A trade team featuring soybean industry leaders from three continents visited Jeremy Tischer’s farm east of Breckenridge on Aug. 7. to learn more about how Minnesota soybeans are grown and the ins and outs of a typical Red River Valley farming operation. The INTSOY trade team was a partnership between the American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program and the Northern Crops Institute (NCI).

Tischer, a Minnesota Soybean Growers Association director and president of the Clay-Wilkin Soybean & Corn Growers, gave the INTSOY trade team a brief history of soybeans in the Red River Valley, discussed the unique soil and weather conditions they battle, and went through a typical growing season on their third-generation family farm. He also gave a farm tour and allowed them to get close and personal with the modern equipment used on the farm.

“Us as soybean farmers, we rely on foreign markets,” Tischer said, “and to have a group of end-users like this on our farm to connect with and show that we can grow a good quality crop that they can use in their products is hugely beneficial.”

One of those end users and INTSOY trade members was Lyndon Paul, managing director & co-founder of Danish Care Foods (DCF) of Cambodia. DCF produces innovative, affordable and quality nutritional products to fight against malnutrition.

“Soybeans are one of the main ingredients in the products that we make,” Paul said. “Working with ASA and WISHH, we’ve learned a lot more about the nutritional value of soy and specifically the food-grade soybeans grown in the US.”

In addition to visiting the Tischer Farm, the INTSOY trade team spent two days at NCI in Fargo where they participated in hands-on processing of soy foods and feeds and learned more about the current and future status of the global foods industry and the U.S. soy industry. Kim Nill, director of market development for the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, provided insight into the production and marketing aspect of soybeans during the course as well.

“They’ll get a better handle on risk management, how to purchase soybeans and some of the logistical hurdles they may encounter during the transportation and shipping stages as well,” Nill said.

After their time in Fargo, the WISHH group made its way to Brookings, S.D., where they visited a soy processing facility and learned how soybeans are used for feed in both livestock and aquaculture practices.