Mankato, Minnesota
January 9, 2009
With a sole mission of
representing the voice of U.S. soybean farmers through advocacy
and policy, the new U.S. Soybean Federation (USSF) was announced
by founding farmer-leaders today.
"This is a challenging time for everyone in our country and
soybean farmers are no exception," says newly elected USSF
President Lance Peterson, a soybean farmer from Underwood, Minn.
"We need an organization like USSF that will have no other focus
than to fairly, vigorously and effectively represent the voice
of all U.S. soybean farmers in the federal legislative process."
Peterson also pointed out actions by the American Soybean
Association have triggered the need for this new organization.
"It's clear to us that ASA's continuing actions are not in the
best interest of soybean farmers as ASA is jeopardizing the
national soybean checkoff," says Peterson. "We need both a
strong checkoff organization and a strong policy and advocacy
organization that can work independently but cooperatively. USSF
stands in total support of the current national soybean checkoff
and the farmer-leaders appointed by the U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture to oversee checkoff investments."
USSF will be comprised primarily of existing state soybean
associations or new state soybean federations. USSF will not
serve as a member organization, but instead be a coordinating
entity to ensure a focused representation of U.S. soybean
farmers on Capitol Hill. The organization's offices will be
eventually located in Washington, DC, and the board of directors
plans to contract with a farm lobbyist to serve as the CEO.
In a board meeting yesterday, the USSF founding state
organizations were accepted, founding officers were elected and
the board of directors was confirmed. The founding organizations
are the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the Missouri
Soybean Association. Officers are: President Lance Peterson;
Vice President Warren Stemme, a soybean farmer from
Chesterfield, Mo.; and Secretary/Treasurer Jerry Slocum, a
soybean farmer from Coldwater, Miss.
In addition to accepting the founding state organizations and
electing officers, USSF directors approved the USSF by-laws.
Peterson said the next step will be to begin outreach and
confirmation of additional state soybean organizations as
affiliates. The board of directors will also begin a strategic
planning effort, including establishing policy objectives. The
USSF operating budget will come from affiliated state soybean
organizations and industry support.
Stemme explained USSF will be governed by a full delegate body
with a board of directors and officer team. "One of the most
important features of this new organization is that every state
affiliate will have equal representation," says Stemme.
"Regardless of a state's production numbers or the number of
state soybean organization members, will be allowed ten farmer
delegates. It means an equal voice for all states, but more
importantly all soybean farmers."
When a state's organization affiliation is accepted, that state
will be allowed ten farmer-delegates. Individual states will
determine their delegates. Of those farmer-delegates, three will
become directors of the USSF Board.
"We anticipate every state that produces soybeans, desires a
strong and effective soybean policy advocate and supports the
national soybean checkoff would want to affiliate with USSF -
from North Dakota to Florida and Nebraska to Maryland," says
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