The United Soybean Board has new leadership. Ohio farmer Steve Reinhard is the organization’s 2024 Chair. Reinhard says it’s an honor to lead the USB.
“It’s great to be on the United Soybean Board and the 515,000 soybean farmers we have around the country. We have 77 volunteer board members that we serve, and it’s just an honor for me to be able to help lead them to this next year. I’ve served as treasurer and as a Value Alignment Committee Coordinator for the USB, and the Value Alignment Committee is our committee that looks at all of our investment processes in our portfolio development in order to take that checkoff dollar and give that return back to the U.S. soybean farmer.”
Reinhard says his background has prepared him for the new role.
“On our farm, we have soybeans, corn, wheat, and some other crops there to a smaller extent. But I’ve also served as an ag instructor and an FFA advisor, served a term in our County Commission Office, and then four terms in the Ohio House of Representatives. So, I have a pretty well-rounded background and am able to make sure that we can talk with people and try to look at where we need to be investing in order to make U.S. soybean farmers profitable.”
Reinhard talks about the investments he’s most excited about.
“We have three areas that we look at in supply and demand, and we have infrastructure and connectivity, and I think we’re looking at broadband, and of course, we can do with our rail river, and road transportation to keep soybeans flowing across the countryside. Then, I think we look at innovation and technology, what we can do for soybean meal and soybean oil, and then the last one is health and nutrition. I think while livestock is still our biggest meal customer, we want to also look at the human health side and see how we can help address malnutrition around the world, and that can create a bigger use for soybeans as well.”
It’s all about maximizing the return on investment for soybean growers.
“At this last cycle the soybean farmers, for every dollar we’re investing in checkoff, are returning about $12.34 back to the farmers for that checkoff investment”
Keep up with the latest news from the United Soybean Board at unitedsoybean.org and Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern on RFD-TV.