Mexico See For Yourself applications are due by Saturday, May 10th
May 5, 2025
The application deadline is Saturday, May 10th to participate in the next See For Yourself program tour. The trip, from July 7th to July 11th, is to Mexico, said Jerry Schmitz, executive director of the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff.
“We’ll be visiting folks who utilize soy in Mexico,” Schmitz told the South Dakota Soybean Network, “and also folks that want to talk with farmers about how they grow the crop.”
The See For Yourself program was designed to give South Dakota soybean farmers a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn about their customers beyond the elevator and the soybean checkoff’s role in marketing South Dakota and U.S. soy to those customers. But there are plenty of other reasons to host See For Yourself trips, according to Schmitz, such as seeing shipping and port infrastructure, as is the case on missions to view the Pacific Northwest Ports or to meet foreign customers of South Dakota soybean growers.
“Folks paying into the checkoff really do want to know, ‘where are my dollars going; what’s the value there,’” said Schmitz. “And there is no better way than bringing them to, for instance, Mexico to show them the purchasers of their soy, how it’s being used and what the buyers are looking for when they purchase soy.”
Participants will gain firsthand insight into the global demand for U.S. soy and how checkoff-funded efforts are strengthening trade relationships, supporting animal agriculture, and driving innovation in soy-based products, according to a news release from South Dakota Soybean.
The tour includes information about the U.S. Soybean Export Council, as well as stops at a soy-handling shuttle station and a feed mill that uses soy to produce livestock rations.
“They will also visit a distillery,” Schmitz added. “That might seem a little strange, but there are just a number of uses and places where soy is used, so it’s kind of exciting to see how it is used in different areas.”
Aside from learning about the destinations and the buyers of South Dakota-grown soybeans, the trip is also an opportunity for South Dakota soybean farmers to develop lasting personal relationships.
“Absolutely,” Schmitz interjected. “That is what is so important. For folks in most countries that relationship means more to them than the actual purchase or sale of the product; establishing those relationships can sometimes last a lifetime. The relationships are not only with the folks down in Mexico but relationships with the people that you’re traveling with. Sometimes those last a lifetime as well.”
The applications to be part of this exclusive opportunity to explore how checkoff investments are expanding international markets for South Dakota soybeans must be received by Saturday, May 10th, and will be considered by the South Dakota Soybean Board, including inquiries regarding the applicant’s background.
The See For Yourself program is fully funded by the South Dakota Soybean Checkoff, covering travel, lodging, and meals for participants selected from the applications.
Because of costs related to trip preparation and reservation cancellation, there is a $200 fee for cancellations after May 19, 2025.
“One of the important things,” emphasized Schmitz, “is the individuals will need a passport.”