IPPE: U.S. Soy quality starts on the farm: Origin drives poultry performance
North Carolina farmer Reggie Strickland explains how sustainability, harvest practices and consistency shape feed quality and poultry results
5 May 2026
2 minute read
By: Reggie Strickland, a soybean, poultry and swine farmer from Mount Olive, North Carolina, recently spoke to The Poultry Site’s Sarah Mikesell at the 2026 IPPE in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, about the sustainable practices that make U.S. Soy unique.
Tell us about USSEC?
USSEC is the U.S. Soybean Export Council, and our main role is to tell our U.S. Soy story around the world and spread awareness to our exporters and end users of soybean products around the world. We're looking to try to open and develop new markets and talk about our U.S. soybean story and share it with global customers.
From a producer's standpoint, what makes U.S. Soy so unique?
Our sustainability story is where it starts. I'm a 7th generation farmer, and the 8th generation is on the farm. We're sustainable. From every point of crop growth, we practice sustainable efforts.
The way we grow soy here in the U.S. is much different than it is in other parts of the world. We're harvesting the crop when it's mature and ready to be harvested. We let it naturally mature in the field, so we do not need to artificially dry the soybeans.
Because of this, our soybeans do not have the damage and heat stress that soybeans from other parts of the world may have. This is what really differentiates us from the rest of the world. Our quality truly makes a difference in our soybean and feed production.
It all goes back to feed quality, which producers recognize as a very important part of the process. The quality of U.S. Soy is better, which makes the animals perform better. This consistency exists and provides results across all stages.
Does efficiency and soy quality matter when discussing feed?
Yes, soy quality and increasing efficiency matter a lot in poultry production. It all starts on the farm, and this can’t be changed. Once a product leaves the farm, if it’s a bad quality product, this can’t be improved in the feed process. It all starts with how we handle the soybeans, and the way we produce a high-quality product on the farm.
How important is nutrition and feed quality from your perspective as a producer?
It all starts with the feed, and the animal, of course, but after that, the diet is the main factor. It's very important to have an effective diet and a good balance. It all goes back to that quality of the soybeans when they leave the farm.
