9/16/24 Meeting Minutes
Attendees: Adam, John G., Bob F., Bob W. Joel S., Hubert, Lynn, Aaron, Matt, Ron, Ann, Steve Fisher
Guests: Hubert’s middle and youngest daughters from IL and New Zealand and William the new editor of the newspaper whom Steve brought.
Birthday’s/Anniversary’s/Brag Bucks:
- Aaron Juergens Celebrated 9 years of marriage a couple weeks ago.
- Bob F. had a brag buck about the Packers Winning
Announcements: No noon meeting next week (Sept. 23rd) as we will walk the ditch between Bomgaars and Caseys for garbage pickup. Aaron Juergens and Matt are going to send one of their crews to do the ditch this year to help next Monday morning.
Speaker: Aaron Putze with Iowa Soybean Association
- 37,000 Soybean Farmers
- 573 million bushels in 2023
- 96,000 Farmers in Iowa - *a little misleading as the definition is anyone who “grows and sells $1000 worth of food” so that includes a lot of Farmers Markets and such
- USDA Predicts this year’s harvest at 608 million bushels
- Pro Farmers suggesting a record-breaking harvest at 67 bushel per acre (2021 has the record at 63 bushel) - *this is likely a bit high, and Aaron Putze is betting around 64 at most but still good.
- 105 Staff total at Soybean Association (75 staff at the home office in Ankeny) and others around the state and even in other areas with R&D
- 4 main Soybean trade partners (China, Mexico, Canada, and Egypt)
- 22 Iowa Soybean Association Directors (all famers and elected)
- Iowa is 2nd in soybean production in the US behind only IL
- Iowa leads in corn and corn is fed to animals which Iowa also leads in (pigs and chickens)
- 10 million of the 30 million total acres in Iowa are Soybeans annually
- Typically, average around 58 bushel per acre
- Prices way down due to trade issues with China and their economy and need shrinking along with them negotiating with Brazil and or Argentina
- Soy fuel is used in Railroad, Ships on the Ocean and even in jet planes and there with the right regulatory changes could hugely grow