Pennsylvania Hosts Annual Summer Meeting of United Soybean Board
HERSHEY, PA (July 17, 2014) – The Pennsylvania Soybean Board hosted the 70 volunteer farmer-leaders who serve as directors of the United Soybean Board (USB) as they gathered for their annual summer meeting in Hershey, Pennsylvania, from July 15-17, 2014.
“On behalf of the Pennsylvania Soybean Board and the nearly 4,000 soybean growers in the Commonwealth, we’re honored to welcome the soybean farmers from throughout the country who are directors of the United Soybean Board and to thank them for their dedication and service to our nation’s soybean industry,” said William Beam, a Chester County farmer who serves as the chairman of the Pennsylvania Soybean Board as well as one of Pennsylvania’s representatives on the United Soybean Board.
During their meeting in Hershey, the USB directors reviewed soybean checkoff program proposals, discussed strategic plans, and set fiscal year 2015 funding levels for research, educational, market development and other programs designed to maximize profit potential for soybean farmers. The directors also heard from industry leaders on topics of importance to the future of the soybean industry and received updates on the progress of the current work being undertaken by USB’s four Action Teams, which concentrate on issues related to Meal, Oil, Freedom to Operate and Customer Focus.
“My fellow farmers of the national soy checkoff appreciate the warm hospitality of the Pennsylvania Soybean Board,” said Jim Call, a soybean farmer from Madison, Minnesota and chairman of the United Soybean Board. “Pennsylvania has sent some talented and dedicated soybean farmers to serve on the national checkoff board for many years, representing a state with a rich history and a promising future in agriculture. We are grateful, and know your state will continue its important role in today’s agriculture industry.”
About the Pennsylvania Soybean Board
The Pennsylvania Soybean Board is a farmer-controlled Board responsible for managing Pennsylvania’s share of funds received from the nationwide Soybean Checkoff program. The funding is available under an assessment program, approved by Congress in 1990, under which soybean farmers contribute 50 cents of every $100 they receive for their beans at the first point of sale. Funds are used to develop markets, educate consumers, and research new ways to utilize and produce soybeans more efficiently.
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