When Northern Soy Marketing (NSM) Vice Chair David Struck was growing up, he didn’t dream of becoming an astronaut or the next NFL superstar. The only career on his mind was farming.
“It’s the only thing I’ve ever done,” Struck said.
Growing corn, soybeans and wheat on a fifth-generation farm in South Dakota, Struck dove headfirst into farming in 1976 when he started his first cow herd. In 1982, he bought his first land. Since then, he’s been fully immersed in agriculture and was elected to serve on the South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (SDSPRC) six years ago.
“Most people don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes of the checkoff,” Struck said. “It’s very interesting to see how things work and what happens to soybeans after they’re harvested.”
Today, Struck serves as chair of the SDSRPC board, which invests checkoff dollars in researching new production techniques, markets and uses for soybeans that benefit South Dakota farmers. Through his position on both the SDSRPC and NSM boards, Struck has seen firsthand the careful consideration that goes into directing checkoff investments to increase soybean farmers’ bottom lines.
“Things don’t just happen on accident,” Struck said.
And it was no accident that SDSRPC invested checkoff dollars to become an NSM member.
“Investing in NSM is important for checkoff dollars because we raise way more soybeans than we can use and NSM works to create new markets,” Struck said.
Established to promote the quality, consistency and reliability of soybeans and soymeal grown in its member states of Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, NSM nurtures relationships with international purchasers and nutritionists, encouraging them to consider sourcing soy leaving the U.S. via the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway.
“We meet with other countries to create new relationships and maintain the relationships we have so that hopefully when they’re purchasing soymeal and soybeans, they want to get them from the United States,” Struck said.
Because Struck has participated in multiple trade missions, he knows the value of relationships, which is the building block of NSM’s mission. While engaging in conversations with international customers, Struck emphasizes the family farms operating across the Upper Midwest.
“We’re not huge, faceless corporations,” Struck said. “We’ve been here for generations. My great grandfather bought the land where the old home place is in 1896. We’re definitely family oriented.”
As FY25 ramps up, Struck will help guide NSM, investing in endeavors that further NSM’s niche goals.
“Hopefully, we get back to really focusing on our promotion with other countries,” Struck said. “We need to stay actively involved with the research Seth Naeve does at the University of Minnesota on the amino acid profile of soybeans and Bob Swick’s nutrition research, but a lot of the other research the state checkoff boards handle.”
When it comes down to it, Struck’s passion is to promote northern-grown soybeans and the nutritional quality of soy grown in NSM’s member states.
“I wanted to be on the NSM board to be involved in the promotion side of soybeans worldwide,” Struck said. “NSM invests in some research but the most important thing for NSM is the promotion side.”
