The Soybean Pod

It’s difficult to get groups to agree, but AgUnited for South Dakota has successfully brought several commodity and farm advocacy organizations together in agreement. Don Norton, a former CEO of South Dakota Agriculture and Rural Leadership, is its executive director. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, Norton explains how an organization becomes more than the sum of its parts by speaking with a u...

It’s a tall order to guess which weeds will cause problems in any given year, but the guest on this edition of The Soybean Pod dives in. Weed Management Specialist Eric Jones at South Dakota State University hedges his bets, however, pointing out that weed seeds from wet and dry years are viable. He also discusses the ongoing threat of weeds developing resistance. It’s making managing weeds more d...

A Salem, South Dakota farmer was honored by the American Soybean Association for his attention to conservation in his farming operation. Kurt Stiefvater was one of four regional honorees for The Conservation Legacy Award program and was recognized at the 2025 Commodity Classic in Denver. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, Kurt talks about what his conservation practices are and why he incorporate...

One of the more daunting financial threats to the family farm, according to attorney Jayna Voss at Legacy Law Firm, is long-term nursing care, especially when that care is unplanned. It’s expensive emotionally and financially. But if farmers and their families plan, says Voss, on this edition of The Soybean Pod, there’s a much greater chance that these and other burdens can be withstood with the f...

It’s an interesting path that led Indiana native Damian Mason to his current gig as an independent agriculture commentator and analyst. The public speaker keynoted South Dakota AgOutlook and spent some time after that giving his opinions on the current state of affairs for farmers and what he sees as their future. It was an insurance settlement for an unfortunate amputation involving Damian’s fath...

2025 brought a lot of change to the federal policy landscape. Those changes have meant economic uncertainty for farmers. Among the speakers and experts that the South Dakota Soybean Association invited to present at the 2024 AgOutlook Conference and Tradeshow last December was Matt Erickson, the Ag Economic and Policy Advisor for Farm Credit Services of America. On this edition of the Soybean Pod...

Ross Tschetter is not afraid to put himself out there. He likes people, resulting in his involvement in more than one program that promotes self-improvement and leadership skills. He puts those skills to use in his community, as part of a local USDA committee and among soybean growers. In this edition of the Soybean Pod, we talk to Tschetter about what motivates him, about his farm, and about his...

Varying skills and backgrounds bring a diverse array of perspectives to the South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA) board. Director Dan Nigg of Sisseton, South Dakota, is active on the SDSA board as well as on the board of his local cooperative elevator. That provides insights into what it takes to ship millions of bushels of soybeans from South Dakota to Pacific Northwest ports from which they’re...

Northern Soy Marketing exists because of the history of soybean export purchases based on crude protein content. Soybeans grown at the latitude of South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin don’t have the oil and protein concentration of soybeans produced in more southerly climates. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, we’ll talk to Mike McCranie of Claremont, South Dakota, a member of the Northern Soy...

Researchers at South Dakota State University (SDSU) have been working to improve nitrogen-fixing capabilities in soybeans. The hoped-for outcome, according to Sen Subramanian, plant scientist and agronomy professor at SDSU, is an increase in soybean yields while at the same time preserving soil health. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, we talk to Subramanian about his hypothesis that natural bio...

Drew Peterson focuses on the positive: “I’m so blessed,” is what comes to the Salem farmer’s mind when he talks about his son Michael, who just turned a year old, the first quarter of which was spent in a neonatal intensive care unit after entering the world earlier than expected. Among other things, Peterson is also grateful for the opportunity to have been in the Corteva Agriscience Young Leader...

Todd Hanten will miss getting first-hand information on how Soybean Checkoff dollars are being invested. The farmer from Goodwin, South Dakota, not far from Watertown, retired from the checkoff board after three terms, nine years, as a director. He’s proud of what he, along with fellow board members, accomplished. On this edition of The Soybean Pod, among other subjects, we talk with Todd about hi...

