ISA Farmer-Director Chuck White (Photo: Joclyn Bushman/Iowa Soybean Association)
Meet the Director: Chuck White
June 1, 2023
Location: Spencer, Iowa
Title: District 1 Director
ISA Committees: Supply, Public Affairs
What crops do you grow on the farm?
I raise soybeans and corn, and I farm with my brother Kevin and my son Patrick. We’ve been no-tilling soybeans for 21 years. We use strip-till and no-till to raise our corn crops. We also use cover crops.
What do you want farmers to know about the use of their checkoff dollars on the committees you serve?
The checkoff is a valuable investment for the improvement and yields of soybeans and marketing soybeans around the world.
What makes your farm unique?
We are a very sustainable farm with the use of cover crops, no-till soybeans and strip-till corn. Soil health is very important to us.
How does your personal philosophy match the mission of Iowa Soybean Association (ISA)?
ISA has the exact philosophy I have: It’s about protecting and improving our most important natural resource, the soil.
What does success mean to you on the farm?
Increasing profitability by implementing practices and technology that achieve maximum profitability. That’s what everybody’s seeking. The bottom line is you have to be profitable.
What’s the latest innovation that gets you excited about the future of soybeans?
The high oleic oil that’s been developed using soybeans. High oleic oil has a lot of benefits for human health, renewable fuels and industrial uses.
How have you evolved as a soybean farmer?
The transition from tillage to no-till operation and the use of cover crops are the biggest changes that I’ve seen in my career, and it’s made me a much better producer.
How do you envision production agriculture 50 years from now?
I’d say the use of autonomous equipment will be commonplace.
What’s the best piece of advice (industry-related or otherwise) you’ve ever been given?
Always look to new technology and innovative ways to improve your operation. Be willing to change.
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for homegrown soybeans?
The biggest opportunity is an opportunity to improve the quality of our soybeans and also yields. I know that yield will continue to improve with breeding techniques and technology.
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