The Soybean Pod

A Salem, South Dakota farmer was honored by the American Soybean Association for his attention to conservation in his farming operation. Kurt Stiefvater was one of four regional honorees for The Conservation Legacy Award program and was recognized at the 2025 Commodity Classic in Denver. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, Kurt talks about what his conservation practices are and why he incorporates them into his farming operation. He also reveals what farming methods are the least stressful.

One of the more daunting financial threats to the family farm, according to attorney Jayna Voss at Legacy Law Firm, is long-term nursing care, especially when that care is unplanned. It’s expensive emotionally and financially. But if farmers and their families plan, says Voss, on this edition of The Soybean Pod, there’s a much greater chance that these and other burdens can be withstood with the family farm intact.

It’s an interesting path that led Indiana native Damian Mason to his current gig as an independent agriculture commentator and analyst. The public speaker keynoted South Dakota AgOutlook and spent some time after that giving his opinions on the current state of affairs for farmers and what he sees as their future. It was an insurance settlement for an unfortunate amputation involving Damian’s father that helped fund the purchase of his family’s dairy farm. That farm was Mason’s beginning in agriculture. 

2025 brought a lot of change to the federal policy landscape. Those changes have meant economic uncertainty for farmers. Among the speakers and experts that the South Dakota Soybean Association invited to present at the 2024 AgOutlook Conference and Tradeshow last December was Matt Erickson, the Ag Economic and Policy Advisor for Farm Credit Services of America. On this edition of the Soybean Pod featuring Erickson, we address economic uncertainty and what might be expected on the agriculture horizon.

Varying skills and backgrounds bring a diverse array of perspectives to the South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA) board. Director Dan Nigg of Sisseton, South Dakota, is active on the SDSA board as well as on the board of his local cooperative elevator. That provides insights into what it takes to ship millions of bushels of soybeans from South Dakota to Pacific Northwest ports from which they’re exported to China and Southeast Asia. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, Nigg talks about what being on the SDSA board has taught him, and what he can share with other soybean growers about his knowledge of railroad logistics.

Ross Tschetter is not afraid to put himself out there. He likes people, resulting in his involvement in more than one program that promotes self-improvement and leadership skills. He puts those skills to use in his community, as part of a local USDA committee and among soybean growers. In this edition of the Soybean Pod, we talk to Tschetter about what motivates him, about his farm, and about his take on soybean demand and dealing with a soft soybean market.

Northern Soy Marketing exists because of the history of soybean export purchases based on crude protein content. Soybeans grown at the latitude of South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin don’t have the oil and protein concentration of soybeans produced in more southerly climates. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, we’ll talk to Mike McCranie of Claremont, South Dakota, a member of the Northern Soy Marketing board, about research that shows northern-grown soybeans to have unique attributes making the meal from these soybeans attractive as livestock feed.

Researchers at South Dakota State University (SDSU) have been working to improve nitrogen-fixing capabilities in soybeans. The hoped-for outcome, according to Sen Subramanian, plant scientist and agronomy professor at SDSU, is an increase in soybean yields while at the same time preserving soil health. On this edition of the Soybean Pod, we talk to Subramanian about his hypothesis that natural biological nitrogen fixation can meet the soybean plant's nutrient needs later in the growth cycle. This would ensure high yields without applying synthetic fertilizers.