During a visit to the nation’s leading soybean export region in New Orleans, Joel Schreurs, a Lincoln County soybean and corn farmer, was elected vice chairman of the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) during the organization’s annual meeting.

“The Soy Transportation Coalition strives to ensure that our nation does not just focus on the transportation challenges in urban America,” Schreurs said. “The challenges in rural America of moving agricultural freight cannot be ignored. To be profitable, farmers require well-maintained roads and bridges, rail infrastructure, the inland waterway system, and ports. The Soy Transportation Coalition will continue to focus on each of these critical modes on behalf of America’s soybean farmers.”

Schreurs, who farms in Tyler, served as STC secretary-treasurer from 2017-2018. He has four children and wears many hats as an agriculture leader. Schreurs serves on the Lincoln County Corn and Soybean Growers Board, and is also a Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and American Soybean Association director.

Established in 2007, STC is comprised of 13 state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association, and the United Soybean Board. The goal of the organization is to position the soybean industry to benefit from a transportation system that delivers cost effective, reliable, and competitive service.

In addition to the meeting, STC’s board of directors visited the Bunge and CHS soybean and grain export terminals near New Orleans. The group also met with leadership at the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to discuss the proposed deepening of the lower Mississippi River shipping channel and opportunities to continue collaborating with soybean farmers in advancing the project. The group finally met with officials with Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District and American Patriot Holdings, LLC. to continue discussing the joint initiative with the STC to promote a new container on vessel export service for farmers in Midwest states.

“The newly-elected officers of the Soy Transportation Coalition board will continue our legacy of having effective and innovative farmer leadership,” says STC Executie Director Mike Steenhoek. “I sincerely appreciate the willingness of these farmer leaders and the entire board to devote their time and energy to ensure we enjoy a multi-modal transportation system that can enhance farmer profitability in the years to come.”