Taking aim at excellence

August 10, 2022 | Jeff Hutton

With hatchet in hand, Kurtis Stockdale took aim at his target. The Iowa Falls farmer then delivered the blow as the cutting edge of his axe sunk deep into the shredded wooden board. Bull’s-eye!

That careful placement of the hatchet is not unlike the work of Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) Producer Services team – making sure ISA farmer-members find targeted success in the field.

This week, ISA held its District 3 meeting at the Hurling Hatchet in Cedar Falls, where participants gathered for information, camaraderie, food and fun.

Coming together

This week’s event was the eighth of nine district meetings sponsored by ISA, designed to bring together soybean farmers from around the state to share ideas, join in a meal and participate in an educational and/or fun activity.

“It’s a chance to share policy updates, ISA information and research, as well as a ‘thank you’ for being an ISA member,” says Breanna Wagner, ISA producer services coordinator.

“The networking aspect, I think, is the coolest part. It’s a chance to swap stories not just with your neighbor, but with others in the district and other parts of the state.”

Wagner’s fellow producer services coordinator, Kennady Moffitt, agrees.

“I think we’ve also been able to pull in a lot more people,” she says. “We’ve gained new members and created new touchpoints.”

For Stockdale and his wife, this week’s event was both educational and fun.

“We got to hear a little more about ISA and what they’re doing,” he says. “As a farmer, we don’t always get a chance to visit and meet with other farmers.”

Moffitt and Wagner say this year’s slate of district meetings have proven successful – everything from a distillery tour, a tractor pull and setting sail on Lake Okoboji.

The team is seeking innovative ideas for 2023.

“We want to hear from our members around what they would like to see or do,” Wagner says.

One last meeting in 2022

There is one more opportunity remaining for the summer for farmer-members to hear from ISA staff and board members about what’s happening in the soybean industry.

The District 5 meeting will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17 at the Iowa State Fair. There will be a short program along with ice cream sundaes. Following the meeting, meal vouchers will be provided to attendees to enjoy dinner at one of the commodity food stands.

RSVP here for the meeting or contact the producer services team for more information.

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