Meet the Director: Morey Hill

May 5, 2023

Location: Madrid, Iowa

Title: District 5 Director

ISA Committees: Supply, Information & Education

What crops and livestock do you grow on the farm?

Soybeans and corn in rotation. I keep anywhere from 10-12 ewes and raise about 20 laying hens.

What do you want farmers to know about the use of their checkoff dollars on the committees you serve?

Whichever committee I sit on, the other directors and I are always putting farmers first when it comes to investing their checkoff dollars.

How does your personal philosophy match the mission of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA)?

I’m always trying to improve, not staying the status quo. ISA has the same vision.

What’s the latest innovation that gets you excited about the future of soybeans?

Using soybean oil for the asphalt extender; I think it has a great future. All the research going on the new uses for soybeans makes me excited.

How have you evolved as a soybean farmer?

I’ve gone from 30-inch rows to 7-inch rows of drilled beans, from cultivation to no-till. I’ve also gone from walking beans to having herbicide-tolerant soybeans.

How do you envision production agriculture 50 years from now?

Technology and more automation. It will be doing more with less.

What’s the best piece of advice (industry-related or otherwise) you’ve ever been given?

Take care of the land, no one’s making any more of it.

What do you see as the largest hurdle for homegrown soybeans in the future? Opportunity?

Hurdle? Logistics or shipping. We need to make sure we maintain and upgrade our infrastructure to keep our competitive edge. An opportunity is research for new uses; there’s unlimited potential.

What’s something people don’t usually know about you?

I was mayor of Sheldahl for 12 years. Sheldahl is the only three-county town in Iowa, sitting in Polk, Boone and Story counties.

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