SSGA celebrates 5 years, holds board elections

Since its inception 5 years ago, the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance (SSGA) has led the way.

In 2019, the Midwest Shippers Association and Northern Food Grade Soybean Association (NFGSA) merged to form SSGA. Originally coined as the premier business alliance of U.S. companies focused on production, processing and shipping of specialty soya and grains worldwide, SSGA celebrated its accomplishments at its five-year anniversary celebration and annual meeting on March 12.

The meeting kicked off with agronomy presentations from Dr. Bryan Young, Purdue University; Dr. Andrew Scaboo, University of Missouri and Dr. Emily Bick from University of Wisconsin-Madison, who discussed innovations in pest management. Ohio farmer Chad Warner discussed his farm and the challenges and benefits of growing identity preserved in the producer interview.

Bob Sinner, SSGA chair, was joined by past chairs Curt Petrich and Rob Prather for a panel discussing the history of SSGA.

Led by Executive Director Eric Wenberg, the panel recounted the early days of the organization, when staff and board members tested out elevator pitches for what SSGA meant. Or when the newly hired Wenberg pointed out all of the reasons a program to assist with phytosanitary inspections would not work.

2024 SSGA Officers: Bryan Severs, secretary/treasurer; Bob Sinner, chair; Bryan Stobaugh, vice chair

That “impossible” phytosanitary program, now named the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) High Quality Specialty Grains (HQSG) program, launched in April 2023, generating nearly 1,700 phytosanitary certificates for U.S. companies exporting high-quality soybeans in containers. Eighteen companies are accepted to use the program, with several more in the certification process. SSGA administratively supports the HQSG program.

“This is the one organization that I have seen a direct ROI on an activity from,” Petrich said. “It’s created a much more efficient [processing] plant and has decreased costs by almost 70%.”

The trio of chairs also recounted other accomplishments of SSGA, such as the U.S. Identity Preserved assurance protocol and brandmark, SSGA University and SSGA advocacy around container shipping issues.

“SSGA has led the way,” Petrich added. “Without this organization a number of things couldn’t get done in this sector.”

SSGA also awarded its annual Alliance Honors. The Alliance Honors recognizes those who have made significant and sustaining contributions to the U.S. IP industry in 2023. These awards recognize stewardship, as well as advancements in transportation, IP and SSGA as an organization.

The Alliance Honor for Stewardship was awarded to the Illinois Soybean Association for their financial, physical and human resources to SSGA programs and meetings. The Indiana Crop Improvement Association was awarded the Alliance Honor for Advancing IP for its work to implement the U.S. Identity Preserved protocol, qualifying companies in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and others. Dr. Karl Kolb, president and chief technical officer of the High Sierra Group/Ceres University was awarded the Advancing SSGA honor for his volunteer work with SSGA to help a small U.S. tofu manufacturer overcome a difficult audit and inspection of its processing facility. The Alliance Honor for Advancing Transportation was awarded to Pamela Ryan of Stonebridge, Ltd., for leading the Competitive Shipping action team during a renewed shipping crisis.

Elections were held to fill two open seats on the SSGA board. Gail Donkers of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council was reelected to the board and Bryan Severs of the Illinois Soybean Association joined the board.

Severs was later elected by his peers to serve as the SSGA secretary/treasurer. Bryan Stobaugh of the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council was tabbed as vice chair and Bob Sinner of SB&B Foods was re-elected to serve as the chair.

“Being able to work with the quality of people we have in the membership and on the board has been an honor,” said Sinner. “I am honored and humbled to serve as the SSGA chair for another year and look forward to what we can accomplish in 2024.”