Following last season’s harvest, it’s no surprise that Ohio and the United States had record-breaking soybean yields. In the 2021 crop production summary from the United States Department of Agriculture, Ohio soybean production reached 275.72 million bushels with an average yield of about 56.6 bushels per acre. Nationally, soybean production totaled 4.44 billion bushels and an average yield of an estimated 52.4 bushels per acre. A record year across the board!

Of course, with every new record, there are goals to meet or exceed the previous year’s numbers and having stable and reliable infrastructure is a key component to reaching those goals. In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investments and Job Act, bipartisan legislation that includes more than $550 billion in new infrastructure spending. Several soy-related areas are contained within the bill to help fund improvements to roads, bridges, waterways and ports. The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) and American Soybean Association (ASA) advocated for these improvements, while also ensuring that no changes were made to stepped-up basis and we will continue to monitor any legislation that will improve transportation efficiency for Ohio soybeans.

In addition to advocating for infrastructure improvements, OSA continues to represent Ohio soybean farmers when discussing water quality, nutrient management, state funding, rural development and biobased products and biodiesel use at the Statehouse. More details about OSA’s legislative priorities can be found on page 6.

Your soybean checkoff has also been hard at work to support a reliable infrastructure network for Ohio farmers. The Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) invests checkoff dollars in research that will promote usage of biobased products, much like the project done in Hancock County where a soy-based sealant was used on a major county road (read more on page 20). OSC also provides farmers with resources like Precision Ag Reviews (PAR) so they can stay updated on the newest farming equipment and share their experience with other farmers across the nation. Read more about PAR on pages 14 and 15.

The issue of infrastructure is a perfect example of how OSA and OSC can work together to make a meaningful difference for Ohio farmers.

Patrick Knouff

OSA President

Shelby County soybean farmer