St. Louis, MO - The Wisconsin Soybean Association (WSA) and Kentucky Soybean Association (KSA) will showcase agricultural production in their states this summer as part of the Regional Exchange and Awareness Program (REAP) sponsored by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and EMD Crop BioScience.  

“This is a valuable opportunity for ASA growers,” said ASA President Rick Ostlie of North Dakota. “The program gives our producers a chance to better understand farming in other parts of the country and to share ideas and build relationships.  The knowledge gained by participants on the REAP tour is crucial as ASA develops national policy strategies. ASA is grateful to EMD Crop BioScience for sponsoring REAP and to the Wisconsin and Kentucky Soybean Associations for graciously hosting soybean producers this year.”

REAP is designed to enrich ASA member understanding of agricultural issues in different parts of the country. It also highlights agriculture production and industry unique to each region and gives delegates the chance to get to know and learn from one another, benefiting the member-driven policy work of ASA and the soybean industry as a whole.

“This innovative program allows soybean growers to share their expertise and skills and work to advance practices that maximize production around the country,” says Dr. Scott Fleetwood, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for EMD Crop BioScience.  “These tours, which have been very successful the last few years, will be an excellent channel for that sharing to take place.”

July 16-20, Wisconsin Soybean Association will lead growers from North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama on a tour of Wisconsin agriculture.  While in Wisconsin, stops for the REAP participants will include a dairy plant tour, the Busch Agriculture Research Malt House Tour, a ginseng farm and processing plant, a cranberry marsh and processing tour along with EMD Crop BioScience Ag Research plots.

August 1-5, Kentucky Soybean Association will host growers from 11 states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Ohio.  The participants will visit several local farms and will travel to Butler, KY for a tour of Dan Moreland’s Shrimp Farm.  In Midway, they will visit Three Chimneys Horse Farm and Equus Run Vineyards and travel to Lexington for a tour of the University of Kentucky Research farms.  

While showcasing the regional similarities and differences in agriculture, REAP helps

U.S. soybean producers build relationships necessary to maintain strong and proactive voices on behalf of farm-related legislative priorities in Washington, D.C.  The REAP program also aids ASA directors in becoming more effective in Washington, D.C. through a better understanding of soybean production throughout the country. 

About ASA:
The American Soybean Association is the domestic and international policy advocate for U.S. soybean growers. The ASA presents the REAP program because it is an opportunity for soybean growers to learn more about agriculture in a U.S. soybean growing region outside of their own, which benefits the member-driven policy work of ASA and the soybean industry as a whole.

About EMD Crop BioScience:
Originally founded as the Nitragin Company in 1898 after a Milwaukee entrepreneur purchased rights to a commercial process for the production of nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, Nitragin remained privately owned until 1982.  In 1991 Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany purchased the business.  Now headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, EMD Crop BioScience is committed to advancing crop-enhancing technologies and making these products available to growers worldwide.