During the last 100 years, we have seen numerous changes and challenges in the soybean global marketplace.  For Illinois soybeans to stay competitive in the next 100 years, new approaches that address challenges—locally AND globally—are needed. Your checkoff dollars are already hard at work to address market access and policy barriers on the international scale. We’re responding to these barriers, so you can focus on your farm.

Today, ISA is proud to launch a new resource to help keep you ahead of soybean production barriers here in Illinois.

What’s your barrier? The increasing spread of herbicide resistance? Keeping up with new technology? Breaking 100 bushels per acre?

Turn to www.ILSoyAdvisor.com to support soybean production decisions – it’s a checkoff-funded tool we’ve created to help the Illinois soybean community integrate the latest production information on-farm. I’ve long envisioned more engagement from all parts of the soybean industry as the vehicle for further improvements. Let this website and forum help you capture yields and profitability, on the way to reaching ISA’s goal to utilize 600 million bushels of Illinois soybeans by 2020. Local efforts can strengthen Illinois soybeans’ and producers’ competitive edge globally.

Why?  Collaboration amongst farmers, agronomists, researchers, certified crop specialists and everyone in between will strengthen the collective Illinois soybean voice, while simultaneously strengthening the competitiveness of Illinois soybeans. This is happening as the world becomes more complex and more competitive. I expect even more market access barriers, policy barriers and non-technical barriers to production. Collaboration is critical; ILSoyAdvisor.com is a vehicle to help us do so more easily.

I am optimistic about the ability of Illinois producers to be global leaders in production, research, demand building, infrastructure development and advocacy efforts. It starts on the farm with a sound product. With a unified community dedicated to excellence and continuous improvement, the Illinois soybean industry will be the leader for food, feed and fuel industries around the world.