When you are down and Commodity Classic, you can tell it is all about the American farmer. These farmers are the backbone of the industry, and they are there not only to see the latest technology and hear about the latest innovations; they are also there to share their concerns and help make forward progress on policy issues for the coming year.
Audio: Profit Matters for March 16th, 2022 with Steph Essick
Many organizations depend on their farmer members to advocate for their commodity and educate fellow producers on issues important in their state. Many will form partnerships with other state delegates to help advance common concerns. Many of these producers are not only active members of their state organizations but their national organizations as well. These are the farmers who will be able to properly articulate concerns from each board, back and forth to the others. These are the people who are well versed in what is possible when it comes to new policies.
Steph Essick is an At-large Director for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and a member of the American Soybean Association?s (ASA) Board of Directors. Her operation is near Dickens, Iowa. I caught up with her at the ASA booth during Commodity Classic in New Orleans, and we talked about some of the issues concerning not only Iowa farmers, but soybean producers across the country. These issues include the upcoming Farm Bill, inputs, EPA regulation changes in the middle of the season, and much more. Essick says that these are top-of-mind issues for everyone across the country.
Not only is it important for producers to have a united front on policy, but it is also equally important to know how they want to communicate with their consumers. Essick says that the message they want to share is the work that producers are doing to be environmentally sustainable. This is something that is not new to farmers, it is just something that they continually must adapt to changing times. She also talks about the importance of biofuels like biodiesel in the conversation about lowering prices at the pump. It seems that these biofuels are still being left out of the conversation by those who say they are for environmental benefits, but then also look to importing Iranian oil during this crisis.
Essick says as they get ready to get in the fields in Northwest Iowa, she hopes they can get some timely rains, and also see the supply chains sort themselves out, especially on fertilizer. Essick says they were fortunate to be able to do fall fertilizer applications but hopes things get easier for those who waited until the spring.
To learn more about the American Soybean Association and the Iowa Soybean Association, visit their websites.
