. soybeans are in the Asia Pacific region. We strongly encourage the U.S. Government to aggressively pursue market-opening initiatives throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and we strongly support the inclusion of Japan in the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations,” stated Casper in his testimony.

Casper hailed the recently-implemented free trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea as evidence of how expanding trade with Asia-Pacific partners benefits American producers. “Nearly two-thirds of U.S. agricultural exports to Korea are now duty-free, including U.S. soybeans for crushing and U.S. soybean meal,” he stated. “Implementation of the agreement will also trigger the gradual elimination of tariffs on refined soybean oil over five years, and the elimination of tariffs on crude soybean oil over 10 years.”

The potential inclusion of Japan in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement was also a critical topic in Wednesday’s testimony, as Casper reiterated the industry’s support for Japan’s entry into TPP, and encouraged the subcommittee to recognize the potential impact of the inclusion. “Soybean farmers strongly support Japan joining the negotiations,” Casper stated, pointing to increased export opportunities for U.S. dairy, pork, beef and poultry products, which require soybean meal as feed.

Casper also called on the subcommittee to echo the industry’s support for a pilot program to speed the process of approving new biotechnology traits in China. “China is the only major importing country that requires registration or deregulation of a biotech trait to be completed in an exporting country prior to even applying for import approval,” he stated. “This requirement delays commercialization of new traits in the U.S. for as much as two years after U.S. regulatory approvals are obtained.”

Finally, Casper praised the progress made possible in the Asia-Pacific region by the Foreign Market Development (FMD Cooperator) Program and the Market Access Program (MAP), authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. “By any measure, the FMD Cooperator and MAP Programs have been tremendously successful and extremely cost-effective in helping expand U.S. exports of soybeans and other agricultural commodities,” he stated. Casper also noted soybean farmers themselves are making substantial investments in international market development through the soybean checkoff; investments that are implemented by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). These farmer checkoff investments more than match any investments made under the FMD and MAP programs.

Celebrate Soyfoods Month With These Tasty Recipes

sdsoybean — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:57:42 +0000

Looking for a great way to incorporate soyfoods into your diet? Try out this yummy Soy-Fruity Salad recipe.

April is National Soyfoods Month, and finding delicious soyfoods has never been easier.

Throughout the month of April, soyfoods will be promoted in supermarkets nationwide with cooking demonstrations, coupon discounts, recipe sharing, and online giveaways – making this month a great time for you to try soyfoods for the first time or stock up on their favorite soy products. Hy-Vee Supermarkets in Sioux Falls are even holding classes called “Soy-The Other Green Bean.” Contact your local Hy-Vee Store for more information on how to attend the class.

Eating healthy is a priority for many of you, and soyfoods can play an integral role in any well-balanced diet. Soyfoods nourish the body with high quality protein that is low in saturated fat, full of nutrients, and has low to no cholesterol.

Take five

Soy-inspired dishes are easy to prepare and simple to incorporate into your daily meals. Here are five recipes to try today:

No need to grab breakfast on the road, start the day off with these Soy Berry Pancakes, only 230 calories per serving!
This Tofu Hummus Wrap is light enough for lunch, but filling enough to help push you through the day!
For an afternoon pick-me-up, try this protein-packed combination of toasted almonds, cherries and a whole soy nutrition bar!
For dinner, skip the take-out lines (and calories) and whip up your own Veggie Pad Thai!
Before bed, satisfy your sweet tooth with this delicious Chocolate Mousse!

We also have an amazing collection of recipes on our site that are definitely worth checking out.

Let us know if you try any new soyfoods recipes. We’d love to hear how they turn out!

For more information on soyfoods, you can visit www.soyfoods.org.

SD Farmers Visit Grays Harbor

sdsoybean — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:11:34 +0000

Darin Rogness (Toronto, SD) & Joel Foxley (Platte, SD) toured the AGP facility at the Port of Grays Harbor.

It was cold and rainy in Washington this week, but that didn’t stop the See For Yourself group from venturing out to the Port of Grays Harbor (PGH).

The Port of Grays Harbor leads the U.S. in exports of American grown soybean meal and is the number one seafood landing point in Washington state. While forest products remain an important piece of Grays Harbor cargo mix, the Port has substantially diversified the products shipped through this Pacific Northwest gateway to include automobiles, biodiesel and other liquid and dry bulk products. Just recently, the Port installed a second rail loop which consists of 37,000 feet of new railway and 20 turnouts to accommodate the vastly growing AGP facility. The $15.5 million investment is the single largest investment PGH has ever made. The Port has enough room to hold 500 railcars on site.

