More than 43,000 Illinois soybean farmers are represented by Illinois Soybean Association checkoff and membership programs. Ron Moore, who held many titles with the Illinois Soybean Association, says that with the expansion of the agronomy department, a deeper dive into climate smart agriculture is taking place:
“The USDA and the Federal Government is pushing this climate smart agriculture and they have folks in the agronomy department are working on cover crops, sustainable production, and things of that nature. Climate smart agriculture is a buzz word, but I am not sure it is not anything new to farmers. We have always kind of figured that we manage our farms based on what the weather gives us. To me we have always been doing climate smart agriculture, it is just we haven’t called it that. The agronomy folks at the Illinois Soybean are trying to make sure that farmers know they can experiment and do those innovative practices that will help the climate for the United States.”
As for the American Soybean Association, which Moore was a past President and recently retired from the board, is currently focused on the 2023 Farm Bill and bringing an increased reference price for soybean farmers and continue to make sure the crop insurance program is fully funded.
