Grain Marketing

The Indiana Soybean Alliance's grain marketing initiative program focuses on strengthening Indiana soybean demand through innovative grain marketing efforts. These efforts can be categorized into three main areas:

• Soybean Production: Grain Quality Improvement Programs
• International Marketing
• Transportation Infrastructure

Grain Quality Improvement Programs

World's Best Beans - This USB Web site informs growers how to produce high-yielding soybean varieties and increase the quality of the beans they grow.  It also takes a look at how to make seed selections, how processed value drives price and also does a state comparison.  houses a state-comparison tool that compares the compositional quality of soybeans in a state to the U.S. average or to other states

Qualisoy - QUALISOY™ is a collaborative effort among the soybean industry to help market the development and availability of healthier soybeans and soy oil, reduce environmental impacts of livestock production through improved soybean meal, and improve the global competitiveness of the U.S. soybean industry.

Identity Preserve Soybean Opportunities

As more and more new soybean varieties are developed, the interest in identity preservation (IP) has grown as well.  ISA can assists farmers interested in learning more about IP soybean varieties and companies who are interested in locating IP soybeans. 

SoybeanPremiums.org

During 2009 Indiana soybean producers provided a new tool to help producers find contract premium opportunities at www.SoybeanPremiums.org.  ISA is continuing to offer this tool throughout 2010 for producers to see a variety of potentially profitable value-added opportunities, all in one location.

SoybeanPremiums.org allows buyers to post their premium programs, providing growers a detailed program listing along with links to additional resources. 

Purdue Crop Performance Program

In 2009, ISA again funded the farmer nomination soybean variety testing program through Purdue Crop Performance Program (PCPP). Purdue received a total of 31 varieties nominated by farmers. For results of the 2009 Purdue Performance Trials, please visit

Purdue Performance Trials

Transportation Infrastructure

Over the past few years, issues related to rail transportation have emerged as major concerns to soybean farmers across the United States.  Industry reports have indicated that soybean farmers' profitability is being negatively impacted by the escalating costs associated with rail transportation.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance is working with other soybean checkoff organizations, producer and consumer groups to establish a Soybean Transportation Coalition (STC).  The focus of this coalition will be to address rail rate, service and capacity issues that affect soybean producer profitability and competitiveness.  The main goals of the STC are to position soybean industry stakeholders to benefit from a transportation system that delivers cost-effective, reliable and competitive service and maintain a soybean industry coalition focused on immediate and long-term transportation issues and outcomes.

Indiana Soybean Alliance has two farmer-directors on STC's board of directors. Currently Lynn Teel of Chalmers, Ind. and Terry Vissing of Marysville, Ind. both serve of the STC board. Joe Meyer of Williamsburg, Ind. also sits on the STC board of directors as a representative of the United Soybean Board. Meyer is also an ISA director. For more information visit the Soy Transportation website. 

Transportation Infrastructure Study

The Indiana Soybean Alliance, in partnership with Indiana Corn Marketing Council, recently commissioned an Indiana Infrastructure Assessment and Economic Impact Relative to Grain Movements, Biofuels, Livestock, and Further Food Processing, a study conducted by Informa Economics that focused on our state's transportation infrastructure and the economic impact it has on our state's agriculture industry.

Report comparing six key counties  (pdf)

While the above study concentrated on six key counties, ISA and ICMC also commissioned Informa Economics to look at each of the state's 92 counties. The Indiana Transportation and Agricultural Infrastructure report is a compendium of Indiana's transportation and agricultural infrastructure at the state and county level. The major transportation infrastructure including roads, railroads, navigable waterways and bridges with a sufficiency rating of less than 80 were identified and mapped along with the agricultural features for each of Indiana's 92 counties. 

Report comparing all 92 Indiana counties (pdf)

Study: Farmers Pay Disproportionate Amount of Transportation Costs

According to a new study funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff, farmers absorb a disproportionate amount of the cost to ship their products all the way to the end user.

Over the long term, agriculture represents a supply-push market in which shipping costs will be passed on to farmers through a wider, more negative basis when they deliver their crop to the elevator, according to the study.

Click below to listen to an audio news report with USB Director and STC board member Joe Meyer, a soybean farmer from Williamsburg, IN, discussing why farmers should be aware of all the variables that affect the price they receive for their soybeans.

Transportation Farmer Profitability Study - 1

Transportation Farmer Profitability Study - 2

Transportation Farmer Profitability Study - 3

Calculator: Where Should I Sell My Soybeans?

The Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) through support of state soybean checkoff programs, including Indiana Soybean Alliance, offers a free online calculator that assists farmers in making the most profitable decision when marketing their grain.

Many farmers ask: Should I sell my soybeans to the local elevator or the more distant market offering a premium price? At what point is it no longer worth selling to the more distant location?

After all, selling at the higher price is not always the most profitable option. Farmers must not only be mindful of the price received, but also the costs associated with transporting their soybeans, or other commodities, to market. In a few quick steps, the calculator assists farmers in measuring not only how much money will be received, but also how much will be spent. Click here to use the STC's online calculator.