After a bus tour through the loading yards, the group was joined by several staff from Imperium Renewables to talk biodiesel. The Imperium Grays Harbor facility, completed in 2007, is currently the second largest biodiesel facility in the U.S., in terms of production. Imperium Renewables produces pure, unblended B100 biodiesel refined from a variety of oils; canola, soy and many others. The facility has a storage capacity of 18 million gallons for raw and finished product, with a production capacity of 100 million gallons per year. The facility is unique in that it is a tri-modal facility meaning they can export product in three different ways; rail, truck and waterways.

After a brief overview of the facility and company, the group was outfitted with hard hats, safety vests and goggles to head out on a tour of the holding facilities, production process and 70,000 linear feet of piping throughout the facility. Participants were amazed at the size of the facility and the capacity of biodiesel that is made and shipped out daily. The facility sits on 12.86 acres and consists of over 1 million pounds of structural steel that supports and secures the vast network of buildings and containers.

Currently a majority of their biodiesel production is being shipped to Canada, but domestic markets are growing in demand and are becoming more popular.the biodiesel industry has seen it’s ups and downs, but the facility is seeing demand slowly and consistently increasing.

Participants then moved onto another tour of the AGP facility which houses 4 shipping silos and multiple storage silos. The facilities handling capacity is 60,000 bushels per hour. We headed out into the rain where participants were able to get a view from above, of a ship being loaded with soybean meal. Those panamac ships look large from the land, but when you are standing right next to it, the sheer size of the ship is phenomenal. We then headed for a tour under the silos to see how the structuring is put together and how the process of loading meal works.

Through the visit to Port of Grays Harbor we were able to see and understand three different forms of exporting goods; rail, water and truck. Agricultural exports are vital for the port and keep things constantly running. The amount of coordination and time it takes to get a vessel filled and ready to export is unbelievable and facilities are working 24/7 just to keep up with the demand.

Pat Scheier (Salem, SD) & Joel Foxley (Platte, SD) watch as a train of soybean meal comes into the AGP facility.

Participants from the SD and Nebraska groups learned how AGP transports soybean meal from their trains to the ship. You can see the augers in the background of this photo loading the ship.

South Dakota Farmers Witness Checkoff in Action

sdsoybean — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:32:21 +0000

South Dakota farmers Mark Mueller, Phil Smit, Joel Foxley, Pat Scheier & Darin Rogness tour the Port of Tacoma in Washington. The famers were selected to participate in the International Marketing "See For Yourself" program.

Six South Dakota farmers teamed up with 17 Nebraska farmers this week to attend a See For Yourself International Marketing mission out to Grays Harbor, Washington. After a long day of traveling the group got down to business and started learning exports.

The mission kicked off with an afternoon in Tacoma, visiting the Port of Tacoma and the TEMCO facility. The port is the fastest loading and discharge yard in the country, which the group witnessed first-hand as containers were transported across the yard. The port contains 100 miles of rail and shipped out 1.5 million barrels last year. The group learned quickly how important their products are, not only for other countries, but for maintaining business in the U.S. As noted by our port tour guide, “Washington is one of the sole states that does not have a deficit. There are three main reasons for that and one of them is the ag business.”

From the rail yard, the group headed over to MacMillan Piper, the largest Container Freight Station in the Pacific Northwest. Gary Geiser, vice president of marketing, took us over to the transloading facility where we witnessed soybean flakes being transported from hopper car to container. Most of this will go to Japan for baby formula.

From there, we headed to TEMCO (Tacoma Export Marketing Company), which is a joint venture between Cargill and CHS. The only products that ship through their facility are corn (25%) and soybeans (75%). They fill ten ships a month, at about 220-230 million bushels per year. The facility is capable of loading 2,000 metric tons per hour and unloading 1,800 metric tons per hour, which makes it a quick in and out operation.

While ships are loaded with corn or beans, samples are taken every 15 seconds in order to ensure a high-quality product. The facility just recently installed “the roof” which allows for loading during rain and supports more productivity in a city where rain is common. The Port of Tacoma is growing in popularity as filling here saves ships between two and three days of fuel compared to leaving out of New Orleans.

Terry Johnson, TEMCO plant manager, took the group into the control room to see where all the loading and ship coordination takes place. While we were at the facility, a ship that was half full of corn was preparing to be filled.

