The Bean Scene

Iowa Soybean Association

The Bean Scene is a monthly podcast hosted by Maxwell Schaeffer that goes beyond the headlines to find the stories worth telling—the farmers, thinkers and emerging voices shaping the future of Iowa’s soybean industry. Every episode blends personal storytelling with timely industry insights.   Join us to explore where Iowa soy meets life. Expect candid conversations with farmers creating real on-farm solutions, leaders making an impact across the soybean industry and voices you haven't heard yet. Whether you're a farmer, an ag professional or just someone curious about where food, fuel and innovation come from—there's something here for you.   The Bean Scene is proudly brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean checkoff, with new episodes dropping the first Tuesday of every month.

Episodes

  1. Bean to Breakfast with Erik Lightner, Craig Rowles and the Waveland Cafe

    MAY 5

    Bean to Breakfast with Erik Lightner, Craig Rowles and the Waveland Cafe

    It’s National Egg Month — and on The Bean Scene, we’re following the journey of an Iowa soybean from the field to an egg on your breakfast plate. Erik Lightner, former CEO of Platinum Crush, opens the episode from one of Iowa’s newest soybean processing facilities in Alta, where over 40 million bushels of soybeans are crushed each year into the meal, oil and fiber products that feed Iowa’s livestock — including laying hens. Dr. Craig Rowles, VP of Strategic Projects at Versova Management Cooperative, breaks down just how much soy goes into egg production — and why Iowa’s soybean farmers and egg producers are more intertwined than either may realize. And David Stone, owner of the Waveland Cafe in Des Moines, gives us a peek behind the counter of a 40-year breakfast institution — including the secret behind their famous hashbrowns. Spoiler: soybean oil is involved! The Bean Scene is brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean checkoff.  Have a question or comment you want to share?  Leave us a short voice message! About the Iowa Soybean Association: The Iowa Soybean Association was created by Iowa's farmers in 1964 and is driven to deliver increased soybean demand through market development and new uses, farmer-focused research, timely information and know-how and policy initiatives enabling farmers and the industry to flourish. Stay Connected: To learn more about the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean industry, visit: https://www.iasoybeans.com Facebook: Iowa Soybean Association Instagram: @iowasoybean LinkedIn: Iowa Soybean Association X: @IowaSoybeans YouTube: Iowa Soybean Association

    32 min
  2. BONUS: The Soybean Checkoff Story

    APR 28 ·  BONUS

    BONUS: The Soybean Checkoff Story

    To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the soybean checkoff, we’re bringing you a bonus episode of The Bean Scene!  In this episode, Jerry Slocum shares the story behind how the soybean checkoff began. Jerry is a fifth-generation farmer from Coldwater, Mississippi, a grain elevator operator and founding director of the United Soybean Board. As the soybean checkoff celebrates its 35th anniversary, Jerry reflects on what it took to build it — from the drought of 1988 that galvanized the movement, to the spring 1989 American Soybean Association delegate meeting in St. Louis that set it in motion, to the national program that launched in 1991 and changed the industry forever. This episode is about the long game — the people who invested in markets that didn't exist yet, built institutions that outlasted them and showed up even when the answer seemed to be no.  The Bean Scene is proudly brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and powered by the soybean checkoff.  Have a question or comment you want to share? Leave us a short voice message! About the Iowa Soybean Association: The Iowa Soybean Association was created by Iowa's farmers in 1964 and is driven to deliver increased soybean demand through market development and new uses, farmer-focused research, timely information and know-how and policy initiatives enabling farmers and the industry to flourish. Stay Connected: To learn more about the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean industry, visit: https://www.iasoybeans.com Facebook: Iowa Soybean Association Instagram: @iowasoybean LinkedIn: Iowa Soybean Association X: @IowaSoybeans YouTube: Iowa Soybean Association

    11 min
  3. Combine Karaoke and Farm-to-Pizza with April Hemmes, Chloe Zittergruen and Tom Halverson

    APR 7

    Combine Karaoke and Farm-to-Pizza with April Hemmes, Chloe Zittergruen and Tom Halverson

    In this inaugural episode of The Bean Scene, hear from three leaders who are shaping the future of the soybean industry. Tom Halverson, CEO of CoBank, kicks off the episode with a breakdown of the structural economic shifts farmers are facing. Then meet April Hemmes, a Hampton-area farmer and former Iowa Soybean Association and United Soybean Board director, who shares how she built a platform to represent soybean farmers around the world. She talks about life on her family’s century farm and shares stories from her viral combine karaoke videos. To round out the episode, Iowa FFA State President Chloe Zittergruen demonstrates how youth are shaping the future of agriculture—including bridging urban and rural divides through a farm-to-pizza activity. This is an episode about people and the future of the soybean industry. It highlights the farmers who lead by example and the young leaders who are ensuring agriculture has a voice around the world. The Bean Scene is proudly brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and powered by the soybean checkoff.  Have a question or comment you want to share?  Leave us a short voice message! About the Iowa Soybean Association: The Iowa Soybean Association was created by Iowa's farmers in 1964 and is driven to deliver increased soybean demand through market development and new uses, farmer-focused research, timely information and know-how and policy initiatives enabling farmers and the industry to flourish. Stay Connected: To learn more about the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean industry, visit: https://www.iasoybeans.com Facebook: Iowa Soybean Association Instagram: @iowasoybean LinkedIn: Iowa Soybean Association X: @IowaSoybeans YouTube: Iowa Soybean Association

    36 min
  4. Introducing The Bean Scene

    TRAILER

    Introducing The Bean Scene

    Welcome to The Bean Scene podcast! Brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean checkoff, this podcast shares the stories of the farmers, leaders and innovators shaping the soybean industry. Join host Maxwell Schaeffer to hear the unique voices shaping agriculture, stay up to date on industry news and discover how Iowa soybeans impact daily life.  Check out new episodes of The Bean Scene on the first Tuesday of every month to discover where Iowa soy meets life.  This episode of The Bean Scene was brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and funded by the soybean checkoff.  Have a question or comment you want to share?  Leave us a short voice message! About the Iowa Soybean Association: The Iowa Soybean Association was created by Iowa's farmers in 1964 and is driven to deliver increased soybean demand through market development and new uses, farmer-focused research, timely information and know-how and policy initiatives enabling farmers and the industry to flourish. Stay Connected: To learn more about the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean industry, visit: https://www.iasoybeans.com Facebook: Iowa Soybean Association Instagram: @iowasoybean LinkedIn: Iowa Soybean Association X: @IowaSoybeans YouTube: Iowa Soybean Association

    1 min

Trailer

About

The Bean Scene is a monthly podcast hosted by Maxwell Schaeffer that goes beyond the headlines to find the stories worth telling—the farmers, thinkers and emerging voices shaping the future of Iowa’s soybean industry. Every episode blends personal storytelling with timely industry insights.   Join us to explore where Iowa soy meets life. Expect candid conversations with farmers creating real on-farm solutions, leaders making an impact across the soybean industry and voices you haven't heard yet. Whether you're a farmer, an ag professional or just someone curious about where food, fuel and innovation come from—there's something here for you.   The Bean Scene is proudly brought to you by the Iowa Soybean Association and the soybean checkoff, with new episodes dropping the first Tuesday of every month.

Information

  • Creator
    Iowa Soybean Association
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Iowa Soybean Association
  • Show Website
    The Bean Scene