Soy tire donation program another way to support rural communities 

By Dave Blower Jr.

Seeds only grow where they’re planted. Indiana soybean farmers take great care each spring to make sure the seed that is planted yields a bountiful harvest in the fall. That spirit of cultivation and investment is also true of the rural communities where Hoosier farmers live.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), the state’s soybean checkoff program, initiated a program last year to donate soybean-based tires to Hoosier charities. In this program, farmers would nominate a charity from their community to win one of four sets of soy-based tires manufactured by Goodyear. ISA created the program to support the rural communities where farmers live and to tout Goodyear’s investment in replacing petroleum with soybean oil in making several new lines of tires.

This year’s four winners of free Goodyear tires include:

• Spencer County Council on Aging – nominated by Derika Lynam-Spaetti of Richland, Ind.
• Gaston Volunteer Fire Department – nominated by Jenna Scott of Muncie, Ind.
• Greensburg Community Bread of Life – nominated by Mike Koehne of Greensburg, Ind.
• Clinton-Cass Volunteer Fire Department – nominated by Denise Scarborough of LaCrosse, Ind.

“There are more than 20,000 soybean growers across our state. As one of those growers, I’m very happy to see new markets developed,” said Lynam-Spaetti, who is also a director on the ISA board. “This is another example of how checkoff work benefits soybean farmers.”

Angela Turner, executive director of the Spencer County Council on Aging, said these tires will have an impact on the lives of many who live in the rural, southern Indiana community. Despite the organization’s name, Turner explained, “No matter if you’re a senior citizen or if you’re one-day-old, if you need medical transportation, we will get you there.”

In 2024, she added, the Council transported 206 different riders 114,814 miles during 3,141 separate one-way trips. The Council spent $17,228 in gas, and budgets $4,500 on vehicle maintenance – and that’s to cover oil changes, repairs and tires.

“These tires have been a great gift because that money can now be focused on transporting other clients who might not have any other way to get to their medical appointments,” Turner said. “We thank the soybean farmers for this gift. It is very much appreciated.”

Lynam-Spaetti is the president of the Spencer County Community Foundation, and through that work she became aware of the Council’s need. “The Community Foundation receives many grant and sponsorship requests from non-profits,” she said. “I worked with our foundation staff to help identify any non-profit organizations that could possibly benefit. The application and information on the soy tire program was then sent to those organizations and encouraged to apply.”

Koehne nominated the Greensburg Community Bread of Life, which fights food insecurity, meets clothing needs and provides educational opportunities. Bread of Life prepares hot meals three times per week for delivery, dine-in or carry-out for Decatur County residents in need.

“Greensburg Bread of Life is a great community outreach non-profit organization,” Koehne said. “There -are a lot of people who volunteer to provide meals for shut-ins and also serve meals at their facility. It was easy to nominate them for the Goodyear soy tires. It is important to keep these volunteers safe as they travel around delivering meals or collecting food to prepare meals. These tires are durable, pliable to grip the road better and support farmers by using soybean oil. It is always good to give back to deserving organization in your community.”