Phelon selected for Vice-Chair of Soy Transportation Coalition

Raylen Phelon, Melvern farmer, was selected at the Vice-Chair of the Soy Transportation Coalition during their annual board meeting in Mobile, Alabama in November.

The Soy Transportation Coalition’s goal is to position the soybean industry stakeholders to benefit from a transportation system that delivers cost effective, reliable and competitive service. STC is comprised of thirteen state soybean boards, the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board.

“I appreciate how the Soy Transportation Coalition focuses on ways to make tangible improvements to the supply chain farmers depend upon,” Phelon says.

During the meeting, the STC discussed various strategies and initiatives including, but not limited to, advocating for and promoting greater investment in the inland waterways system, continuing to support the future rail expansion project at the Port of Kalama and continuing to explore and promote new infrastructure investments to accommodate the increased production of soybean meal.

“From rural roads and bridges all the way to our ports, STC continues to be an innovative and effective organization intensely focused on helping farmers be profitable,” Phelon says.

Gary Robbins, Emmett farmer, also attended the meeting. His biggest takeaway was that the Port of Mobile exports 24 million bushels of grain out of the port, and a vast majority of those grains come from the Midwest.

Phelon’s biggest takeaway was learning about the man-made Tenn Tom waterway which is over 200 miles and allows barges to go from Paducah, Kentucky to Mobile, Alabama, connecting the Tennessee river and the Tombigbee river.

Photo at top of story: L-R: C.J. Chalfant, Mike Koehne, Raylen Phelon and Mike Steenhoek

Photo above left and right: Operations at the Port