Throughout the day the group saw rail cars, transloading, shipment containers, vessels and various operation systems which enable their soybean products to be exported to other countries, mostly China.

soy100: Growing 100-Bushel Soybeans

sdsoybean — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:00:02 +0000

Grow 100-Bushel Soybeans in South Dakota.

Did that get your attention?

It also happened to capture the attention of more than 250 farmers from across the state who attended our soy100 seminar at SDSU on Thursday. The seminar was designed to help farmers think about what it would take to significantly increase soybean yields.

South Dakota Soybean kicked-off the seminar with our Soybean Success presentation. We covered best management practices and agronomic results from the past two years of the South Dakota Soybean Yield Contest.

Dr. Harold Reetz discussed drainage in a drought prone environment. Reetz is well-known drainage expert, having served as executive director of the Agricultural and Drainage Management Coalition for almost 30 years.

Dr. T. Scott Murrall, North Central director, presented on what it takes to grow 100-bushel soybeans from a soils perspective. Murrall helped farmers understand what they can do to help increase their yields.

Gregg Carlson from SDSU also provided information on how to perform on-farm research.

We’ve had a lot of requests for copies of the presentations from soy100. You can find them here. If you would like any additional information, please feel free to give our office a call. 605.330.9942

Here’s a few photos from the event:

Over 250 farmers attended the soy100 seminar at SDSU. The seminar covered information on increasing yields and best management practices.

SD Soybean Executive Director, Jeremy Freking, addresses a full house at the soy100 seminar. Jeremy shared information on the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff with farmer-attendees.

Bob Narem, crop consultant, lead an excellent breakout discussion on soil & water management at the soy100 event.

Biodiesel: Delivering Now

sdsoybean — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:57:26 +0000

We’re at the National Biodiesel Conference this week, and we’re hearing a lot of buzz and excitement about the industry. In 2011, biodiesel production reached a record-breaking one-billion gallons. That’s thanks in part to its predominant fuel source: soy biodiesel.

The industry expects biodiesel production to grow even larger in 2012. And the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard requires it to meet 1 billion gallons again next year. As production continues to increase, diesel users will be able to find biodiesel more readily than ever before.

All across the U.S., states, cities and individuals are seeing biodiesel work for them. New York City is an excellent example of how biodiesel is delivering now. In December, South Dakota farmers had the opportunity to tour various facilities in NYC to learn more about biodiesel and the bioheat market. Take a look at what South Dakota farmer and United Soybean Board Director, Lewis Bainbridge, had to say about the experience.

You can keep up with what’s happening at the 2012 National Biodiesel Conference through the NBB Conference Blog. http://blog.biodieselconference.org/

Learn How International Marketing Affects SD Farming

sdsoybean — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:23:52 +0000

Apply to Participate in the SD International Marketing Program to Seattle, WA

Gray's Harbor Port in Seattle, Washington

This year, the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (SDSR&PC) is organizing a See For Yourself mission to Grays Harbor in Seattle, WA in March. This trip is an all expenses paid experience that will give soybean farmers the opportunity to see first-hand how your checkoff program is working.

On behalf of the South Dakota soybean checkoff, we invite you to apply for this year’s See For Yourself mission, March 12-15, 2012. Four South Dakota soybean farmers will be selected to participate in the program.

The See For Yourself trip will highlight the importance of exports and international marketing to the soybean industry. Since soybeans became a net U.S. export in the 1940’s, the soybean checkoff has invested in overseas markets to increase demand for U.S. soybeans and value-added products, such as pork and beef. Because export markets are critical to the success of the soybean industry, it’s key for farmers to become familiar with how and where your soybeans are shipped.

Farmers who are selected for the mission will have the chance to tour various facilities and meet with industry leaders. Grays Harbor is the leader in U.S. exports of soybean meal. This port is particularly important to South Dakota soybean farmers because the majority of your soybeans are transported through their facilities.

Other places the group will visit on the See For Yourself tour include:

AGP facility—AGP is the largest, farmer-owned cooperative, and is also the largest soybean processor in the world.
Imperium Renewables Biodiesel Plant—Imperium Renewables is the nation’s largest BQ-9000 certified biodiesel refiner, which is capable of producing up to 100 million gallons per year.
CHS, Inc facility—CHS, Inc. is a leading cooperative, owned by farmers, ranchers and co-ops across the United States.

If you are interested in participating in the See For Yourself program, please submit your application prior to February 1. View the Application Form.

