INDIANAPOLIS – The USDA has appointed Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) Board Chair Jim Douglas, a farmer from Flat Rock, Ind., as one of nine new directors to the United Soybean Board (USB). Douglas replaces Mark Seib, a farmer from Poseyville, Ind., who has served on the USB board for the past nine years.

Douglas joins three other Hoosier farmers as directors of the national soybean checkoff board: Don Wyss, of Fort Wayne; Tom Griffiths, of Kendallville; and Kevin Wilson, of Walton. Douglas will serve a three-year term as a USB director, and he can serve a maximum of three terms.

“I’ve been very honored to serve Indiana farmers on the ISA board, and I’m really looking forward to doing more while helping to guide national soybean checkoff funds,” he explained. “I believe we are doing great things to create new markets and opportunities for soybean growers. I’m ready to dig into the projects that will help make our soybean crops more valuable.”

Douglas raises soybeans, corn and wean-to-finish hogs on his rural Shelby County farm, where he partners with his son, James. He has represented District 4 on the ISA board since 2014. Douglas represents ISA on the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and the Indiana Grain Indemnity Corporation Board of Directors.

U.S. soybean farmers receive an estimated $12.34 in value for every dollar they invest in the checkoff. These investments fund programs that build a preference for U.S. soybeans across the country and around the world. Authorized by the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the checkoff is composed of 78 members representing 29 states, in addition to the Eastern and Western regions. The number of seats on the board is determined based on bushels produced in their region. Members must be soybean farmers nominated by a Qualified State Soybean Board, such as ISA.

“With different uses of soy continuing to grow, this is an exciting time to be a USB farmer-leader. I look forward to working with these passionate individuals who will bring additional perspectives and insights, expanding our group of creative and innovative thinkers,” said USB Chair Ralph Lott, a farmer from New York. “The reappointed leaders bring back valuable experience, having worked through our Value Creation Framework process determining future checkoff investments. Together, we will move U.S. Soy forward and bring value back to the farm gate of all U.S. soybean farmers.”

Other newly appointed USB directors by USDA are Robert Petter, Arkansas; Jesse Patrick, Georgia; Patrick O’Leary, Minnesota; Robert Alpers, Missouri; Cindy Pulskamp, North Dakota; Tim Ostrem, South Dakota; Shannon Tignor Ellis, Virginia; and Nancy Kavazanjian, Wisconsin. USDA also reappointed eight farmer leaders: Lynn Rohrscheib, Illinois; April Hemmes; Iowa; Brent Gatton, Kentucky; Garrett Marsh, Louisiana; Tony Johanson, Nebraska; Benjamin Derek Potter, North Carolina; Jeff Magyar, Ohio; and Andrew Fabin, Pennsylvania.