Delaware farmer attends Soybean Leadership College

Delaware farmer Rick Dickerson of Laurel attended the 2017 Soybean Leadership College Jan. 10-12 in St. Louis, Mo.

Dickerson farms about a thousand acres of soybeans, corn and wheat, and raises peas, sweet corn, baby lima beans, edamame, string beans, yellow squash on contract, and pumpkins and other vegetables for the fresh market. He also operates a roadside stand and raises broilers for Perdue Farms Inc.

Dickerson also attended the United Soybean Board's 2015 See For Yourself tour of China and Vietnam.

The Delaware Soybean Board sponsored his trip. Delaware farmers plant about 180,000 acres of soybeans each year, and the crop generates approximately $60 million in value to the state. Delaware's agricultural industry contributes about $8 billion per year to the Delaware economy.

Soybean Leadership College, coordinated by the American Soybean Association, provides current and future agricultural industry leaders with training to effectively promote the soybean industry, communicate key agricultural messages, and work to expand U.S. soybean market opportunities domestically and internationally.

The program also fosters networking among growers from across the country, encouraging collaboration, which in turn increases the effectiveness of soybean growers at the local, regional and national levels.

The Delaware Soybean Board consists of nine farmer-directors and the secretary of agriculture. Funded through a one-half of 1 percent assessment on the net market value of soybeans at their first point of sale, the checkoff works with partners in the value chain to identify and capture opportunities that increase farmer profit potential. One-half of the soybean checkoff assessments collected by the state boards are forwarded to the United Soybean Board.

For more information, go to www.desoybeans.org.