ISA to co-sponsor annual conference that gets agriculture moving

Transportation challenges are a perennial issue for farmers: You can't go over them, go under them or avoid them.

The agriculture industry must put its collective heads together and confront these complex issues. The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) is ready for a robust conversation to address big ideas that move transportation forward on the pathway toward diversifying demand for U.S. agriculture.

Save the date for Transportation Go! scheduled April 8-9, 2026 in Chicago at the InterContinental Hotel Magnificent Mile, where supply chain stakeholders will gather to discuss immediate and long-range issues and seek solutions and opportunities to industry obstacles.

"We need to find new markets beyond our No. 1 buyer of soybeans, China, and find other options and keep up with our competition," said Bryan Severs, Chair of the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA). "The Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance can help us do that with their identity-preserved soybeans and programs like Transportation Go!"

Hosted by SSGA, the business alliance of U.S. identity-preserved agriculture, Transportation Go! is the premier conference representing identity-preserved, value-added agriculture supply chain stakeholders.

"We are so excited to host this year's Transportation Go! conference in Chicago, an integral transportation hub in our industry," said Severs, who also serves as SSGA Chair. "Every year, this conference sparks valuable conversations that make an impact. If you have a stake in the agriculture supply chain, make sure you mark your calendars for this event."

In 2026, Transportation Go! is being held in Illinois for the first time and is sponsored by ISA and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Severs, who grows non-GMO soybeans in Vermilion County, said his home state is the ideal location to host an agricultural transportation summit, given its proximity to railways, rivers and the Great Lakes.

"We need to concentrate more on the Great Lakes because that's a competitive advantage for Illinois," Severs said. "Everyone knows about our rivers and getting it down to the Gulf, but moving it north and going through the Great Lakes is another avenue we need to keep working on." 

Illinois exports about 60% of its soybeans – typically to markets in Southeast Asia, Mexico and the European Union – often ranking as the nation's top soybean-exporting state.  

"We have a big advantage in transportation here in Illinois and a great opportunity to move things," Severs said. "We can move our products from our farmers to get them to our ports and send them to international markets."  

During the conference, attendees will steer the conversation through highly interactive panels and keynote speakers. The list of confirmed speakers includes:  

• Dwight Robinson, CEO of L.A. Grain
• Andy Banfield, Iowa Interstate rail 
• Sten Konst, Spliethoff Group 
• Brian Oszakiewski, Executive Director of American Great Lakes Port Association 

Additional invitations have been extended to representatives from the Port of Los Angeles; Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; Federal Maritime Commission; and more. 

"We're working hard behind the scenes to ensure that the conference agenda continues to be robust, bringing in the minds that attendees want to hear from most," said Gary Williams, SSGA director of transportation and regulatory affairs. "The value-added agriculture supply chain has distinctive needs and unique problems that Transportation Go! is designed to work through by bringing together key players in the industry."  

Severs said he's excited for conversations that tackle not just immediate transportation issues, but long-term goals.  

"We want to be thinking 20 years down the road," Severs said. "We're going to keep growing and raising more soybeans. We've got to find them a way to not just get them down the road but down through the waterways. That's a vision we have – we're planning for 2040, 2050, so (ISA) thinks there's a lot of value in supporting that."  

Transportation Go! registration and additional information are now available at transportationgo.com/. SSGA's annual meeting will be held at the same location on April 7, during which board of director elections will take place, and the annual SSGA Alliance Honors will be presented.  

"I look forward to this conference every year, and this year is no different," Severs said. "Before you know it, April will be here, so pencil in Transportation Go! and get ready for two days of putting our heads together, brainstorming solutions and opportunities for the industry."