Getting a Premium for High Oleic Soybeans

If you’re looking for an opportunity to boost profits without much extra work, then planting high oleic soybeans could be for you. Ohio soybean farmer Jessica Keppeler explains how her farm started  planting high oleic soybeans.

“About eight years ago we had a seed rep come to us and say, ‘Hey we’ve got about ten bags of this new seed that we’d like you to try. You just plant it and see what you think about it. And we were amazed that the yield just totally outstripped our other soybean yields that we had that year. And so, we contacted our rep and said, ‘Hey, how do we get more? What is the seed that you’ve given us? We were blown away by it.’”

Keppeler says high oleic soybeans are no different to plant and raise than conventional soybeans and perform very well.

“They always performed very well. They’re very easy to manage. One other thing we like about them is that we don’t have any extra work when it comes to raising them and harvesting them. We also have a unique experience with them. We have a food trailer and catering business — and actually soon to be a restaurant — and we use the end product and our business as well. We use the oils. We fry, and then we bake in them, and we pop popcorn in them, so we have just had all around thoroughly a wonderful experience of high oleic.”

High oleic contracts include a per-bushel premium that ranges by region based on contract terms such as delivery and storage, but those premiums can be a big help in tough times. Keppeler recommends farmers to check out what growing high-oleic soybeans offers in their area — and soon.

“A lot of elevators actually are accepting them. It’s very easy to find elevators, and most are paying premiums. But it definitely makes it attractive to grow the high oleic. You can get with your seed rep, and they can let you know where the closest elevator is in your area to be able to deliver them to.”

To learn more about high oleic varieties in your area, visit soyinnovation.com.

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