Understanding the value of soybeans in their local community is important to the Waseca County Corn and Soybean Growers Board. When presented the idea to help Farmamerica expand their outreach and grow their programming, the Board jumped on the idea to support the organization.

“The opportunity to give a donation to help promote soybeans not only in our county, but Minnesota in general, was a no-brainer,” says Waseca County Corn and Soybean Board Treasurer Scott Singlestad. “The revamping of the center will help expand outreach and give others a better understanding of where their food comes from.”

Farmamerica’s campaigning efforts to expand and revamp the center will include promotion of biofuels and a newspaper containing soy ink.

“Soybean farmers work hard to supply food, fuel and other byproducts to their communities,” Singlestad says. “These exhibits will display the time, energy and passion farmers have for their crops.”

Steele County

With their events being cancelled and seeing a need to give back to the community, the Steele County Corn & Soybean Growers decided to make a monetary donation to Community Pathways of Steele County.

“People are struggling financially and this is a small way we can give back to our community,” says Steele County Corn & Soybean Chair Matt Heers. “As farmers, we understand the need for agricultural products to be on the shelf for people who truly need them.”

To help meet the increased demand, the Steele County Corn & Soybean Growers and their checkoff dollars have pledged to make a monetary donation to their local food shelf.

“Soybean farmers continue to produce a safe, nutritious product that is shelf-stable to satisfy the need for protein in everyone’s diet,” Heers says. “By being able to help out our community, we hope others see the value of the soybean industry and see how many products actually contain soybeans.”

The Waseca County and Steele County Growers boards are both affiliated with the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, which oversees the investment of soybean checkoff dollars on behalf of the nearly 28,000 soybean farmers in Minnesota. The council is governed by the rules of a federally mandated checkoff program that requires all soybean producers pay a fee on the soybeans they sell. This money is used to promote, educate and develop market opportunities for soybeans.