Soy Checkoff Conveys U.S. Soybean Farmers' Commitment to Stewardship

ST. LOUIS (June 13, 2012) - Most U.S. soybean farmers know they employ sustainable farming methods, such as conservation tillage, cover crops and tactics that help minimize nutrient runoff. Now a group of representatives from global food companies know it, too.

The United Soybean Board (USB) and soy checkoff's Sustainability Initiative recently organized an educational series of U.S. farm tours through three states that showed five food-industry employees firsthand what U.S. soybean farmers do to keep improving their farm's sustainability performance. The companies represented included Kellogg's, Kraft, Sodexo and Unilever, which together use a total of about 3.5 billion pounds of soybean oil annually.

"As a food company, we're dependent upon the sustainability of farmers and want to promote their efforts," says Sherilyn Brodersen, Kraft Foods' sustainable agriculture lead for the Americas. "There are so many progressive measures farmers have taken, and I'll take that information back to my company, share those stories and help increase consumers' awareness."

The food industry remains by far the biggest user of U.S. soy oil, consuming more than 80 percent of it every year. And the importance the food industry and consumers place on using sustainably sourced ingredients continues to grow.

The program took participants to farms in three large and diverse soybean-producing states - Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska - and showed them a large array of farm-management practices used today. Participants learned about strip tilling, how technology can improve efficiency, methods to remove nutrients from runoff water and more.

"Many people don't realize how high of a priority U.S. farmers place on being good stewards of our resources," says Nebraska soybean farmer Mike Thede, team lead for the checkoff's Sustainability Initiative. "I think it's important to show people how common these practices are among farmers and how we're always looking to improve even more."

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
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Last week, a dozen area middle schoolers participated in the first annual JET Summer Camp at Jordan Catholic School. JET (Jordan Engineering Team) is an extra-curricular program led by veteran coaches Victor Cincola and Carlo Milani, in cooperation with FIRST LEGO League (FLL.) FIRST introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface and then participate in team competitions. FLL teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities and, through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society. Coach Cincola began the program in 2009 with one team of ten students. This year, the program expanded to two teams and in the fall will grow to three.

During the JET Summer Camp, kids spent the first two days building rockets and using math to calculate altitude, based on engine size and rocket weight. On launch day, each member was able to launch their rocket twice with two different engine sizes. They also built devices to measure what peak altitude the rocket reached and compared that to the value calculated in the classroom. "I was surprised at how engaged and excited the kids were during the 3-day camp. They were very involved and really enjoyed the hands-
on building of their own rocket with the anticipation of the launch on the last day," explained Coach Cincola.

One of the original team members is Mr. Cincola's daughter, Sabrina, who moves on to Alleman High School in the fall. "I'm really going to miss JET." Sabrina says. "I'll miss the competitions the most- us being together as a team. Our team started out as ten people
but by the end of the first season, we were all a family."

For more information about JET and Jordan Catholic School, please call 309-793-7350.

Expert Shares Tips to Save Money by the Scoopful

The national crime wave that stunned the nation earlier this spring - coast-to-coast thefts of Tide laundry detergent and its use in illicit drug buys - didn't surprise Kris Anderson.

"Laundry detergent can be expensive and it's a product just about everyone values - even drug dealers," says Anderson, president of Country Save Corp. (www.countrysave.com), maker of all-natural laundry and dish detergents.

"But it's not just stores getting ripped off; it's consumers. Anyone who buys laundry detergent and doesn't pay close attention when they scoop it ends up using too much," Anderson says. "Not only is it a fallacy to believe that more soap will make your clothes cleaner, it's a huge waste of money and it's actually bad for your clothes."

Almost every brand of detergent has a declaration of loads per box on its packaging, he says. And for almost every brand, the number on the box does not match the scooper size provided in the box.

Anderson, whose environmentally safe Country Save laundry detergent is also distributed by the Department of Defense to all soldiers in the field, offers these facts about using your detergent prudently and economically.

• Don't just fill up the scoop and dump it in the washer. "You definitely won't get the maximum number of loads from the box," Anderson says. "For instance, if you use Ultra Tide's 40-load box and fill the scoop for every load, you'll get just 15 scoops per box." Instead, he says, put on your glasses, if necessary, and look at the lines on the side of the scoop. The top line, for a full load, is usually well below the lip of the scoop. Highlight the lines with a dark-colored marker to help you avoid the problem in the future. If you have soft water, using half the recommended amount is sufficient.

• Too much soap causes clothes to fade faster. Over-use of detergent is actually the leading cause of fading. Clothing may also acquire a thin, filmy layer of soap because your washer can't thoroughly rinse the fabric. Do you tend to be itchy? It could be you're wearing your detergent!

• Too much soap's not good for your washing machine, either. Excess soap can gum up the works as soap deposits and lint form in your washing machine. These can contribute to mold - and its accompanying stench; they can plug up filters and other openings; and they can lead to mechanical breakdowns. In some machines, you may also end up wasting (and spending more for) water as the machine spins into extended cycles in an effort to remove the soap.

• Run a test load to see if you're over-soaping. Run a load with clothes only - no detergent. Do you see suds? That's an indication of how much detergent you are wearing.

• Reduce pollutants by using an all-natural detergent. While Country Save had the first phosphate-free detergent on the market back in 1977, many companies have now removed the additive because of its harmful effects on rivers, lakes and other fresh water. However, most companies continue to use other additives, such as optic brighteners, fragrances and dyes, Anderson says. "The more often consumers choose the most natural products, the better off our environment will be - even if some people still use too much!

About Country Save Detergent

Country Save became the nation's first phosphate-free detergent when Elmer Pearson - creator of Elmer's Glue -- introduced it in 1977. A chemist and environmentalist, he developed Country Save products without animal testing or animal byproducts. They're designed to be environmentally safe and they're recommended for people with sensitive skin. The line also includes dish detergent and oxygen-powered powdered bleach. Find Country Save products on the company's website and amazon.com.