USDA appoints ISA Chair Jim Douglas to national soybean checkoff board

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (March 3, 2022) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture appointed Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) Board Chair Jim Douglas, a farmer from Flat Rock, Ind., as one of nine new directors to the United Soybean Board (USB) on Wednesday afternoon. Douglas replaces Mark Seib, a farmer from Poseyville, Ind., who has served on the USB board for the past nine years.

Douglas joins three other Hoosier farmers as directors of the national soybean checkoff board including: Don Wyss of Fort Wayne, Ind.; Tom Griffiths of Kendallville, Ind.; and Kevin Wilson of Walton, Ind. Douglas will serve a three-year term as a USB director, and he can serve a maximum of three terms.

“I’ve been very honored to serve Indiana farmers on the ISA board, and I’m really looking forward to doing more while helping to guide national soybean checkoff funds,” he explained. “I believe we are doing great things to create new markets and opportunities for soybean growers. I’m ready to dig into the projects that will help make our soybean crops more valuable.”

Douglas raises soybeans, corn and wean-to-finish hogs on his rural Shelby County, Ind, farm where he partners with his son, James. He has represented District 4 on the ISA board since 2014. Douglas represents ISA on the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and the Indiana Grain Indemnity Corporation Board of Directors.

U.S. soybean farmers receive an estimated $12.34 in value for every dollar they invest in the checkoff. These investments fund programs that build a preference for U.S. soybeans across the country and around the world. Authorized by the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the checkoff is composed of 78 members representing 29 states, in addition to the Eastern and Western regions. The number of seats on the board is determined based on bushels produced in their region. Members must be soybean farmers nominated by a Qualified State Soybean Board, such as ISA.

“With different uses of soy continuing to grow, this is an exciting time to be a USB farmer-leader. I look forward to working with these passionate individuals who will bring additional perspectives and insights, expanding our group of creative and innovative thinkers,” said USB Chair Ralph Lott, USB Chair, a farmer from New York. “The reappointed leaders bring back valuable experience, having worked through our Value Creation Framework process determining future checkoff investments. Together, we will move U.S. Soy forward and bring value back to the farm gate of all U.S. soybean farmers.”

Other newly appointed USB directors by USDA include: Robert Petter, Arkansas; Jesse Patrick, Georgia; Patrick O’Leary, Minnesota; Robert Alpers, Missouri; Cindy Pulskamp, North Dakota; Tim Ostrem, South Dakota; Shannon Tignor Ellis, Virginia; and Nancy Kavazanjian, Wisconsin. USDA also repointed eight farmer leaders including: Lynn Rohrscheib, Illinois; April Hemmes; Iowa; Brent Gatton, Kentucky; Garrett Marsh, Louisiana; Tony Johanson, Nebraska; Benjamin Derek Potter, North Carolina; Jeff Magyar, Ohio; and Andrew Fabin, Pennsylvania.

To learn about key investments made on behalf of U.S. soybean farmers, sign up for the Soy Hopper newsletter at unitedsoybean.org/newsletter.

####

About Indiana Soybean Alliance: The Indiana Soybean Alliance works to enhance the viability of Indiana soybean farmers through the effective and efficient investment of soybean checkoff funds that protect and promote the interest of Indiana soybean farmers. The ISA works to assist soybean farmers through its strategic initiatives of market development; environmental, social and economic sustainability; value creation and producer engagement. ISA is led by an elected, farmer board that directs investments of the soybean checkoff funds on behalf of more than 20,000 Indiana soybean farmers. Learn more at www.indianasoybean.com

About United Soybean Board: United Soybean Board’s 78 volunteer farmer-leaders work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers create value by investing in research, education and promotion with the vision to deliver sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day across the three priority areas of Infrastructure & Connectivity, Health & Nutrition, and Innovation & Technology. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff. For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit unitedsoybean.org.

This communication was funded with Indiana soybean checkoff dollars.