Annual Insights Report
JUNE 2025 | VOLUME 5, ISSUE 8
Highlighting research results from the 2024 growing season.
By ISA Agronomy Team
In 2024, soybean farmers in the 29 soybean-growing U.S. states lost just over 250 million bushels (5.4% of the nation’s crop) to soybean diseases, many of them stem diseases. Learn more about what to watch for this growing season, and how ISA is waging a war against these costly crop killers.
By IL Field & Bean Team
ISA Perspectives
ISA's Jim Martin highlights the importance of protecting our most valuable asset: soil.
By Jim Martin, ISA District 6 Director
CEO John Lumpe highlights the results of ISA's Annual Insights Report.
By John Lumpe, ISA CEO
ISA Director of Government Relations & Strategy Andrew Larson highlights several recent policy wins for Illinois farmers.
By Andrew Larson, ISA Director of Government Relations & Strategy
Relive the highlights of ISA’s 2025 Soybean Summit through photos that capture key moments, speakers and takeaways that made the event an essential experience.
By Olivia Key, Illinois Field & Bean Assistant Editor
TikTok sensation Jackson Laux, age 9, partners with John Deere to inspire agriculture's future.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Designed for both aspiring leaders and seasoned experts, ISA's LEAD Program provides tailored opportunities for growth, collaboration and impact
By Nicole Butler, ISA Executive Employee Relations
Read more about your Illinois Soybean Association's project highlights, program developments and what's ahead in the FY24 Year End Report.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Rising costs on inputs like feed, fertilizers, fuel and labor, along with higher insurance premiums and inflated equipment prices, can make it difficult for farmers to make a profit. So what's a farmer to do?
By IL Field & Bean Team
For 50 years, NASA has helped farmers to boldly grow, bringing you innovations designed for space exploration that translate to field exploration.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Discover how ISA’s Agronomy Team is turning checkoff investments into real-world, field-level support, research and results for Illinois farmers.
By Kelsey Litchfield, ISA Agronomic Outreach Manager
From cutting-edge research to hands-on support, discover the vital role Extension plays in improving farm operations and advancing Illinois agriculture.
By Talon Becker, Commercial Agriculture Specialist, University of Illinois Extension
We're here to support you. Explore the many ways the ISA Agronomy Team can help maximize your on-farm productivity.
By Stacy Zuber, Ph.D., ISA Research Data Scientist
Soil health mindset underpins efforts to boost productivity, sustainability and resilience.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Although it’s generally a growing part of every year’s crop budget, innovation is often an early exit from farmers’ wish lists in years when crop revenue slips and budgets tighten. Here's how to balance tech resources with reality.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Experts share tips for equipment, marketing and sustainability over the long winter months.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Illinois is the No. 1 producer of non-GMO, identity preserved and commodity soybeans in the U.S. Through a partnership with the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance, ISA ensures Illinois farmers continue to meet the rising global demand for specialty soy.
By Eileen Pabst, International Markets Manager, and Emma Peters, International Markets Coordinator
At SpringBoard 2025, growers, researchers and industry leaders came together to spark new uses for soybeans and unlock fresh market opportunities for the future.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Through the See for Yourself 2025 program, participants saw firsthand how checkoff investments open international doors for U.S. soy, supporting profit-ability back home.
By Johnathan Griffel, 2024 20 Under 40 Farmer
Learn more about the iFAB Tech Hub at the University of Illinois and how its team is harnessing the power of corn and soy to create sustainable, high-value products.
By Olivia Key, Field & Bean Magazine Assistant Editor
As it celebrates its one-year anniversary, the ISA Soy Innovation Center is dedicated to facilitating the research and commercialization of new and innovative soy-based products with a focus on three primary categories: textiles, bio-lubricants and industrial applications.
By IL Field & Bean Team
Did you know soy can be used to replace nearly any product made from petroleum—including plastics? Soy-based plastics offer a nontoxic alternative to everyday items, contributing to sustainability and representing an exciting opportunity to drive demand for Illinois soy.
By Dylan Karis, Lead Chemist, Airable Research Lab
Learn how federal and Illinois laws—and coming changes in tax provisions—might affect a family’s ability to pass the farm to the next generation.
By Collin Cisco, ISA Farm Policy Manager
Illinois farmer and ISA Board Director Steve Pitstick expresses his concerns over the proposed Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
By Steve Pitstick, Illinois Farmer and ISA Board Director
According to Collin Cisco, ISA Public Policy Manager, understanding the impact of upcoming tax changes—particularly the estate tax, Section 199A deductions and the stepped-up basis rule—is crucial for Illinois farmers who aim to safeguard their financial future and secure their ability to continue farming.
By Collin Cisco
Learn what ISG is doing to ensure American tax dollars are invested in domestic industries that use domestic feedstocks - such as Illinois-grown soybeans - to ensure our energy independence.
By David Kubik
Corey Lacey, Ph.D., ISA Environmental Policy Manager, answers readers' top questions and breaks down the EPA's final herbicide strategy.
By Corey Lacey
Discover the many ways the Illinois Soybean Association has spent the last 60 years advancing biofuels, infrastructure and waterways transportation, and critical agronomic research - and what soybean farmers can expect in the coming years.
By IL Field & Bean Team