Online Tool Compiles Data on U.S. Soy Production Best Practices to Show Customers

ST. LOUIS (May 3, 2012) - An investment of just a few minutes of time and a few clicks of the mouse can help farmers demonstrate the high sustainability performance of U.S. soy. The payoff could include helping to retain and increase all U.S. soybean farmers' markets.

Some major customers of U.S. soy want to source sustainable ingredients for food, feed, fiber and biofuel.

The United Soybean Board (USB) and soy checkoff remain committed to helping U.S. soy farmers demonstrate their excellent sustainability performance. One new example of the effort is a checkoff partnership with the National Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (NISA) on an Internet-based questionnaire to help gather data to show U.S. soybean farmers already use sustainable management practices.

"We don't want a list of standards U.S. farmers have to meet that are created by people who know nothing about today's agriculture," explains Wisconsin farmer Chuck Prellwitz, a former soy checkoff farmer-director and current NISA board member. "Instead, we want a way of measuring what farmers have already done to grow their products sustainably."

Farmers can visit www.CoolBean.info to complete the confidential and anonymous Soybean Assessment Tool or Whole-Farm Assessment Tool questionnaires. Prellwitz encourages all U.S. farmers to participate.

The results will be segmented by region because best management practices are dependent on factors that vary regionally, such as soil, water, and weather. As one way of demonstrating soy's sustainability performance, the checkoff and NISA could use the data to show U.S. soy customers the share of U.S. farmers who have adopted sustainable best management practices appropriate for their region.

"This is another example of a farmer-driven effort to show our customers that we're sustainable before some non-agriculture group tells us what to do and how to do it," says soy checkoff farmer-director Mary Lou Smith, who farms in southeastern Michigan and serves on USB's Sustainability Initiative Leadership Team. "The goal is to compile more information to show that our agricultural practices are sustainable."

The soy checkoff has already conducted an independent, third-party life-cycle assessment that demonstrates the sustainability performance of U.S. soy production and processing. The checkoff also continues to support the Fieldprint Calculator, another sustainability tool that U.S. farmers may use for free. This tool can show farmers the effects of various farm-management decisions on the sustainability performance of their farm, including the financial impacts of those decisions.

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
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
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View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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May 19, 2012: Master Gardener's Dig and Divide Plant Sale, Scott County Extension Office-9:00 a.m.

May 22, 2012:  Master Gardener Summer Webinar Series, "Garden Goodness," Scott County Extension Office-6:30 p.m.

June 1, 2012:  Commercial & Private Pesticide Applicator Testing, Scott County Extension Office-10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

June 26, 2012:  Master Gardener Summer Webinar Series, "Garden Goodness," Scott County Extension Office- 6:30 p.m.

July 6, 2012:  Commercial & Private Pesticide Applicator Testing, Scott County Extension Office-10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

July 24, 2012:  Master Gardener Summer Webinar Series, "Garden Goodness," Scott County Extension Office-6:30 p.m.

Visit our events calendar at our web site: http://dbs.extension.iastate.edu/calendar/

'Thank You' campaign launches in recognition of Health Care Professionals Week, May 6-12

 

DES MOINES, IOWA -- Progress Iowa and SEIU Local 199 today launched a campaign to thank Senator Tom Harkin and Congressmen Dave Loebsack, Bruce Braley, and Leonard Boswell for their continued support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the recent announcement of $7.5 million in federal grants for community health centers in Iowa.

 

"As Iowans, we believe that health care is a right and not a privilege," said Matt Sinovic, Executive Director of Progress Iowa. "We want to thank the members of the Iowa delegation who continue to fight for improved health care, and for their continued efforts to bring greater resources home for Iowa's health care professionals."

 

Cathy Glasson, President of SEIU Local 199, said, "Community health centers fill an important need in Iowa," "The funding for people in places like Ottumwa and Sioux City to access much-needed basic health services is critical to keeping Iowans healthy and keeping costs down. Those millions of dollars from the Affordable Care Act ensure that our health care professionals can continue to provide the care to keep our communities healthy."

 

River Hills Community Health Center in Ottumwa, Siouxland Community Health Center in Sioux City, Community Health Care, Inc. in Davenport, Crescent Community Health Center in Dubuque, Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa, Inc. in Leon, and Primary Health Care, Inc. in Urbandale are the local community health centers that were awarded $7.5 million in funding this week.

 

To conclude the "Thank You Campaign" and Health Care Professionals Week, Progress Iowa will participate in an event hosted by SEIU Local 199 on Friday, May 11 in Iowa City.

 

For more information about the Affordable Care Act and to say thank you for health care reform, visit progressiowa.org.

 

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Background:

 

Community Health Centers receiving grants from the Building Capacity Program:

 

River Hills Community Health Center	Ottumwa	Iowa	$5,000,000
Siouxland Community Health Center	Sioux City	Iowa	$1,300,000

Source: http://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2012tables/120501healthcentercapital.html

 

Community Health Centers receiving grants from the Immediate Facility Improvement Program:

 

Community Health Care, Inc.	Davenport	Iowa	$38,750
Crescent Community Health Center	Dubuque	Iowa	$260,053
Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa, Inc.	Leon	Iowa	$483,500
Primary Health Care, Inc.	Urbandale	Iowa	$499,718

Source: http://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2012tables/120501facilityimprovement.html

 

Under the Affordable Care Act, Iowa families have received the following benefits:

 

?      42,015 Iowans on Medicare saved an average of $616 on prescription drugs, for a total savings of $25,876,475.

?      18,012 Iowans under the age of 26 gained coverage under the health care law.

?      388,676 people with Medicare in Iowa received free preventive services - such as mammograms and colonoscopies - or a free annual wellness visit with their doctor.

?      1,187,000 Iowans, including 433,000 women and 311,000 children, are free from worrying about lifetime limits on coverage.

?      Insurance companies are required to spend 80% of premium dollars on health care instead of overhead.

Source: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/ia.html

 

Progress Iowa is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization. Year-round, we promote progressive ideas and causes with creative earned media strategies, targeted email campaigns, and cutting-edge new media. With our allies, we work to significantly improve the communications effort of the entire progressive community in Iowa.

 

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, and nearly 6,000 in Iowa, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/image/570276/through-dust-heat-ana-lead-operation-success#.T6Ld5lIf8sY#ixzz1tpxbldpR