Fifty years ago John Lennon of the Beatles said, “We’re more popular than Jesus now.” Also in 1966 Ronald Reagan was elected governor of California, Star Trek premiered on NBC, the Orioles swept the World Series and Indiana farmers were busy putting together the Indiana Soybean Growers Association. Twenty-five years after that the Indiana soybean checkoff was formed to invest soybean funds in research and promotion.
The 50th anniversary year of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, which includes policy and checkoff branches, is a time to observe the many changes through the years.
“We went from $3 soybeans up to $15 and back to $9 now, so there’s been a lot of changes, a lot of new uses for soybeans,” said Joe Steinkamp, President of the Indiana Soybean Alliance. “Every 4th row of soybeans that we grow goes to China and half of all soybeans go export, so it’s been a big change.”
He says they would like to learn more about Indiana growers and former leaders who can share their history with a visit to www.ISA50.com.
“We’d like to hear from soy growers who knew what it was like and we would like to also find all those old board members that were the fathers and grandfathers of this organization, so they can go to www.ISA50.com and find out information. We’re going to have a celebration at the end of this year and there is also an opportunity to share their stories online and a chance to maybe even win a replica tractor.”
The current ISA leader credited past leaders and volunteers for their vision.
“The people who invested their time and energy in this volunteer organization are the ones that have set us up to be successful today, and we’re making a difference because of them, and we’re helping out these students at the competition to make a difference.”
Steinkamp was referencing the recently held Soy Innovation Competition awards night.
All year ISA is asking Indiana soybean farmers to share their past and future in the online show-and-tell. Soybean growers can be entered for a chance to win one of 12 replica tractors by participating at www.ISA50.com.