By BEV BERENS

Michigan Correspondent

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. — The Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee (MSPC) has named March Grain Elevator Appreciation Month statewide.

“It is a way to thank and recognize the elevators for their work in sending the checkoff payment to our office every month and doing the accounting that is required to make that happen,” said Kathy Maurer, Financial and International Marketing director for MSPC.

To thank the elevators, the organization delivered or mailed nearly 150 gift baskets to those that take in soybeans and remit the monthly checkoff payment. The basket contained a variety of Michigan-made food items, including chocolate-covered roasted soybeans.

“These elevators don’t get reimbursed for their time and sending in the monthly check,” said Maurer. “This is just a nice way of thanking them.”

“These elevators have been cooperating with the soybean checkoff program since Michigan’s program began in 1976,” said Andy Welden of Jonesville, president of the farmer board that guides the program. “That’s nearly 40 years of helping us maximize profit opportunities.”

He noted Michigan’s average yield of 44 bushels per acre has doubled since the checkoff began.

The Michigan project moved over when the national checkoff was initiated in 1991. Clayton Yeutter was secretary of agriculture when the soybean checkoff was implemented.

Since a local qualified soybean board exists in Michigan, half of the collected funds remain in-state, contributing to research, promotion and other activities that are board-approved. Locally, the MSPC works with dieticians within the state, promotes use of soy-based products such as hand sanitizer and paint for use at Michigan fairs and expos and helps fund ag research or alternative product uses such as biodiesel.

“There are literally hundreds of projects each year that we are involved with,” Maurer said.

According to her, one-half of 1 percent (0.005) of the net market value of beans sold at first point of sale are collected to be submitted as checkoff funds. Angie Maquire of Citizens Elevator in Charlotte said calculating the MSPC’s monthly payment requires little time.

“In our modern grain accounting systems, it is easy to input the percentage into the system. Once it is set and the grain settled for the month, the system allocates how much to cut the check for each month,” she explained. “I suppose if you were still doing a lot of hand-accounting systems, the process would take a lot more time and effort.”

Michigan is represented nationally on the United Soybean Board by Herb Miller of Niles, James Domagalski of Columbus and David Williams of Elsie.

MSPC is directed by a seven-member board, including Welden, Sarah Peterson of Niles, Laurie Isley of Palmyra, Dennis Gardner of Croswell, Tom Hess of Vassar, George Zmitko of Owasso and Steve Koeman of Hamilton.