(Photo: Iowa Soybean Association / Joclyn Bushman)
Rural Route 2: A winning combination
February 1, 2025 | Bethany Baratta
Ham and cheese. Batman and Robin. Peanut butter and jelly. Soybeans and livestock. Dynamic duos.
The most important customer of U.S. soybeans, livestock, consumes 97% of U.S. soybean meal, according to the United Soybean Board.
Why is soy so good? I asked Grant Kimberley, ISA’s senior director of market development, for his perspective.
“It’s the premier vegetable protein choice for livestock production because it has one of the best natural amino profiles of any protein-based feed source out there,” he says.
What does this winning combination of soy and livestock mean for Iowa?
“Increasing livestock production supports the state’s economy while increasing demand for U.S. soy,” Kimberley says.
A recent study commissioned by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF), shows that livestock farming and related industries account for $20.4 billion in value-added contributions for the state, up nearly $5 billion from 2017. It also accounts for nearly 170,000 jobs across Iowa.
“There’s no question that the livestock industry is a critical piece to Iowa’s overall economy,” says CSIF Executive Director Brian Waddingham. “It’s also key to keeping farm families living and working on the land.”
The study, conducted by Decision Innovation Solutions, also noted that crop farming and processing account for 99,271 jobs, and $16.2 billion in value-added contributions to Iowa, up from $11.1 billion dollars in 2017.
The crops category, including industries such as grain and oilseed farming and crop food processing industries, contribute $16.2 billion to the Iowa economy. Crop production makes up a majority of this contribution with a total of around $12.7 billion; crop processing makes up the remaining amount of around $3.5 billion. This category includes activities such as flour milling, soybean processing and breakfast cereal manufacturing. A total of 99,271 jobs are derived from industries in the crops category. Of this, 57,106 are derived from grain production, 16,797 from oilseed production, 4,329 from other crop production, and 21,040 from crop processing.
In this issue of the Iowa Soybean Review, read how your checkoff investment supports the work of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers, which helps farmers responsibly start and grow their livestock farms. Learn from livestock farmers about why soybeans are their preferred choice of feed for their animals, despite available alternatives.
As someone who grew up raising livestock on a family farm, I appreciate the hours that go into caring for livestock. I’m grateful for farmers — in the fields and in the barns. Thank you for what you do to provide the feed (for the aforementioned livestock), food (for my family and me), fiber and fuel (for all of us).
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