President’s Column – May-June 2022
Let me begin this letter by asking you to send your thoughts and prayers to those in Ukraine. While the war impacts people around the world, Ukrainian citizens endure the brunt of it all. I applaud the resilience of Ukrainian citizens and farmers, many of whom were able to get their crop in the ground this spring.
Farmers in the United States are in the middle of the 2022 planting season. While you are in the fields this spring, the Ohio Soybean Association will be in the Statehouse and D.C. advocating for Ohio farmers. This year has already brought several legislative wins or OSA, including the passage of House Bill 95 (Ag-LINK) and House Bill 440 (Young and Beginning Farmers Tax Credit Bill).
Another win for OSA and Ohio farmers includes the lifted restrictions on Enlist One and Enlist Duo. In early January, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibited the use of these products in more than 200 counties, causing confusion for many growers who had not been warned about the decision. Thanks to our organization’s membership and leadership efforts, the restrictions for both products were lifted in late March. OSA, along with other state organizations, sent a letter to the EPA that called on the agency to remove county-level Endangered Species Act (ESA) use prohibitions on the Enlist registrations for 2022. The letter also called on EPA to lift prohibitions in counties where endangered species thought to be present under the registration are confirmed not present. Additionally, OSA asked members to encourage their representatives to sign on to a similar letter to the EPA from Congress. This goes to show how powerful your voice is, and we urge you to continue using it. We thank you for your efforts every day!
In other news, the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) invested in a project with four other state soybean checkoffs to see what the soybean industry will look like in 2040. With the help of Aimpoint Research, a global strategic intelligence firm specializing in agri-food, five trends were cited as major contributors to how soy will be used in the future. You can read more about the “Future State of Soy” and the checkoff’s investment in these identified trends starting on page 16. One thing is certain: our industry is rapidly changing and organizations like ours are primed to help farmers navigate these new trends.
Have a safe and successful planting season! If you are interested in receiving the latest OSA advocacy news and more, sign up for one of our membership options! Visit SoyOhio.org/membership.
Patrick Knouff
OSA President
Shelby County soybean farmer