Special Delivery: Classic winners receive U.S. Identity Preserved picnic tables

Stan Ryan said he was just looking for a place to sit down after a long day at Commodity Classic and found a comfortable seat in the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance booth.

The seat was at a custom-made U.S. Identity Preserved picnic table, which SSGA would be giving away at Classic, which took place in New Orleans in March. While sitting there and seeing SSGA’s “Fork to Farm” message, he signed up to win one of two tables, and, sure enough, his name was drawn at the close of the event.

Ryan grows soybeans and corn on his farm near Blue Mound, Illinois, but hadn’t really heard much about identity preserved field crops until he sat down at SSGA’s table.

Last week, Ryan got his table, as SSGA hand delivered it to him, driving it down from Mankato, Minnesota.

Shane Frederick, SSGA manager of strategic programs and SSGA chairman Rob Prather, who also resides in central Illinois, set up the benches and the table, which includes a laser-cut image of the U.S. Identity Preserved mark that was revealed last December.

Prather, chief strategic ambassador for Global Processing, and Ryan sat at the table and discussed Ryan’s farm practices, as well as the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance plan and brandmark and what SSGA is doing to help its members meet demand for IP crops.

A day earlier, SSGA delivered the other winning table to neighboring state Iowa and the farm of Tom and Mary Beth Adam near Harper, Iowa, where they raise soybeans, corn, wheat, oats, hay and beef cattle. Mary Beth’s name was drawn for the prize. She said she signed up while walking the trade show while Tom, a district director for the Iowa Soybean Association, attended meetings.

“Talk about fork to farm! Or, in this case, table to farm,” Frederick said. “It really was worthwhile to get out on the road, see people face to face and deliver these to the winners in person. We were able to see their farms, as well as tell SSGA’s story and share the U.S. Identity Preserved message. …

“We also had an opportunity to meet with our friends at the Illinois Soybean Association and discuss SSGA’s upcoming projects.”

SSGA will continue to share its “Fork to Farm” message this summer. On June 10, the first Fork to Farm Day will take place at the historic Oliver Kelley Farm near Elk River, Minnesota. Farmers who grow identity preserved and non-GMO crops are invited to attend the event (register here), where they can connect with each other, as well as with buyers from Southeast Asia who are participating in Northern Crops Institute’s Food Grade Soybean Procurement Course.