Combine Karaoke and Farm-to-Pizza with April Hemmes, Chloe Zittergruen and Tom Halverson

April 7, 2026

In this inaugural episode The Bean Scene, hear from three leaders who are shaping the future of the soybean industry. Tom Halverson, CEO of CoBank, kicks off the episode with a break down the structural economic shifts farmers are facing.

Then meet April Hemmes, a Hampton-area farmer and former Iowa Soybean Association and United Soybean Board director, who shares how she built a platform to represent soybean farmers around the world. She talks about life on her family’s century farm and shares stories from her viral combine karaoke videos.

To round out the episode, Iowa FFA State President Chloe Zittergruen demonstrates how youth are shaping the future agriculture—including bridging urban and rural divides through a farm-to-pizza activity.

This is an episode about people and the future of the soybean industry. It highlights the farmers who lead by example and the young leaders who are ensuring agriculture has a voice around the world.

This episode The Bean Scene is brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and funded by the soybean checkoff.

---

Back