Iowa Soybean Association

The Bean Scene

Business EN ↓ 6 episodes

The Bean Scene is a monthly podcast hosted by Maxwell Schaeffer that goes beyond the headlines to find the stories worth telling—the farmers, thinkers and emerging voices shaping the future of Iowa’s soybean industry. Every episode blends personal storytelling with timely industry insights. Join us to explore where Iowa soy meets life. Expect candid conversations with farmers creating real on-farm solutions, leaders making an impact across the soybean industry and voices you haven't heard yet. Whether you're a farmer, an ag professional or just someone curious about where food, fuel and inno...

Author

Iowa Soybean Association

Episodes

Paws, Planes and Precision Farming with Paws & Pints, Lee Brooke and Joe McClure 07.07.2026 39:55

What do a dog park in Des Moines, a conference room in Colombia and a strip trial in Greene County all have in common? Soy innovation. Katie Dunlap of Paws & Pints opens the episode with a tour of Des Moines' beloved canine social retreat, where SYNLawn synthetic turf with a soy-based backing has survived hundreds of dogs a day and is still going strong after four years. Then, Aaron Putze...

Soy at Play with Dr. Dirk Maier, the Iowa Cubs and Agronomist Troy Deutmeyer 02.06.2026 30:48

It's the start of summer in Iowa—the fields are growing, the ballparks are full and soybeans are doing more work than most people realize. Dr. Dirk Maier of the ISU Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex kicks of this episode by walking us through a first-of-its-kind university facility that trains the next generation of feed professionals—and is now piloting a high oleic soybean project t...

Bean to Breakfast with Erik Lightner, Craig Rowles and the Waveland Cafe 05.05.2026 31:41

It’s National Egg Month — and on The Bean Scene , we’re following the journey of an Iowa soybean from the field to an egg on your breakfast plate. Erik Lightner, former CEO of Platinum Crush, opens the episode from one of Iowa’s newest soybean processing facilities in Alta, where over 40 million bushels of soybeans are crushed each year into the meal, oil and fiber products that feed Iowa’s livest...

BONUS: The Soybean Checkoff Story 28.04.2026 10:48

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the soybean checkoff, we’re bringing you a bonus episode of The Bean Scene! In this episode, Jerry Slocum shares the story behind how the soybean checkoff began. Jerry is a fifth-generation farmer from Coldwater, Mississippi, a grain elevator operator and founding director of the United Soybean Board. As the soybean checkoff celebrates its 35th anniversary, J...

Combine Karaoke and Farm-to-Pizza with April Hemmes, Chloe Zittergruen and Tom Halverson 07.04.2026 36:00

In this inaugural episode of The Bean Scene , hear from three leaders who are shaping the future of the soybean industry. Tom Halverson, CEO of CoBank, kicks off the episode with a breakdown of the structural economic shifts farmers are facing. Then meet April Hemmes, a Hampton-area farmer and former Iowa Soybean Association and United Soybean Board director, who shares how she built a platform to...

Introducing The Bean Scene 31.03.2026 0:59

Welcome to The Bean Scene podcast! Brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean checkoff, this podcast shares the stories of the farmers, leaders and innovators shaping the soybean industry. Join host Maxwell Schaeffer to hear the unique voices shaping agriculture, stay up to date on industry news and discover how Iowa soybeans impact daily life. Check out new episodes of The Be...