Soybean Farmers Applaud Maryland Department of Transportation
Maryland Soybean Board to partner in education outreach
The Maryland Soybean Board praises the Maryland Department of Transportation for their innovative consideration of farmers in their recently released 2021-2025 Maryland Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). The plan is the latest update to identify strategies and actions to eliminate fatalities on all Maryland roadways. This update is the first of which to address rural communities and farm equipment concerns.
“The SHSP addresses safety specific to Maryland roadways across urban, suburban and rural communities,” states the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) in the announcement of the plan. “For example, in many areas the roadway use changes when farm equipment needs to travel alongside other vehicles. In a case like this, crash prevention measures – such as fixed and mobile road signs warning of slow-moving vehicles and outreach campaigns – will be among strategies used to raise awareness of unique needs of rural communities and farm operations on Maryland roads.”
The Maryland Soybean Board (MSB) completed the Maryland Rural Road Safety Study in 2019, which analyzed farm vehicle and farm equipment related in the State of Maryland. Conclusions from the study found that education for all drivers, both of farm vehicles and standard motor vehicles, will play a key role in reducing the number of farm vehicle collisions; and that it was imperative for farm vehicles to be recognized in the SHSP. The Maryland Soybean Board worked with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and other stakeholders to put those findings into action.
“Road safety is a top priority for Maryland soybean farmers,” proclaimed MSB Chair Belinda Burrier. “We are pleased to see that the Maryland Department of Transportation is taking these concerns seriously by becoming one of the first states in the nation to include farm equipment in their highway safety plan.”
The MSB will continue to work with MDOT to further education efforts surrounding farm vehicle collisions. Most recently, MSB released www.findmedriving.com, a website providing driving tips for navigating around slow moving vehicles on the roadway. It features an orange triangle mascot, SAM, as a reminder for drivers for when they see a slow moving vehicle to Slow down, Assess their surroundings, and Move with caution. Burrier has also been appointed to represent farmers on the MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration Highway Safety Speed Emphasis Area Team.
“Serving in this role, I look forward to not only sharing my experience to prevent farm vehicle collisions, but also voicing concerns on other opportunities to make roadways safer for farmers, including roadway construction, maintenance, and more,” she states.
In Maryland, farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops. The checkoff program is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of their soybeans at the first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board.
For more information on the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.mdsoy.com.
# # #
Danielle Farace, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com
Soybeans Fuel Local Food Donations
Maryland soybean farmers applaud their number one customers in animal agriculture who aided in keeping food on table for local families during unprecedented times. According to the Maryland Food Bank, agricultural corporations such as Perdue Farms, Inc., Smithfield Foods, and Tyson Chicken donated over 1.3 million pounds of protein-rich foods in 2020.
“As Marylanders have increasingly relied on food pantries over the past year, we are pleased to see our partners in the supply chain give to help those in need,” said Maryland Soybean Board Chair Belinda Burrier.
Maryland farmers sustainably grow high-quality soybeans on approximately half a million acres throughout the state. Many of these farmers grow genetically modified (GMO) crops, which allow them to fully embrace conservation practices such as cover crops, no-till farming, and crop rotation. Using these practices, farmers can combat climate change by sequestering carbon, reducing soil erosion, and improving water quality.
While soybeans have many uses, the majority grown in Maryland are sold to the animal agriculture sector, where they are crushed into soybean meal and used for feed. Soybeans provide an excellent source of protein, essential amino acids, and other value nutrients for poultry, pigs, beef and dairy cattle, and more.
Poultry companies on the Delmarva, such as Perdue Farms, Inc. and Tyson Chicken, purchase 38 million bushels of soybeans each year for chicken feed. The nutritious diet that soybeans provide efficiently grows high-quality chickens. In turn, these chickens provide a low-calorie and low-fat protein source for humans that builds muscle, promotes heart health, strengthens bones, and more.
With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops. The Maryland Soybean Board works to maximize the profitability of Maryland soybean producers by investing Maryland checkoff funds in research, promotion, and communication projects. Learn more about soybeans in Maryland by visiting www.mdsoy.com.
# # #
Danielle Farace, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com
Soybean Growers Participate in Virtual Leadership Training
Two Maryland farmers participated in the American Soybean Association’s Soybean Leadership Academy earlier this month. Belinda Burrier of Union Bridge, and Evan Staley of New Windsor, both representatives of the Maryland Soybean Board, joined over 160 other participants from across the country in completing the training.
Photo: United Soybean Board
“This annual program continually brings value to those who attend,” said Burrier, current MSB Chair. “Although the virtual format was different this year, there were engaging speakers who made it easy to learn from the comfort of the farm.”
The Soybean Leadership Academy is designed to provide tools and techniques that enable state and national soybean board leaders to be more effective, efficient, and inspired leaders. Throughout the program, participants had the opportunity to engage with each other and speakers, both on camera and through chat, and in some states, in person.
This year’s event offered two different tracks for attendees, an Executive track for top state and national farmer leaders which Burrier participated in, and a Beginning/Intermediate track for new farmer leaders which Staley participated in. Featured speakers included Neen James, author of Attention Pays; Vance Crowe, communications consultant; Dr. Matt Roberts, economist; Dan Farney, chairman, USB; Darryl Chatman, senior vice president, governance and compliance, USB; and Christy Seyfert, ASA executive director of government affairs.
“With this being my second year on the Maryland Soybean Board, the program helped me to get a better understanding of the workings of the checkoff organization,” Staley commented. “I would recommend the training to anyone who is interested in becoming involved with the soybean industry.”
In Maryland, farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops. The checkoff program is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of their soybeans at the first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board.
For more information on the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.mdsoy.com.
# # #
Danielle Farace, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com
Maryland Soybean Board Invests in Promotion
For the 2021 fiscal year, the Maryland Soybean Board has invested over $190,000 in projects to promote soybeans and their many by-products. The board of farmer directors identified target areas of funding as Animal Agriculture, Consumer Education, Emerging Markets, and Farmer Engagement.
“The overall goal is to maximize the profitability of Maryland soybean farmers,” shared Evan Staley, Chair of the board’s Promotion and Communication Committee. “The board received proposals in excess of the amount of funding available. They chose to prioritize projects that best aligned with their strategic plan.”
Projects funded in these target areas include:
- Animal Agriculture – Membership to the Animal Agriculture Alliance, Rebranding and Promoting Delmarva’s Chicken Community through the Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA), Sponsorship of 4-H youth livestock shows;
- Consumer Education – “Find Me Driving” road Safety Campaign, “Just the Beginning…the Life of a Young Sprout” booklets, Maryland Agricultural Education Outreach through the Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation (MAEF), Maryland Farm & Harvest television series, MaxCareers.Info website, Membership to the Center for Food Integrity, MidAtlantic CommonGround, My Maryland Farmers website and social media campaign;
- Emerging Markets – Building Brand New Export Markets through the World Initiative for Human Health (WISHH), National Biodiesel Board Membership, Northeast State Regulatory and Technical Biodiesel Support;
- Farmer Engagement – Elevator Signage about the checkoff program, LEAD Maryland Program, Maryland Commodity Classic, and other local sponsorships.
“For every dollar that farmers invest into the soybean checkoff, the United Soybean Board has shown that they received an estimated $12.34 in added value. The Maryland Soybean Board is proud of the investments being made to continuously add value to the industry,” Staley concludes.
In Maryland, farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops. The checkoff program is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of their soybeans at the first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board.
For more information on the Maryland Soybean Board, visit www.mdsoy.com.
# # #
Danielle Farace, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com
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