If you have any questions contact the SDSRPC office at 605.330.9942 or sdsrpc@sdsoybean.org.

Learn More About Your Soybean CheckOff, Apply for the See For Yourself Program

sdsoybean — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:08:58 +0000

Farmers Have the Opportunity to Travel to Mexico to Learn More About International Checkoff Programs

The United Soybean Board (USB) invites soybean farmers to apply for the See For Yourself (SFY) program. Any soybean farmer interested in learning about checkoff programs in the U.S. and Mexico can apply to participate in the fifth year of SFY, which will run July 29-August 4, 2012. The program is an opportunity to showcase the soybean checkoff in action to soybean farmers from across the country. The goal of SFY is to highlight the checkoff’s broad scope of activities across all programs, allowing farmers the opportunity to ask questions and provide their perspectives.

Tim Even, a farmer from Humboldt, participated in the SFY tour last year. Even toured a local tilapia farm in Jamay, Mexico, 70 miles from Guadalajara. Molina’s Tilapia farm uses 100 percent U.S. soybean meal in their feed rations.

“Prior to the ‘See for Yourself’ trip, I just knew the checkoff deducts dollars from my soybean check. I knew they helped with exports, but beyond that, I had limited knowledge,” Even said. “I would recommend applying for the program because it really gives you a comprehensive overview of the soybean checkoff and why it’s important.”

Participants will have the opportunity to:

Discover the new and innovative ways soy is being used by the industrial sector
Watch demonstrations of vehicles using biodiesel
Tour international livestock facilities that use U.S. soybean meal as primary feed source
Walk though an aquaculture farm that uses U.S. soybean meal as its primary protein source
Learn about Mexico’s thriving aquaculture sector and U.S. soy’s role
Sample a variety of soy foods from Mexican retail markets
Explore a soybean and palm oil refinery that uses the latest industry technology

There are openings for 10 soybean farmers to participate in this year’s program. Interested farmers can fill out the short application. Travel, lodging and meal expenses are covered by the See For Yourself program.

South Dakota Soybean Association Elects New Officers & Directors

sdsoybean — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:29:07 +0000

South Dakota Soybean Association Elects New Officers & Directors
New Farmer Leadership Carries SDSA into the New Year

The South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA) elected new officers and directors at their December annual meeting.

SDSA members elected Paul Casper to serve as president for the organization. Casper was previously SDSA first vice president, and has served on the SDSA board since 2007. Casper raises corn and soybeans near Lake Preston.

“I am honored to lead the South Dakota Soybean Association during the upcoming year. We have some exciting initiatives and legislative priorities to focus on, and I look forward to working on behalf of our members to advance the soybean industry,” Casper said.

Other members elected to the SDSA officer team include: John Horter of Andover as first vice president, John Krutzfeldt of Wolsey as second vice president, Jerry Schmitz of Vermillion as treasurer and Kevin Scott of Valley Springs as secretary.

In addition to the new officer team, SDSA welcomed four new board members. Each board member was elected to serve a three-year term.

Todd Hanten of Goodwin was elected to represent District 4. Hanten farms soybeans, corn, wheat and alfalfa, and was active in the dairy industry for a number of years. Hanten is a former American Soybean Association (ASA)/ DuPont Young Leader* participant.

Kenny Schulte of Geddes was elected to represent District 6 for SDSA. In addition to running a cattle operation, Schulte raises soybeans, corn and wheat.

Colin Nachtigal and Jon Schaeffer were both elected to serve in the two at-large director positions. Nachtigal raises soybeans, corn and wheat near Harrold, and served on the SDSA board in 2010 as the ASA / Dupont Young Leader. Schaeffer grows soybeans and corn on his family farm near Viborg. Schaeffer is also a former ASA / Dupont Young Leader participant, and is a Class VI member of the South Dakota Agriculture & Rural Leadership program.

“We are happy to welcome all of the new directors to the board. Each director brings a unique set of talents, skills and fresh perspectives to our organization. Having a diverse group in terms of age, background and experience really makes for a solid board,” Casper said. “We have an excellent team leading SDSA into the future, and I look forward to working with all of them.”

View complete board member profiles.

*The ASA / Dupont Young Leader program cultivates emerging leaders who are passionate and committed to the future and success of the soybean industry. Representatives from 26 states participate in agricultural leadership development and seminars. As a South Dakota participant, leaders have the opportunity to serve a one-year term on the SDSA board as the Young Leader representative.