Three grower leaders gave conference participants an inside look at their U.S. soybean operations.
The Northeast Asia U.S. Buyers Outlook Conference, hosted virtually Nov. 19, 2020, allowed for the opportunity to showcase U.S. Soy in the Northeast Asia region. U.S. soybean farmers were well represented throughout the conference.
Bill Bayliss, a soybean farmer from west central Ohio, gave an overview of his operation, focusing on how he grows identity preserved (IP) soybeans.
“We really like to brag about the fact that our climate here is very conducive to the good growing for IP soybeans in particular, we have a particular flavor and texture that we get from our climate and temperatures here to give really wonderful food grade soybeans to share with you,” Bayliss said in his presentation.
In addition to hearing about his farm, participants had the opportunity to see maps and photos of the operation.
Arkansas soybean farmer Brad Doyle also presented at the conference. Doyle serves as the secretary of the American Soybean Association and owns a diversified farming operation. He shared about his farm’s crop rotation between soybeans and rice, as well as sustainability practices he prioritizes.
“We have about a 100-acre surface water reservoir that my father-in-law built in the mid-1980s to help alleviate our underground water demand,” Doyle shared. “So, we capture as much water as we can through the wintertime and use that to irrigate our crop through the summertime. We are 100% irrigated here, mostly through underground pipes, we either flood or furrow irrigate our crops.”
Davie Stephens, a farmer from Western Kentucky, added to the U.S. Soybean farmer lineup by presenting on the integration of his row crop and poultry operations.
“We grow soybeans and corn, and we also have four poultry barns in which we use the chicken litter for supplying nutrients to the crop,” Stephens explained. “And we also buy other farmer's chicken litter for applying fertilizer to the crops that will be grown for the next year.”
Through these three farmer presentations, participants of the Northeast Asia U.S. Buyers Outlook Conference took a look into the life of a U.S. Soybean farmer and saw firsthand where the U.S. Soy they might purchase is grown.
