Springfield Plastics matches donations for SIU cancer center

Drainage tile manufacturer Springfield Plastics, Auburn, Ill., is holding its fifth annual Drain for the Cure fundraiser throughout October. The company says it will match donations up to $25,000, with 100% of donations going to the Simmons Cancer Institute at Southern Illinois University.

In 2014, Springfield Plastics launched its first Drain for the Cure campaign. The campaign has raised more than $189,000 since its inception.

The Simmons Cancer Institute treats cancer patients and pursues research. The center also has a growing list of complimentary programs such as adapted yoga and drumming designed for cancer patients.

If you would like to contribute and join the campaign, checks can be made payable to: SIU Foundation. Mail them to or drop them off at Springfield Plastics, 7300 W. State Route 104, Auburn, IL 62615.

 New rating system for soybean feed value

Looking at protein scores in your seed company catalog isn’t the only way to judge if a soybean variety will generate demand from livestock producers. For the first time ever, a list of varieties rated by feed value has been assembled at soyvalue.com.

These varieties can help support a better price for soybeans in the future, according to John Osthus of the Illinois Soybean Association.

“By selecting varieties based on their livestock value rankings, you take important action to help maximize U.S. feed market opportunities,” he says. “Soyvalue.com makes it easier than ever to select a seed variety that has historically scored better than a ‘5 rating’ in livestock feed, which helps support U.S. marketing success.”

Soyvalue is based on harvest samples from nearly 2,000 farmers sent to the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Soybean Export Council in 2017. Further analysis of more than 37,000 samples from five years of USSEC and Farmers Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) trials revealed which seed varieties have the highest historic value in livestock feed.

 Illinois Soybean Association meets with Cuban president

The director of strategic market development at the Illinois Soybean Association, Mark Albertson, met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel during the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 27.

This is the first time Díaz-Canel has visited the U.S. since taking office in April.

“As Illinois soybean producers struggle to make ends meet with lower commodity prices and decreased access to key markets, it’s important that we maintain positive relationships with Cuba and other countries who import our soybeans,” Albertson says.

Soy exports to Cuba have dropped significantly since 2014, when the U.S. exported nearly $98 million of whole soybeans and soybean meal to the island nation. The Global Trade Atlas estimates the value of soybean exports to Cuba at nearly $28 million through this July.