Local soybean growers take part in S.D. Soybean See for Yourself Tour in Mexico

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SIOUX FALLS — Two area soybean growers, Larry Nielson of Tulare and David Struck of Wolsey, took part in a See for Yourself Tour to Mexico in February  hosted by the South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (SDSRPC).
Some funding was also provided by checkoff dollars.
The tour provided South Dakota soybean growers with the opportunity to see where a portion of the nearly 255 million bushels of soybeans they harvest each year end up when they leave South Dakota’s fields. Close to 70 percent of soybeans harvested in South Dakota are exported.
“Before this tour, I didn’t realize the potential market for soybeans and corn through the Gulf or rail to Central and Southern Mexico — or that it is possible for South Dakota soybeans to reach these markets,” said Nielson. “This tour also gave me a better understanding of the goals of the checkoff to expand export markets and continue to add value to the soybeans we raise.”
Struck added, “This tour taught me that we as soybean growers need to pressure the grain companies to maintain quality in our commodity.

“After this experience, I will focus my seed selection on varieties with higher protein,” Struck added.
Tim Ostrem, a Centerville farmer and SDSRPC board member, said, “This tour puts a face to the product. It lets South Dakota farmers meet those who buy our soybeans and develop stronger relationships with these buyers. It also allows us to highlight the role the South Dakota soybean checkoff plays in developing international markets.”
Other South Dakota soybean farmers who participated in the tour included Dave Bumgardner, Fulton; Lynn Deibert, Herreid; Kip Erickson, Platte; Cody Geary, Elk Point; Jesse King, Toronto; AliceAnn Krantz, Dell Rapids; Steven Preszler, Menno; and Don Rang, Parker. Soybean growers, Todd Hanten, an SDSRPC board member and Nick Lorang, an SDSA board member, also helped host the tour.
According to participants, the experience was valuable and provided real insights when it comes to making management decisions on their operations.
Growers participating in the See For Yourself Tour were selected through an application process. This annual tour is one of many ways the SDSRPC works to inform growers and strengthen South Dakota’s export markets. To learn how the soybean checkoff works for you, visit www.sdsoybean.org or call the S.D. Soybean office at 605-330-9942.
“The See For Yourself program continues to be a success for the South Dakota soybean checkoff. We get to show farmers what it takes to move our soybeans from the local elevator to export ports and eventually to processing plants in another country,” Ostrem said. “We see how the soybeans are used and what quality the buyers are looking for.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SDSRPC
Pictured at a cooking oil processing plant in Merida, Mexico, soybean farmers include from left, Jesse King, Toronto; Tim Ostrem, Centerville, SDSRPC Director; Steve Preszler, Menno; Lynn Deibert, Herreid; Larry Nielson, Tulare; Dave Bumgardner, Fulton; Don Rang, Parker; Kip Erickson, Platte; Todd Hanten, Goodwin, SDSRPC Director; AliceAnn Krantz, Dell Rapids; Nick Lorang, Mt. Vernon, SDSA Director; Cody Geary, Elk Point, and David Struck, Wolsey.