Soy Connext Stimulates Meaningful Farmer to Customer Connections
Purchasers and end users of U.S. Soy around the world want to hear from the farmers growing the soybeans they purchase. U.S. farmers gladly share how they raise reliable, high-quality, sustainable soybeans.
USSEC’s global cornerstone event, Soy Connext, fosters these connections.
Soy Connext 2025 was held in Washington, D.C., in late August. The event program intentionally provided a variety of opportunities for customers to meet face-to-face with U.S. soybean farmers and learn more about how they grow reliable, sustainable, high-quality U.S. Soy.
“Soy Connext gets buyers and sellers together,” said Mike McCranie, USSEC vice chair and South Dakota farmer. “I have been building relationships with customers over my time serving the U.S. Soy industry, and it is great to see them at events like this. And seeing them is really important — they are our market.”
Fresh from the Field Panel
Conference attendees heard a formal report on current soybean crop conditions across the U.S. from the “Fresh from the Field” panel, part of the program during the first morning of Soy Connext. As the four farmers on the panel discussed their current crops and plans for 2026, they demonstrated how the variety of conditions across the country contribute to the consistency and reliability of U.S. Soy.
USSEC chair and Michigan farmer Janna Fritz explained how weather in her area delayed planting. “On my family’s farm in Michigan, in the northern U.S. Midwest, a cool spring and rains delayed planting. Then, the weather turned dry. That benefited our soybeans, because white mold, a common disease in our area, is less of a problem in dry weather. So far, soybeans are looking good, and we are optimistic that we will get a good crop,” she said.
Projections for the 2025 crop ranged from excellent to average, with harvest between two weeks and 2 months away. However, when asked about how market factors would influence soybean planting for 2026, all four farmers indicated their decisions are guided by crop rotations and the soil management benefits those rotations provide, so they do not expect soybean acres to change.
“Sitting on the panel to tell everyone about the current crop was one of my favorite opportunities to speak with customers,” added McCranie. “I really enjoyed providing them with the latest, first-hand information on our soybeans.”
Have Questions? Ask a Farmer
Throughout the event, the “Ask a Farmer” lounge ensured that international attendees knew where to find farmers during networking breaks, meals and receptions. This designated area also allowed international USSEC team members to connect their customers with farmers.
For example, during one afternoon break, Jisook Chung, USSEC Korea marketing director, introduced a group of customers to Derika Lynam-Spaetti, a farmer from southern Indiana and an Indiana Soybean Alliance board member.Lynam-Spaetti recently traveled to South Korea, and she was able to answer a variety of customer questions.
“The group from Korea wanted to hear about my farm, why I farm and my thoughts on current market predictions,” Lynam-Spaetti said. “That conversation helped build their trust in farmers raising U.S. Soy.”
Farm Visits on Trade Team Tours
Both before and after Soy Connext, 17 different trade teams with participants from 34 countries visited 26 farms across key U.S. soybean-growing regions. These visits built crucial ties and provided customers first-hand experience in the fields that grow U.S. Soy.
Robb Ewoldt, an Iowa Farmer and United Soybean Board director, welcomed a trade team from China to his farm the week after Soy Connext. He farms just a few miles from the Mississippi River, and 100% of his soybean crop gets exported.
“I enjoy hosting visitors on my farm, and I believe it is my responsibility to take advantage of every opportunity to share what we do,” Ewoldt said. “This group included previous and hopefully future customers from the world’s biggest soybean market. I had a chance to show them what they get from U.S. Soy.”
Throughout Soy Connext and the associated trade team tours, customers and farmers agreed that face-to-face conversations build confidence in the U.S. Soy value chain. These connections add to the unique advantages of U.S. Soy and strengthen partnerships worldwide.
This article is funded in part by the soy checkoff.
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