1980: MSGA membership reached 1,200; legislative efforts focused on transportation issues; BN railroad raised West Coast rates for shipping soybeans excessively; Great Lakes shipping declined due to the Grain-Millers strike; farmer leaders discussed 1980 Farm Bill issues with Sen. Rudy Boschwitz.
1981: Transportation issues continued to arise; Basin Commission appointed by Congress wanted “user fees” established on river freight (MSGA opposed). MSGA penned letter to President Reagan asking the president to lift Soviet grain embargo; MSGA requested ASA to prepare position paper on the economic impact budget cuts in 1980 Farm Bill on agriculture.
1982: MSGA lobbies Sen. David Durenberger to introduce “Contract Sanity” legislation against future grain embargo; MSGA also worked with state legislators to stop “Cargo Preference” legislation.
1983: 2-cent checkoff was proposed with a referendum to be run in March 1984; more soybean counties were organized (in 2020, Minnesota Soybean supports 44 organized counties)
1984: MSGA worked with Gov. Rudy Perpich to extend shipping season at the Port of Duluth; 2-cent referendum failed in April with a narrow margin; Farm Bill discussions started; MSGA proposed marketing loan concept.
1985: MSGA worked to support “The Farm Emergency Credit Act of 1985”; farm bill discussions continued; MSGA urged USDA to expand the P.L. 480 Food for Peace Program and GSM102 program; MSGA commissioned FAPRI study on marketing loan versus a non-recourse loan at various levels.
1986: MSGA sent resolution to Congress supporting keeping the Minnesota Rural Rehabilitation Trust Fund intact; protein and oil issue surfaced in meeting with Minnesota Soybean Processors.
1987: MSGA celebrates its 25th anniversary; approved sending a letter to Minnesota Department of Agriculture requesting a special use permit be granted to PURSUIT herbicide; MSGA opposed the U of M selling publicly developed seed varieties to private companies for export market; through the ASA Adopt-A-County program MSGA adopted the Soviet Union as its “Sister Country”; MSGA became involved with the Truth-in-Labeling Campaign by placing articles in various newspapers about tropical fats invading the market; MSGA purchased equipment to show grain elevators how to control dust with soy oil; MSGA was lead commodity group to get the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI); MSGA’s Soy Political Action Committee is initiated (MSGA will be raising funds for its MinnSoy PAC at this year’s MN AG EXPO).
1988: MSGA hired a lobbyist to work on state legislative issues; MSGA received $2 million from Exxon of overcharge money direct to AURI; soybeans become the “Featured Commodity” at the State Fair; work on the exporting of soybean meal pellets from the Port of Duluth begins; MSGA purchased its first Mini-Donut machine for domestic marketing work; MSGA also held the first of many “Soy Shopping Sprees”; ASA 1990’s Task Force was established, with Craig Weir serving on it, to conduct listening sessions throughout the country to establish priorities for the 1990 Farm Bill.
1989: With MSGA support, ASA conducted an investigation of the allegations that the Chicago Board of Trade “cornered the market” when it forced July soybean features contract liquidations; after several months of investigations, it was determined that nothing illegal had taken place; ASA began its Soybean Research and Research Checkoff (SPARC) campaign to implement a national checkoff; Roger Asendorf became an ASA honorary life member; wheel of soy was purchased, a game featuring soy ink or soy cooking oil, bill was passed in stage legislature recommending government offices print with soy ink. Membership reached 3,507.