SAM Wins Maryland Soybean Board Naming Contest
SAM highlights slow moving vehicles and will be featured in road safety education for drivers.
With more than 90 entries coming in from across the country, Marylander Natalie Grasso came up with the winning name for the www.FindMeDriving.com character naming contest. “SAM” is the face of the new road safety campaign initiated by the Maryland Soybean Board (MSB). Research funded by the Board showed that driver education on how to drive near slow moving vehicles (SMV), such as combines, tractors, buggies and wagons, could help decrease accidents on roads.
“Our committee had a lot of creative options to consider with entries from Washington state to Louisiana,” commented Belinda Burrier, farmer from Frederick County and MSB Chair. “We were delighted to see such a strong response to the contest and hope to see the enthusiasm continue for the education campaign.”
Selected for its relevance to slow moving vehicles, creativity, and ease of use in broad applications, Grasso captured it all with her entry.
“When I read about the naming contest, I wanted to come up with something that was ‘catchy,’ that would be easy to remember and that would be associated with the slow moving vehicle (SMV) character/emblem,” Grasso said. “I noticed that the corners were cut off on the triangle body of the character/emblem, so I came up with the slogan:
Don’t Cut Corners, Follow SAM!
S = Slow Down
A = Assess your Surroundings
M = Move with Caution.”
Grasso has a familiarity with transportation topics, working in the Office of Information Resources at the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). “The Maryland Highway Safety Office falls under MDOT MVA, so safety is a huge part of what we do here and what we hear about on a daily basis.”
The Maryland Soybean Board is partnering with the MVA to help reach the goal of zero deaths and injuries on Maryland roads. Driver tips for driving near SMVs are available at www.findmedriving.com. The site also features tips for drivers of SMVs, to be proactive drivers and help avoid accidents. Further educational programming is underway.
“We welcome anyone to join us in this education effort,” concluded Burrier. “Together we can decrease road accidents and make all of our drives safer.”
About Maryland Soybean Board: The Maryland Soybean Board is funded by the national soybean checkoff program, which assesses one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale. The board consists of ten volunteer farmer-directors and directs funds for research, marketing and education programs to benefit the Maryland soybean industry. The Maryland Rural Roads Safety Study is available at www.mdsoy.com/md-rural-road-safety-study.
For More Information:
Danielle Bauer, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
443-812-4526 | danielle@mdsoy.com
www.mdsoy.com
New Specialty Soybean Contracts Available to Mid-Atlantic Farmers
Soybean farmers in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have new access to specialty contracts and their premiums to grow high oleic soybeans.
Mid-Atlantic farmers can lock in new premiums by selecting high oleic soybeans for the 2021 growing season. Many Delmarva-area farmers have already decided to take advantage of this opportunity due to the minor adjustments needed from growing commodity soybeans and expanded convenient delivery location options accepting Plenish® high oleic soybeans from Corteva.
Maryland-based Perdue AgriBusiness has increased per bushel premiums for 2021 in hopes of encouraging more of the region’s farmers to grow high oleic soybeans to meet growing demand for refined high oleic oils. Mid-Atlantic soybean farmers have already received more than $10 million in premiums since the program began.
Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc. in Frederick, Maryland, has joined the growing list of delivery locations offering attractive premiums between 50 and 65 cents per bushel to farmers for both harvest delivery and on-farm storage — with an additional 10 cents per bushel premium for farmers that contract 100% in high oleic varieties. This central location opens the door to many farmers in the region.
“This is a great opportunity for farmers to add extra value to their land and crop,” said United Soybean Board farmer-leader Belinda Burrier, who grows high oleic soybeans in Maryland. “It’s really a no-brainer when you look at how similar it is to grow high oleic varieties if you’ve ever grown commodity beans.”
In today’s economic and market conditions, a modest boost with these specialty soybeans can be a huge help to farmers. A recent study indicated if high oleic growth continues as projected, a 1,000-acre soybean farmer will net between $34,000 and $50,000 more from soybean farming as a result of higher prices driven by high oleic demand. Perdue AgriBusiness is one of the biggest demand drivers for high oleic soybeans in the region.
“There is growing demand in the food industry for high oleic soybeans due to their performance and health benefits,” said Perry Aulie, Senior Vice President of Value Add for Perdue AgriBusiness. “We are thrilled to partner with Mercer, and we are also seeking 175,000 acres of high oleic soybeans this year. We project a need for 350,000 acres for spring of 2022.”
By supplying a product that meets the demand of sustainable and biobased alternatives, high oleic soybeans are adding long-term value for all U.S. soybean farmers.
For end users, these high oleic varieties offer increased functionality for the food sector and industrial applications, which has revolutionized the soybean value chain. For the food sector, it extends fry life, increases stability and provides less saturated fat than comparable conventional oils. It also offers new innovations for industrial uses, such as synthetic motor oil, tires, shoes and asphalt.
“High oleic soybeans innovate and grow current markets while giving the consumer a product that they want and the farmer the premium that they need,” said Burrier.
Farmers eager to learn where and how they can access high oleic soybean contracts for their farm can visit the USB website for high oleic soybeans at soyinnovation.com, or contact their seed representative to ask about high oleic soybeans. Elevator and processor locations throughout the U.S. offer contracts to growers for either on-farm storage or defined amounts of harvest delivery for high oleic soybean varieties.
