To conduct action-oriented programs and services to help soybean farmers succeed agronomically, economically and environmentally through education, research, technical assistance and partnership-building.

Purpose

ATESF is organized and operated exclusively for scientific, charitable and educational purposes.

Organizational goals are to:

• Increase farmers’ and consumers’ understanding of agriculture.
• Disseminate scientific research and information about agricultural technology and environmental stewardship.
• Include a sufficiently full and fair exposition of pertinent facts that will permit the public to form their own conclusions.
• Support implementation projects assisting farmers and other stakeholders with improving natural resources, environmental stewardship and sustainability.

History

ATESF was incorporated by the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Board of Directors as a 509(a) private foundation and awarded 501(c)(3) tax exempt status by the IRS in July of 2001. At that time, ISA’s Environmental Programs and Services had recently been established to address concerns about water quality in Iowa’s agricultural watersheds and to help advance agriculture’s environmental performance.

Through ATESF, many non-profit organizations, foundations and businesses have partnered with ISA, building the technical and leadership capacity to create tools, systems, services and outreach initiatives that are helping hundreds of farmers in and beyond Iowa use credible data, applied evaluation, and adaptive management to continually improve and document sustainable production of soybeans and rotational crops.

Using nearly two decades of data and experience with hundreds of farmers in many and varied watersheds, these programs and services have contributed a significant body of knowledge to inform the public, the industry, public agencies, environmental non-profits and academia regarding the nature of current agricultural practices and their interaction with natural resources. They are helping mature discussion and actions among all these stakeholders to seek, implement, model and disseminate sustainable solutions to improve the quality of our natural resources while increasing agricultural production to meet growing demands.

Resources

Among those who have partnered with ISA and the soybean checkoff in these initiatives through contributions to ATESF, some for multiple years, are:

• The Altria family of companies
• Environmental Defense Fund
• The McKnight Foundation
• Pioneer, a DuPont Company
• Walton Family Foundation
• Sand County Foundation