Yvonne Wente, trailblazer, named Legacy of Leadership award winner

June 30, 2025 | Bethany Baratta

Before the Iowa Soybean Association became a unified board in 2004, the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board and Iowa Soybean Association were two separate boards working with, for and on behalf of Iowa's soybean farmers.

In the 1990s, Yvonne Wente recalls her work in promoting ISA membership and helping farmers understand the value of the national soybean checkoff.

"Back in the day, we would just get in our cars and drive around door to door unannounced and really get those messages out, especially with the membership drives and then also with the checkoff, to try and reach as many people as we could," she says.

Braving dogs, adverse weather and sometimes skeptical producers during those visits, she teamed up with other farmers on the board to advance the mission of the ISA.

"One of our board members, Ron Schildroth, would be very quiet for the most part, but yet he would always kind of pound his fist on the table and say, 'But does it sell soybeans?' "

Some things haven't changed, Wente, of Waverly, says.

"That was our goal then and that's still our goal now. And we really have increased the sale of soybeans worldwide," she says.

The U.S. exported 15 million metric tons of soybeans in 1990-1991, according to the American Soybean Association. In 2022-2023, the U.S. exported 54 million tons of soybeans.

Wente was recently recognized for her charismatic leadership and passion for progress as the 2025 recipient of the Legacy of Leadership Award. Sponsored by Stine Seed Company, this award is presented to an ISA member who has established a history of leadership and has taken an active role in advancing the goals of ISA.

During her time on the promotion board, Wente became a tireless advocate for the expansion opportunities the checkoff provided the industry. She also focused her efforts on educating consumers about the benefits of soy products.

"I was really excited about the connection with consumers and new products. We launched a campaign at that time for soy foods and I became the face of soy foods because being a woman, I resonated with the women that we were trying to reach," she says.

Soy ink, soy crayons and biodiesel were all notable new uses during her tenure on the board.

Trailblazer

Over the years, Wente's leadership has inspired others to raise their voice and advocate for agriculture. As the first female Iowa Soybean Promotion Board chair and one of the first women to participate in trade missions, Wente became a trailblazer for other women in the industry.

"When I was on the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board, there were no other women," she says. "I was the first and only woman on the soybean board for some time and there were very few women on the other commodity boards as well. And so when we first started going on trade missions, it was very unique for the other countries to see women on these trade teams.

Now women are hosting these trade teams and they're being accepted on trade missions worldwide. To see that progress has been very meaningful."

Family support

When asked about her leadership legacy, Wente thanks her mentors, fellow board members and local farmers who supported her journey, but most importantly, her family.

"They sacrificed a lot, time-wise, as do many of the board members' families and so I'd like to thank them for all the time that they gave me," she says. "They are just as much a part of advancing agriculture. They enabled me to do what I did, both my children and husband, manning the home front while I was gone."

Written by Bethany Baratta. 

Mickayla Jordan, ISA marketing coordinator, contributed to this story.

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