Nominations are open for the 2024 ILSoyAdvisor CCA Soybean Master Adviser and Dave Rahe Excellence in Soils Consulting awards until October 27, 2023. The CCA Soybean Master Adviser Award recognizes the vital role of Illinois Certified Crop Advisers (CCAs) in improving soybean production, offering insights to enhance yield and profitability. The Dave Rahe Excellence in Soils Consulting Award honors an exceptional Illinois CCA for their expertise in soils consulting within the state's soybean production systems, named after former CCA Soy Envoy, Dave Rahe.

Fall harvest is one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for U.S. farmers. And for that reason, America has recognized National Farm Safety and Health during the third week of September. This year, Richard Guebert Jr., President of the Illinois Farm Bureau, challenges every Illinois farmer to make safety a top priority throughout the months of September and October.

The fertilizer industry is an essential part of any farming operation, and there is currently legislation in Congress to add potash and phosphate to the critical minerals list. Adding these two fertilizers is imperative to ensure our nation’s supply of fertilizer remains stable. Contact your Representative and urge them to support this legislation today.

Frey Family Farms is the recipient of the inaugural Illinois Leopold Conservation Award. The prestigious award, given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, recognizes achievement in voluntary conservation and management of natural resources by American farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners in 27 states. In Illinois, the award is presented annually by Sand County Foundation, national sponsor American Farmland Trust, and state partners, IL Corn and Illinois Soybean Association.

Last week, the ISA Market Development team attended the 2023 Soy Connext in New York, NY. The department focused on meeting with representatives of Turkey, Morocco, Colombia, and Nigeria. The team also followed up with the numerous trade teams that attended farm visits with Illinois farmers over the past couple of weeks. Those trade teams included people from Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) recently announced the launch of a Bridge Bundling Toolkit, an interactive website that provides municipal, township, and county officials with a step-by-step guide on how to assess and develop a bridge bundle. Illinois has over 26,000 bridges statewide, of which 44% are in fair condition and 9% are in poor condition as designated by the United States Federal Highway Administration.