Senator and Secretary Attend Biobased Workshop

Cindy Zimmerman

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were keynote speakers at the 2012 United Soybean Board Biobased Products Stakeholders’ Workshop at the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Dearborn, Michigan this week to show their strong support for new products made from agricultural commodities. “I think the sky’s the limit,” said Sen. Stabenow. “I don’t believe you have …

Audio, Biodiesel, Biotech, Research, Soybean, USB, USDA

Sending Animal Agriculture Offshore Would Increase Food Costs

Chuck Zimmerman

Leading off a press conference during Commodity Classic for the United Soybean Board was Vanessa Kummer, Chair. The topic was Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture (pdf). This is a Soybean Checkoff funded study. Also pictured on stage are Lewis Bainbridge, USB Director (seated) and André Williamson, Agralytica, (standing) the company that conducted the study. Paying more …

Ag Groups, Audio, Commodity Classic, Food, Soybean, USB

Osborn Barr Honors John Becherer

Chuck Zimmerman

The United Soybean Board’s CEO, John Becherer, got a little bit of love from everyone attending the Osborn Barr reception at Commodity Classic. John is receiving this year’s National Agri-Marketing Association Agribusiness Leader of the Year Award which will be officially presented to him during next month’s Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City. However, Osborn Barr which has worked with USB …

Agencies, Commodity Classic, USB

Biodiesel Adds Value to Minnesota Soybeans

Cindy Zimmerman

The Renewable Energy Group (REG) celebrated the official grand opening of REG Albert Lea biodiesel plant in Minnesota on Monday, with representatives of the state and local community and agriculture industry. REG President and COO Dan Oh (right) says the plant was shut down in 2008 when economic woes hit the biodiesel industry, but REG felt it was a significant …

Audio, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Soybean, USB, Video

New Ideas for Promoting Soybean Exports

Cindy Zimmerman

The final session of the US Soybean Export Council Animal Utilization Stakeholders meeting in Seattle this past weekend focused on a discussion of new ideas to promote soybean exports in the future. As chairman of the United Soybean Board International Marketing Committee, Jim Call of Minnesota split his time between the animal utilization and the human utilization meetings. “I think …

Audio, Feed, International, Livestock, Poultry, Soybean, USB

Novus International Shares Vision with US Soybean Growers

Cindy Zimmerman

The vision of Novus International is “To help feed the world affordable, wholesome food and achieve a higher quality of life.” That is a vision this global animal nutrition company shares with the U.S. soybean industry, with exports around the world accounting for more than half of annual production. “A lot of commonality in that and a lot of opportunity …

Audio, International, Novus International, Soybean, USB

What Soybean Stakeholders are Learning at USSEC Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

The weather is fabulous in Seattle this weekend, but directors of the United Soybean Board (USB) are inside and hard at work learning more about opportunities for exports at the US Soybean Export Council Animal Utilization Stakeholders meeting. As far as stakeholders are concerned, USB is one of the major ones represented here, since soybean checkoff dollars are used to …

Audio, Feed, International, Livestock, Soybean, USB

USB Helps Direct Soybean Export Promotion Dollars

Cindy Zimmerman

The whole purpose of the US Soybean Export Council Animal Utilization Stakeholders meeting this weekend in Seattle is to evaluate the international marketing program for animal feed use and explore ideas for the future. One of the architects of the series of meetings that will be held in advance of program allocations for the 2013 budget year is United Soybean …

Audio, Soybean, USB

Around the World at Soybean Export Stakeholders Meeting

Cindy Zimmerman

Participants in the US Soybean Export Council Animal Utilization Stakeholders meeting got a quick trip around the world in about four hours Saturday morning with presentations on global opportunities for soybean exports for animal use. “We had 11 speakers representing eight different countries or regions,” said Miguel Escobar, USSEC Global Director of Animal Utilization. “We heard from all of them …

Audio, Feed, International, Soybean, USB