When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That is the world of soybean, corn, wheat and milo farmers in 2026. This year’s corn crop had an early planting window, only to be met by a late freeze causing widespread replanting. From there, many got soybeans planted on time and had some early success. That was met with drought in many areas, followed by a historic flood in some of our largest soybean growing parishes. Unfortunately, the market for wheat and milo has limited Louisiana’s planting of those crops in recent years, which means our funding to grow these opportunities is also limited.

Therein lies the value of sustained, applicable research and promotion. Even though our challenges are many, we have invested wisely as Louisiana row crop farmers over the decades of our checkoff to have yield-sustaining principles coupled with more nimble adaptations to lean on in challenging times.

The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board continues to look for ways to sustain long-term success. Last year, we established and awarded our first Professorship of Excellence in Soybean Research. We have funded a second professorship through the LSU AgCenter and look forward to awarding it in the coming years. While we maintain our typical budgeting decisions prioritizing applied field research, we saw an opportunity to put funds away for the asset that drives our value the furthest: people.

Through the soybean portion of our board, we operate under the United Soybean Board’s federal statutes for governance. This also gives Louisiana soybean farmers leadership opportunities to steward more than $1 million Louisiana soybean dollars on a national research and promotion stage that adds up to more than $100 million total nationwide. I want to recognize Garrett Marsh, LSGRPB member from Madison Parish, who will serve his final year of a nine-year term serving on USB. This volunteer time away from the farm is not easy to give, but he has made a real impact on trade, transportation priorities and setting USB leadership up for future success.

We need more like him and Joey Boudreaux, our other USB representative, to step up and lead. These dollars are from farmers and for farmers. Your chance to weigh in on their value — and adding value to our crops we pull the funds from — is waiting.

I served on USB. There are also opportunities within the National Corn Growers Association, U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council and the United Sorghum Checkoff. This network of farmer leadership needs more Louisiana voices, so please reach out to LSGRPB members or nominating organizations to learn more.

As we harvest another crop, plant the next and fight for profitability in between, know the LSGRPB covets your input on how to make our checkoff dollars go further, yield better and reach back to you as a contributing participant. We hope you find value in the projects in this report, and we look forward to working with you to better our livelihoods for the next generation.

Sincerely,
Charles Cannatella
Chairman, Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board

Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board members front row from left, Joey Boudreaux, Charles Cannatella, Scott Wiggers Jr. and Wil Miller; and back row from left, Joey Olivier, Kody Beavers, Kellon Lee, Burch Pierce and Darrell VandeVen. Photo by Olivia McClure