Harvest is rolling, and so is the work of selling the crop

Harvest is rolling, and so is the work of selling the crop. Lee Brooke, Iowa Soybean Association president, on KCSI · Tuesday, October 13, 2026

 

 

Lee Brooke was between the cattle and the combine when he picked up the phone Tuesday morning. The Page County farmer, who took over as president of the Iowa Soybean Association in September, told KCSI listeners the harvest that looked stuck two weeks ago is finally moving.

 

What the association actually does

The big picture, Brooke said, is the checkoff. One-half of 1 percent comes off the check when a farmer sells soybeans. Each state association manages that money for promotion, research, and demand. Iowa’s 22 volunteer farmer-directors oversee both checkoff and non-checkoff funds.

He put Iowa at about 37,000 soybean farmers, with about 6,000 signed-up members. The association’s own count is a little higher: nearly 37,000 producers and 6,700 farmer members. His goal for the year is to close that gap.

The ask is simple. A farmer who markets at least 250 bushels of soybeans a year can activate a membership at no extra cost, because the checkoff already covers it. Go to iasoybeans.com, verify the bushels, and the membership is there. Members get a voice on policy and a reason to show up at meetings. “Why wouldn’t you?” was the host’s reaction. Brooke agreed.

He is in his sixth year on the board. He ran once against an incumbent and lost, ran again three years later after that director termed off, won, and has been reelected once. He expects one more term available if he runs next year. The board itself meets four times a year. The rest of the calendar is what fills the presidency.