The drought of 1988 hit every state in the country. For soybean farmers, it exposed a gap that couldn’t be ignored.
“The checkoff in my mind was born out of that drought,” recalls Jerry Slocum, a fifth-generation Mississippi farmer who would become a founding director of the United Soybean Board (USB). At the time, the American Soybean Association (ASA) funded international marketing through voluntary dollars from about 20 states—but the money ran out. Programs were cut.
“There was this great need for more and more dollars,” Slocum says.
In March 1989, ASA delegates voted overwhelmingly to pursue a national checkoff. Two years of legislative work followed, led by Congressman Dan Glickman of Kansas. “It was a herculean task,” Slocum says. “And by mid-1991, it was in place.”
The change was immediate: all soybean producers now invested at the same rate, unlocking funding for international and domestic marketing and new uses research. “We started with a $17 million budget,” Slocum recalls. “Nobody dreamed it could become what it is today.”
Thirty-five years later, the checkoff has grown to nearly $200 million in annual investments, generating an estimated $12.30 return for every checkoff dollar. “I’m incredibly proud that the board has kept its vision focused on the betterment of the U.S. soybean farmer,” Slocum says. “When we better the farmer, we better the entire industry.”
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