HR0520 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0520 LRB098 12706 MST 47265 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Illinois Soybean Association and the Illinois Soybean Growers on their milestone anniversaries; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) will be celebrating 100 years of soybean production in Illinois and 50 years of the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) representing soybean farmers; and

WHEREAS, These milestones will be celebrated at the 2013 Farm Progress Show, which will be held in Decatur and during 2013 and 2014 at various agriculture events in Illinois; the celebration will conclude during ISA's annual meeting in summer 2014; as part of the celebration, ISA will publish a special edition of Illinois Field & Bean, which will debut in November 2013 at the Illinois Commodity Conference; and

WHEREAS, The ISA has existed in one form or another since the mid-1960s; previously, the ISA operated as the umbrella organization for both the Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board (ISPOB) and the Land of Lincoln Soybean Association (LOLSA); and

WHEREAS, The Illinois soybean checkoff coordinates research, education, and promotion funded by checkoff dollars contributed by all Illinois soybean farmers; and

WHEREAS, The LOLSA was the predecessor to the ISG; the association was officially formed in 1964 to provide legislative representation for growers; and

WHEREAS, During the same decade, the LOLSA and the Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board began supporting international marketing offices through the American Soybean Association and the ISPOB began funding production research; and

WHEREAS, Through the last few decades, a number of marketing, research, and promotion activities and legislative efforts have been added and refined by Illinois soybean growers; and

WHEREAS, In 1990, Illinois soybean leaders joined other State leaders to draft guidelines for a uniform national soybean checkoff; the effort was successful, and the checkoff is now a major source of funding for local, state, national, and international soy projects; and

WHEREAS, In 2012, to provide a more efficient structure for Illinois soybean farmers to support their industry, the LOLSA and ISPOB were formally replaced by the Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) and the Illinois Soybean Board (ISB); and

WHEREAS, The overall mission and vision of the ISA remains the same: Working together as ISA, ISG and ISB strive to enable Illinois soybean producers to be the most knowledgeable and profitable soybean producers around the world; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Illinois Soybean Association and the Illinois Soybean Growers on their milestone anniversaries, and on their continued work to support Illinois farmers and promote Illinois agriculture; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Illinois Soybean Association and the Illinois Soybean Growers as an expression of our esteem and respect.