Becker and Mahnomen farmers donate to local first responders

Becker and Mahnomen County farmers and their soybean checkoff dollars are giving back to local first responders this summer – and promoting the diverse uses of soybeans at the same time.

The Becker/Mahnomen County Corn and Soybean Growers joined the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council and its 44 organized counties by utilizing Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company’s line of soy-oil tires to spotlight value-added products while also supporting law enforcement agencies in their community. 

They donated sets of Eagle Enforcer All Weather tires to the Becker County Sheriff, which were recently installed on the Sheriff’s patrol vehicle.

Goodyear’s soy-based Eagle Enforcer All Weather tires are designed specifically for first responder vehicles traversing rugged climates like Minnesota’s.

With COVID-19 gathering restrictions relaxing, the timing is ideal for the Council to drive its grassroots county program forward after a year marked by cancelled and postponed events. Promoting soybean oil via checkoff investments in renewable technology is the perfect vehicle to showcase the Council’s ongoing mission to improve farmer profitability by promoting value-added products.

“These soy-based tires are a great example of value-added products and how the soybean checkoff improves the profitability of farmers,” said Bill Zurn, Callaway farmer and chair of the Becker/Mahnomen County Corn and Soybean Growers board. “Our county board was honored to donate these to our sheriff to thank them for their service while also bringing awareness to different uses of soybeans.”

Since 2017, Goodyear, supported by United Soybean Board checkoff investments, has released four lines of tires with soybean oil compounds: Assurance WeatherReady, Eagle Enforcer All Weather, Eagle Exhilarate and Assurance Comfort Drive. The Akron, Ohio-based company has increased its use of soybeans by 73 percent since 2018 and pledged to fully replace all of its petroleum-driven oils with soybean oil by 2040. The Enforcer tires will appeal to more than just law enforcement but also state fleets and municipalities, increasing demand for soybean grown in Minnesota.  

In additional to the county promotion, the council will give away two sets of Goodyear’s popular Assurance WeatherReady tires – also made with 100 percentsoybean oil – at this year’s Farmfest (Aug. 3-5) and Big Iron (Sept. 13-15). A third set of the WeatherReady tires, which are tailor-made for everyday vehicles, will be available through an online promotion that will allow farmers to nominate their favorite nonprofits.  

The Becker/Mahnomen Corn and Soybean Growers Association is affiliated with the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, which oversees the investment of soybean checkoff dollars on behalf of the nearly 28,000 soybean farmers in Minnesota.

The Council is governed by the rules of a federally mandated checkoff program that requires all soybean producers pay a fee on the soybeans they sell. This money is used to promote, educate and develop market opportunities for soybeans.