Soybean oil-based fuels have been a huge demand builder for the commodity. Biodiesel and renewable diesel have depended on soybean oil as a primary feedstock. Now, add to that sustainable aviation fuel, and while it’s no panacea, it will eventually mean even greater demand for soybean oil. In this edition of The Soybean Pod, Tom Verry, outreach and development director for Clean Fuels Alliance Ame...

A couple of South Dakota soybean growers who double as volunteer firefighters have seen demonstrations of a fire suppressant that comes minus the health risks of suppressants that have been in use. They’ve been featured in prior editions of The Soybean Pod. SoyFoam is made from soy flour by a company in Georgia. Cross Plains Solutions CEO Alan Snipes shares some insights as to how SoyFoam became a...

Soybean meal has a history with beef cattle. And with more soybean crush capacity coming online, it’s not a stretch to see soybean meal coming back to the feedlot. South Dakota State University (SDSU) is paying attention to soybean meal, examining its potential as a viable feedlot ration. SDSU assistant professor and Extension beef feedlot specialist Warren Rusche has taken a close look at soybean...

There is a list of attributes that apply to one of the 2024 South Dakota Soybean Checkoff board retirees. She’s in demand for her advice, leadership, and instruction. As a farmer, Heather Beaner refers to herself as a “unicorn,” being the daughter who took over her father’s farm. That came after earning a law degree and after two decades of service as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force...

What’s in a name? For Prairie Aquatech, it’s plenty. The firm was founded in Brookings by two South Dakota State University professors who discovered a way to amp up protein in soybean meal-based fish food through a fermenting process. Fast forward a few years, and Prairie Aquatech has hit Fast Forward to include pet foods and swine rations. So now the company is known as Houdek, a nod to Eastern...

Four undergraduate students from South Dakota State University competed in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Hult Prize, which was considered by many to be the Nobel Prize among college students. The four and an SDSU professor developed a method to turn soybean hulls, which have little value, into biodegradable plastic bags. The idea fits nicely into the Hult Prize goal of solving global issues through soci...

The Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) is partnering with trucking companies to keep rigs rolling sustainably. The organization is providing free samples of soy-based Gear Head Fifth Wheel Lubricant Pads. “Soybean oil is one of the most effective ways of displacing petroleum-based products,” said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the coalition, in this edition of the Soybean Pod. Indeed, the 3...

A farmer from Clear Lake, South Dakota, has become well-known through his personal outreach. Adam Krause, the president of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council, is an influencer on various social media platforms that he uses to shine a light on what it takes to raise pigs. For this edition of the Soybean Pod, we took our microphones to the Krause farm, where we talked to Adam about how and why...

There’s another use for soybean oil that’s proving to be sustainable from more than one perspective. A product called Roof Maxx is made from a non-toxic soybean oil base with the purpose of extending the life of asphalt shingle roofs. USDA Bio Preferred, Roof Maxx is sustainable because of its ingredients and because it can result in an additional 15 years in the life of asphalt shingles. As Roof...

Mitchell farmer Bruce Haines is amazed at what he witnesses every day on the horizon. “I see something that is the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen in my lifetime,” said Haines, excited about progress toward completion of South Dakota’s latest soybean crush facility. The structure represents what Haines says is an opportunity to build soybean demand. Haines decided against following his grandfat...

“We absolutely need aquaculture in the world.” A South Dakota company important to soybean demand was born to serve the aquaculture market. That company – Prairie Aquatech – expanded its mission to include pet food and is now Houdek. John Mollison, who does communications for the company, explains in this edition of The Soybean Pod why the company is now known by the name of eastern South Dakota’s...

There are no counties in eastern South Dakota that are untouched by soybean cyst nematode, a pest that’s become well-known for reducing soybean yields wherever there is an infestation. Dr. Madalyn Shires, a plant pathologist at South Dakota State University talks on this episode of The Soybean Pod about making that important determination of whether, and to what degree, a field is infested. Dr. Sh...

In his young life, Tregg Cronin has seen plenty of change to the supply and demand landscape and has developed a keen insight and perspective about commodity markets and direction in the global farm economy. Cronin, who farms in Gettysburg, South Dakota, has a history in market analysis that gets attention all over the country. He’s in demand to share his thoughts about where markets are headed an...