The development and adoption of new soybean cultivars with higher yield, enhanced seed composition and resistance to various stresses help Minnesota soybean farmers achieve profitability. Most soybean cultivars purchased by farmers were developed by private seed companies, yet public soybean breeding still has an important role. The University of Minnesota Soybean Breeding program is a broad-based research and development program dedicated to advancement of soybean germplasm adapted to Minnesota; development of new breeding methods; discovery of new economically important traits and genes; the education of professionals in the agricultural industry, especially new plant breeders. The advancement of soybean germplasm for Minnesota takes multiple forms, ranging from the release and licensure of general-purpose soybean varieties, to the development of specialty soybean varieties that command a premium for producers, to the integration of novel forms of pest resistance and seed composition into elite northern-adapted soybean varieties, effectively creating a bridge between researchers and the soybeans grown in farmers’ fields. We make our discoveries on the genetic control of economically important traits and breeding method improvements publicly available, contributing to the overall knowledge base that benefits all breeding programs, both public and private.