1. Illinois Soybean Association

2. A New Strategic Direction
The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) board of directors recently refined and approved its strategic direction through the year 2020 and along with that is a new strategic plan. The new plan brings ISA’s focus from five target areas, to three target audiences. All new projects will fall under one of these audiences to better help ISA reach the most influential groups.

3. Vision The Illinois Soybean Association strives to enable Illinois soybean producers to be the most knowledgeable, sustainable and profitable in the global marketplace. Mission To ensure Illinois soy is the highest quality, most dependable, sustainable and competitive in the global marketplace.
As a part of those changes, we have decided to add a focus on sustainability to our mission statement, as well as reorganize our focus areas. ISA previously categorized soybean checkoff-funded project opportunities by priority area, including animal agriculture, transportation, yield, composition and profitability, freedom to operate and organizational excellence. The new strategic plan shifts the focus to the audiences ISA serves; customers in the marketplace, Illinois soybean farmers, stakeholders and influencers and internal organizational excellence. The targeted result of the association remains the same, to utilize 600 million bushels of Illinois soybeans by the year 2020.”

4. ISA Goals
To achieve maximum profitability and global competitive positioning for Soy from Illinois.
Utilize 600 million bushels of Illinois soybeans by 2020
Produce the highest quality soybean, soybean oil and soybean meal products
Implement best management practices to maximize profitability
Increase soybean production in a sustainable manner to meet global market needs
Read new goals from slide. However, The targeted result of the association remains the same, to utilize 600 million bushels of Illinois soybeans by the year 2020.”

5. A Top Soybean Producing State
Illinois was edged out only by Iowa as the top soybean producing state in 2015.
In 2015, 9.8 million acres of soybeans were planted in Illinois. 9.7 million acres of soybeans were harvested. The average yield was 56 bu/a. Total production was more than 544 million bushels of soybeans. In 2015, Illinois producers harvested nearly 14% of the U.S. soybean crop.

6. ISA Leadership Board of Directors 24 volunteer Illinois farmers
18 directors from districts throughout the state
6 at-large directors who represent the state as a whole
Govern ISA use of checkoff and non- checkoff funds
Each serves on production or marketing committee
Read from slide.

7. Interested in Leadership?
ISA Soy Ambassador program
ASA DuPont Young Leader Program
Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation
Are you interested in learning more about the Illinois soybean industry and serving as a leader?  ISA encourages soybean farmers from all parts of the state, from all sizes of farms, and from all walks of life to get involved.
ISA Board members can serve 2 three-year terms. You should expect to attend 2-6 meetings per year, you receive reimbursement for your travel costs and you can work to develop your leadership and communication skills while working for the soybean checkoff.
Other volunteers opportunities include serving as an ISA soy ambassador, which is a 2-year program for farmers who are chosen to develop leadership qualities for future leadership roles in the soybean industry.
We also work with national groups such as the ASA DuPont Young Leaders and the Illinois Agricultural Leadership foundation.
For more information on joining a board, please subscribe to our weekly updates on our website or contact Angel Terrell,

8. Organizational Excellence
ISA Focus
Marketplace
Farmer Profitability
Stakeholder Value
Organizational Excellence
ISA previously categorized soybean checkoff-funded project opportunities by priority area, including animal agriculture, transportation, yield, composition and profitability, freedom to operate and organizational excellence. The new strategic plan shifts the focus to the audiences ISA serves; customers in the marketplace, Illinois soybean farmers, stakeholders and influencers and internal organizational excellence.

9. Marketplace
Our first focus audience is the marketplace, or our customers.
The goal here is to promote the preference of IL soy for export markets, biodiesel and animal agriculture.
Checkoff funded projects in this area include: increasing the volume of soy in tuna feeds, shifting consumption of biodiesel from B11 to B20 and increasing export of IL soybeans via containers.

10. Farmer Profitability
The second focus area is of course on our farmers.
We want to ensure that farmers can be as profitable as possible while still remaining sustainable.
Projects in this area would include: increasing the adoption of sustainable soybean production practices and leveraging tools and technology to help farmers improve yield and profitability.

11. Stakeholder Value Our next audience would be stakeholders.
And this has a two part objective. To expand the influence of ISA but also to ensure Illinois soybeans reach their intended destinations in the most efficient way.
Projects in this area include fostering private public partnerships for roads, bridges, rail and river systems and advocating for equitable public policies and generate opportunities for clear pathways to markets.

12. Organizational Excellence
The final focus is on organizational excellence, which is more of an internal focus. At the Illinois Soybean Association we take our jobs seriously handling the Illinois soybean checkoff and representing all 43,000 Illinois soybean farmers. We want to work to produce the best leaders in Illinois. We’ll do this by continuing to grow our strategic focus and developing a performance management system to keep us on track.

13. Thank you