After the roar of engines fades and stillness returns to the farmyard, a farmer takes a moment to reflect on a season’s worth of dedication and effort. The principle of “planning the work, then working the plan” is now realized by tangible results: full grain bins and detailed data files. Sorting through everything requires not only our own knowledge but that of trusted peers and experts. Some days, it’s quite daunting–and leaves me yearning for spring planting season and days in a tractor seat. But not just yet!

Agriculture today is much different than my ancestors knew it to be. They were focused on subsistence farming and maybe a little surplus. As the countryside around them changed, they soon ventured into beef cattle because of demand. Years later, beef gave way to dairy production, then to hog production, as, once again, the marketplace changed. Changing market conditions, available labor and farm mechanization led the farm to transform into a row-crop business.

I’ve recently thought about those past significant changes to our family farm, and I found myself asking a very serious question: has Illinois agriculture lost some of its willingness to adapt to changing economic signals and thus missed out on real opportunities? Just as my own ancestors were influenced predominantly by their proximity to Chicago, will my own descendants make decisions based on a global marketplace? Time will answer that question. But a larger one seems to be: where will any of us find direction amid all of the market information available today, let alone tomorrow?

I believe part of the answer will come from my own disorganized office desk. On the corner sit several clearly defined stacks of business cards from individuals who have visited the farm this past year. Those cards are reminders of conversations with international buyers, shipping and transportation specialists, government officials and executives from consumer packaged goods companies. One common denominator: everyone who left a card wants access to sustainably grown, high-quality Illinois soybeans.

Even though I personally listened to each visiting individual, every Illinois soybean farmer ultimately had a hand in those meetings, too. Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) staff members, working for Illinois soy producers, put in countless hours arranging for and facilitating these groups. Because our farm has hosted these groups for years, I’ve come to appreciate greatly the work required just to create a single opportunity, let alone a year’s worth of opportunities. Illinois growers are rewarded for this effort when ISA receives a call asking directly for contacts leading to soybean sales. And yes, it does happen!

Annually, the ISA Board and Staff are tasked with identifying as many opportunities as possible in the vast global marketplace. Then, we are challenged with turning possibilities into probabilities. And as I’ve personally seen in the past five years, this is where the real association work comes in. The work of organizations such as ISA is a testament to the power of collaboration. Together, we can turn ideas into realities that successfully open the doors for Illinois soybean farmers on a global scale. Those successes start at the farm with purposeful listening and leaning into change.

I believe the brightest future lies in the hands of those individuals who trust in their own talents, and management styles, to adapt and take a piece of this changing trade landscape. Not only will they think outside the box, but they’ll also first build a bigger box to think outside of. For those willing to walk the path of change, the rewards are more than financial – they’re the legacy we leave for the next generation. And that is the greatest opportunity of all.