(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Kuboushek)
Rural Route 2: Celebrating soy all month long
July 31, 2025 | Bethany Baratta
It's a big month. With Left-Handers Day, Dog Appreciation Day, the Iowa Soybean Association's Summer Soy Series, World Photo Day, the Iowa State Fair, and back-to-school chaos, August is anything but lazy.
Amid all the energy and events, one celebration in particular stands out for its deep roots in Iowa.
August is also Soybean Month in Iowa.
It's easy to celebrate a crop that has so many applications to everyday life. From candles to cleansers and fuel to flour, soybeans provide the food, fiber and feed that allows humans, pets and livestock to thrive.
It's easy to celebrate the Iowa farmers who work year-round to plan, plant and produce the legume; you grew 598 million bushels of soybeans in 2024, nearly 14% of the total U.S. soybean production.
In this issue, Kriss Nelson examines what farmers are looking for in future seed opportunities. We celebrate August Soybean Month in Iowa with some fresh photos by Joclyn Kuboushek. A new Partners Plus Program announced recently provides exclusive benefits to Iowa Soybean Association farmer members. An Insights Report, sent along with this copy of the Review, highlights research results to help you make decisions on your farm. We're celebrating a significant step forward for B99 in Iowa, a fuel driven by the power of biodiesel.
Not included in this issue are a host of projects, initiatives, meetings and opportunities happening to expand the prospects for the soybean industry.
These efforts include:
- Outreach to lawmakers in Iowa and in Washington, D.C. to ensure decisions there don't stifle soybean demand and production.
- Engagement in conversations relating to the continuation of programs that help farmers get started in conservation practices.
- Reaching consumers to deliver facts regarding seed oils.
- Welcoming new Iowa Soybean Association members to unlock the full benefits of membership (is your membership up to date?).
- Scouting the fields to help farmers understand potential solutions to their acre challenges.
- Facilitating interviews between farmers and media to share the accurate message of what farmers are doing on their farms.
There's a lot happening behind the scenes to help farmers grow more, earn more and learn more. Like the work you do on your farms year-round, we're committed to working alongside you (and celebrating soy!) not just during Soybean Month in Iowa, but throughout the year.
Written by Bethany Baratta.
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