Muller Retires from South Dakota Pork, Thanks Soybean Growers for Years of Support

There’s another commodity organization retirement, this one also close to soybean farmers. Glenn Muller is in the process of stepping down as executive director of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. His retirement and Jerry Schmitz’s from South Dakota Soybean are just days apart. Muller, with South Dakota Pork for 16 years, wants to pass the baton to younger, tech-savvy individuals.

“It's time to bring in the next generation,” Muller told the South Dakota Soybean Network during an interview a few months prior to his retirement. “We've done that with our board. We've been very fortunate to bring some youth into our board, some younger generation to bring us up to speed on modern technology and bring those individuals into our business. It's time that we have somebody at the top that brings some of that into the organization as well.”

Muller and pork producers in general are closely associated with soybean growers, a relationship that Muller refers to as solid.

“It is, it's phenomenal. We utilize a lot of soybean meal in our [swine] diets. It's the second highest volume,” Muller pointed out. “We use more corn by volume than we do soybean meal, but soybean meal would definitely be second.”

“Well, we always call it ‘pork and beans,’” interjected Jerry Schmitz, who is outlasting the senior Muller by a week as executive director at South Dakota Soybean. “We rely on one another so much and not only in the industry, but as partners in moving agriculture forward itself. So, to be able to work with South Dakota Pork and have them have a close relationship with us is just so meaningful for the industry, but also for farmers and those of us that are staff. It just makes it really enjoyable.”

Muller concurs, saying that pork producers and soybean farmers have a “great working relationship.”

“We work together on research projects. We work together on expansion of the industry [and] educational opportunities,” Muller said. “It's been a great working relationship with the soybean producers along with the pork producers.”

South Dakota Soybean helped complete a facility at South Dakota State University a decade ago dedicated to improving conditions for hogs, adding to the bond between soybean growers and hog farmers, according to Muller.

“Soybean growers and the soybean commodity organizations have been so supportive,” said Muller, “whether it be in the construction and financing of the Swine Research and Education Facility at SDSU or in regards to supporting our packing industry. They've stepped up alongside of us and just been a great partner to have all the way through the industry.”

Pork producers are highly regarded among soybean growers because they’re part of the livestock industry, which happens to the biggest demand driver for soybeans.

“They are huge, particularly in South Dakota,” said Schmitz referring to a pig’s appetite for soybean meal. “And there is so much room to grow the industry. And doing that helps soybeans, it helps pork. But more than that, it helps the communities across South Dakota and helps the state with the tax income. So anytime we can move that forward, it's a benefit for everybody.”

The hog business has changed since Muller hired on with South Dakota Pork in 2010. At that time, about 2.1 million hogs were marketed annually in South Dakota. That figure today, according to Muller, has increased to 3.6 million head marketed annually.

“On the other hand, we've seen a reduction in producers,” Muller lamented. “Our producers at that time in 2010, we were looking at probably 2,500 to 3,000 and today we'd have about 750.”