Minnesota soybean farmers donate Goodyear soy-oil tires to local law-enforcement

Mankato, MN – Minnesota soybean farmers – driven by farmer-led checkoff dollars – are turning the key and hitting the highway, rolling out a win-win campaign that gives traction to the broad benefits and uses of soybean oil.   

Throughout the spring and summer, MSR&PC and its 44 organized counties are utilizing Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company’s line of soy-oil tires to shine a light on value-added products and give back to their communities by donating sets of soy-based tires to their local law-enforcement agencies.   

The “Driving Soy” campaign is putting the pedal to the metal to promote the long-lasting value of soybean checkoff investments. The donation period to local sheriffs’ departments runs June 1-July 13. Each of the state’s organized soybean counties (Minnesota is the only state to support a county-level program) will have the chance to donate a full set of Goodyear’s Eagle Enforcer All Weather tires – designed specifically for first responder vehicles traversing rugged climates like Minnesota’s – to their county sheriffs’ department.   

In addition to the county promotion, the Council will give away Goodyear’s popular Assurance WeatherReady tires, also made with 100% soybean oil, at this year’s Farmfest (Aug. 3-5) and Big Iron (Sept 13-15). A third set of the WeatherReady tires, which are made for everyday vehicles, will be available through an online promotion that will allow farmers to nominate worthy nonprofits in their communities.   

With COVID-19 gathering restrictions forecasted to ease by summertime, the timing is right for the Council to make a big splash for its county program after a year marked by cancelled events. Promoting soybean oil via checkoff investments in renewable technology is the perfect vehicle to steer the Council’s mission to improve farmer profitability, said MSR&PC Chair Cole Trebesch.   

“There’s a high level of enthusiasm with our county boards for this campaign,” Trebesch said. “We all know summertime is fleeting in Minnesota, and after the hardships of the past year, our county boards are champing at the bit to promote their commodities and checkoff investments.”