Iowa farmer elected to American Soybean Association leadership post

December 12, 2024 | Bethany Baratta

During its annual election meeting in St. Louis this week, the American Soybean Association (ASA) Board of Directors voted in the executive committee members who will lead the organization through the coming year’s top advocacy priorities, including farm bill, tax policy, regulations, biofuels and more.

The ASA board elected Dave Walton to serve as ASA secretary. Walton, a seventh-generation farmer from Wilton, is also an Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) District 6 Director.

Walton and his family raise soybeans, corn, wheat and cattle on their eastern Iowa farm.

“Being a part of the ASA Executive committee is probably one of the more important roles I’ve had because I’m not only bringing the voice of the Iowa farmer to the national stage, but I get the opportunity to talk on behalf of the 500,000 other American farmers,” Walton says.

As a new administration is welcomed into the White House, he and the other elected members will get started meeting the new faces in D.C.

“The first thing we’ll do is meet those folks to develop a relationship with them. The second thing we’ll do is educate,” Walton says. “In some cases, we’re going to have people in positions that aren’t as familiar with the issues that we need them to be.”

Top of mind for Walton and ASA: regulations regarding pesticides, Environmental Protection Agency herbicide strategies and biofuels.

“We may see a shift in how biofuels are approached, but we’re trying to place soybean farmers in a prime position to be the preferred feedstock suppliers,” Walton says.

While the Iowa Soybean Association largely takes a state-focused approach to national and state policies and advocacy, ASA works on issues that are overarching but touch every soybean farmer in the U.S.

“It’s a matter of focus, but the two complement each other,” he says.

He looks forward to working with the other soy-related committees and organizations, including the United Soybean Board, U.S. Soybean Export Council and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health.

“Even though I’m elected to an officer position on ASA, it’s really a team sport,” Walton says, noting that each complement each other.  “We’re trying to do good work for soybean farmers.”

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