Portageville Farmer Appointed as USB Director

Thursday, November 27, 2014
Lewis Rone, USB Director

ST. LOUIS -- A local Portageville farmer is to represent U.S. soybean farmers, and help steer projects to raise their profitability.

Lewis Rone, a soybean farmer from Portageville, was recently selected as a director to the United Soybean Board (USB). Appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Rone will represent his fellow soybean farmers by investing soy checkoff funds in marketing, promotion and research projects that aim to increase the profitability of all U.S. soybean farmers.

Rone grows soybeans, corn and cotton on his farm in southeast Missouri. He is a third-generation farmer and has been active in the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, serving as a director since 2008.

"I'm excited about my appointment to USB," says Rone. "Representing U.S. soybean farmers by helping to direct new and ongoing projects is an honor."

Rone will be sworn in and begin his work at USB's annual meeting on Dec. 11 in St. Louis.

"The announcement of new-director appointments is a highlight of the year for me," says USB Chairman Jim Call, a soybean farmer from Madison, Minnesota. "New directors bring new thoughts and ideas to an already committed group of volunteer farmer-leaders. Through strategic planning, goal setting and judicious investments, we implement projects that all have the underlying goal of increasing the success of all U.S. soybean farmers."

The 70 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers.

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