Bloomington, Ill. – September 26, 2022 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) is a proud sponsor of the Heartland Community College Soils Lab, which is part of the college’s new modern ag complex designed to serve the educational and ag workforce needs of central Illinois.
“The investment in the soils lab is a good use of our checkoff dollars as it will benefit students and future farmers,” says Jim Martin, Illinois Soybean Association District 6 Director.
The soils lab is a learning space designed to give students hands on experience in a lab setting, as well as in demonstration plots around the exterior of the building, for an in-and-out educational setting.
“Whether students go on to become sales agronomists or plant breeders, educating students about soil history, development, functions, and health is vital to keeping our Illinois soils protected,” says Illinois Soybean Association Director of Agronomy, Abigail Peterson. “There is an imminent need for more students to know the science behind soil management as we face increased soil loss, nutrient loss, and undergo changing climate patterns. Soils are a living system, and having a lab environment to comprehend the chemical, biological, and physical aspects of soil functions is a great tool for teachers to demonstrate the phenomena that are hard to grasp from just a textbook.”
Sponsorship of the lab will provide ISA with unlimited use of the space for future trainings or meetings, and a seat on the advisory panel where the association will provide input into the lab’s work, findings, and equipment purchases.
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development and utilization efforts while the membership program supports the government relations interests of Illinois soybean farmers at the local, state, and national level, through the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG). ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean producers through promotion, advocacy, and education with the vision of becoming a market leader in sustainable soybean production and profitability. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
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