The United Soybean Board honors Mike Steenhoek with the 2025 Tom Oswald Legacy Award

The Tom Oswald Legacy Award, honoring the late Tom Oswald who was a soy checkoff farmer-leader, recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the soybean industry. Mike Steenhoek knew Tom personally through the Iowa Soybean Association, and Tom played an active role in checkoff investments to build a reliable transportation system connecting soybeans to buyers. Through Steenhoek’s career-long dedication, he’s elevated U.S. soybean farmers to a global leadership position. It’s not only brought value to the soybean industry but benefitted the transport of all U.S. commodities and agricultural inputs.

“I am truly honored to receive this recognition, and I believe this is a testament to the collective efforts of the Soy Transportation Coalition, our partners, and all those committed to improving our road, rail, and river systems to advance the soybean industry,” said Steenhoek. “There’s so much passion in agriculture to innovate, and it’s a real pleasure working alongside so many dedicated farmers focused on meeting the growing demands of U.S. Soy across the globe.”

As STC’s executive director, Steenhoek leads a joint initiative of the United Soybean Board, the American Soybean Association and 14 state soybean boards, in addition to collaboration with other commodities over the years. His work has included key projects such as the Lower Mississippi Dredging Project, which saves farmers an estimated 13 cents per bushel of freight and increases load by 500,000 bushels per ocean vessel. He also played a significant role in increasing soybean meal exports from the Port of Grays Harbor to reach Southeast Asian markets, and modernizing the lock and dam system to increase capacity and efficiency.

“Mike Steenhoek has been a steadfast leader for the transportation sector that efficiently moves our soybeans from the farm to over 80 markets,” said Philip Good, Chair of the United Soybean Board and Mississippi farmer. “He’s been pivotal in major improvements to our inland waterways and ports, served as the voice for farmers nationwide, and bridged the gaps between growers, processors, and the broader agricultural and transportation sectors.”

Like Tom Oswald, Steenhoek’s work exemplifies his relentless pursuit of improvement, innovating to enhance our infrastructure system. His commitment benefits U.S. soybean farmers and sets a standard of continuous growth and forward-thinking that drives value for U.S. Soy well into the future.