Participating elevators in the Delmarva region include:
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC — Salisbury, Maryland
- Boyle Brothers — Queen Anne, Maryland
- Eddie Mercer Agri-Services, Inc. — Frederick, Maryland
- Milford Grain — Milford, Delaware
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC — Berlin, Maryland
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC — Bridgeville, Delaware
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC, Red Bird-Bridgeton — Woodstown, New Jersey
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC — Marietta, Pennsylvania
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC, Shiloh — Hurlock, Maryland
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC — Sudlersville, Maryland
- Perdue AgriBusiness, LLC — Tappahannock, Virginia
- Schiff Farms — Harrington, Delaware
Use the lookup tool at soyinnovation.com for the full list of delivery locations.
About United Soybean Board: United Soybean Board’s 78 volunteer farmer-directors work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds in programs and partnerships to drive soybean innovation beyond the bushel and increase preference for U.S. soy. That preference is based on U.S. soybean meal and oil quality and the sustainability of U.S. soybean farmers. 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 unitedsoybean.org.
About Maryland Soybean Board: The checkoff program is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of their soybeans at the first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. Maryland farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops.
# # #
Danielle Bauer, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com
Burrier Elected First Female Chair of Maryland Soybean Board
Belinda Burrier, Chair, Maryland Soybean Board
Belinda Burrier of Union Bridge has made history in the local soybean industry since beginning her term on the Maryland Soybean Board (MSB) in 2011. Burrier was the first woman to serve on the board; was one of the first two individuals from the East Coast to serve on the Executive Committee of the United Soybean Board; and most recently, was elected as the first woman Chair for the Maryland Soybean Board.
Burrier married into the farming lifestyle. When she and her husband Dave, purchased his families farm back in 2002, she was all in. “Even though I didn’t have a farming background, I did grow up with my dad being a land surveyor, and I’ve always liked the outdoors – and I’m willing try anything,” she explains.
Belinda began attending MSB meetings during Dave’s term on the board. After his term ended, she was a natural fit to fill the vacancy, as she was already knowledgeable about the work that the board was doing. She attributes herself as bringing diversity to the board, not only by being the first female, but also coming from a non-farm background. “I was honored to be appointed to the boards, and felt that I could contribute a different perspective,” comments Burrier.
Burrier officially assumed this duty with the start of MSB’s new fiscal year on October 1. She succeeds Brian Johnson of Westover as Chair. Johnson remains on the board, serving in the role of Vice Chairman.
Additionally, MSB welcomed two new farmer directors to the board in their new fiscal year. Eddie Boyle of Cordova was elected to represent the Upper Shore, and Steve Walter of Hughesville was elected to represent Southern Maryland.
Ten farmer-directors volunteer their time on the Maryland Soybean Board, which administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. Also currently serving are Joshua Appenzeller of Millington, Dale Brown of Denton, Randy Stabler of Brookeville, Jason Spicer of Church Creek, and Evan Staley of Union Bridge. Curt Lambertson of Stockton serves as Treasurer. April Cheesman of Perdue Farms, Inc., Jim Lewis of the University of Maryland Extension Service, and Mark Powell of the Maryland Department of Agriculture serve as ex-officio members.
In Maryland, farmers grow about a half a million acres of soybeans, producing more than 20 million bushels of beans each year. With a value of $173 million to the state’s economy, soybeans are one of Maryland’s top crops.
The checkoff program is funded by farmers through an assessment of one-half of one percent of the net market value of their soybeans at the first point of sale. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Maryland for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board.
# # #
Danielle Bauer, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
Office: 443.812.4526
danielle@mdsoy.com
MSB Launches Road Safety Campaign with Naming Contest
As combines take to the fields to harvest fall crops, the risks of accidents on rural roads rises. Slow-moving vehicles (such as farm machinery, animal-drawn vehicles and construction equipment), are identified as traveling at speeds of 25 m.p.h. or less, and can pose a serious risk to drivers who are unaccustomed with the measures required to safely travel the roads with them.
Decre
asing the number of dangerous encounters involving motorists and slow-moving vehicles (SMVs) is a goal of the Maryland Soybean Board (MSB). It’s new education initiative, www.findmedriving.com, reminds drivers of safety measures to take when driving a SMV or driving near a SMV. The campaign has been launched with a contest to name its attention-grabbing character created from the SMV emblem – a bold orange triangle with red border sign that is required on all SMVs. The contest the winner will receive a $100 gasoline gift card.
“We’ve had many farmers tell us they had to drive off the road to avoid a vehicle trying to pass them when oncoming vehicles were headed their way,” commented Brian Johnson, MSB Chair. “Auto crashes involving farm vehicles or equipment can be costly both in terms of property damage and injuries, and in some circumstances, result in fatalities. We want to minimize these occurrences.”
This education campaign is one strategy from the MSB-funded road safety study, which provided insight into causes of accidents and recommendations for improved safety. The research showed that accidents frequently involved more than just farm equipment, and education about all SMV vehicles was needed.
The number of farm vehicle crashes grows each year. Not surprisingly, they most frequently occur during peak farming season – June through October. Over 75% occurred during daylight hours, with only 16.5% occurring in the dark. Over 72% occurred in clear weather, while only 9% occurred in precipitation – rain, sleet, or snow.
“We applaud the work of organizations that share information with drivers to improve road safety,” stated Johnson. “MSB wants to increase the impact of these efforts in improving road safety and reach a full range of stakeholders. We invite anyone interested in making our drives safer to team with us to lower the accident rate on Maryland roads.”
Driver tips and the name contest is at www.findmedriving.com. The Maryland Rural Roads Safety Study is available here: www.mdsoy.com/md-rural-road-safety-study/.
For More Information:
Danielle Bauer, Executive Director
Maryland Soybean Board
443-812-4526 | danielle@mdsoy.com
www.mdsoy.com
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