Filipino importer delegation tours O’Leary soybean farm near Benson

Soybean, pig and corn farmer Mike O’Leary hosts trade team
Some Filipino soybean importers left Minnesota with a better understanding of how soybeans are grown here, thanks to a statewide tour.  
The group of 16 visited Minnesota Oct. 16 and 17 to see local soybean and corn farms and livestock operations. The trip included a stop at Mike O’Leary’s soybean, corn and hog farm in Danvers. Local farmers hope visits like this will encourage their companies to continue buying quality soybeans from Minnesota.
O’Leary hosted agricultural delegates who are involved in soybean meal purchasing and livestock operations in the Philippines. Their visit was part of a harvest tour to see how soybeans are harvested, to collect crop samples and visit U.S. livestock operations. The tour was planned by Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) and the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC).
Before coming to Minnesota, the group traveled to Grey’s Harbor in Washington State to learn about the exporting process. They also visited several processing plants to show what happens to the beans after they leave the farm. The delegation came to Minnesota to see the soybean fields and equipment used to harvest them, furthering the relationship between the two countries.
Photo: A group of Filipino soybean importers visited the Mike O’Leary farm south of Benson ealrier this month to gain a better understanding of how the crop is grown in Minnesota. O’Leary is pictured in the front center of this submitted photo.