Tanner Johnson is going places. 

The Prairie Farm grower was elected to serve on the nine-member American Soybean Association (ASA) executive committee during ASA’s December board meeting in St. Louis.   

“I’m proud to represent Wisconsin and American soybean farmers on the ASA executive board,” said Johnson, who was elected to ASA in 2022. “There’s no shortage of challenges that soybean farmers are facing, and I view it as my job to turn every one of those challenges into opportunities.”  

ASA is poised to address several policy issues in the coming year, including passing a new Farm Bill, advocating for continued farmer economic assistance following a 40% drop in soybean prices in the past two years, tax relief, protecting crop inputs, defending the soy checkoff, and promoting growth throughout the biofuels industry. Johnson currently serves on ASA’s regulatory committee. 

Wisconsin farmer Don Lutz, who serves alongside Johnson on ASA, said his colleague is up to the task.   

“He’s well adapted to what the challenges are and listens and is excited about what he’s doing,” Lutz said. “You’ve got to learn either through experience or listening to others, and that’s what Tanner is doing.”  

Johnson is an at-large director with the Wisconsin Soybean Association (WSA). A first-generation farmer, Johnson is a past ASA Young Leader and grows soybeans, corn, winter wheat, alfalfa hay and cover crop species in a no-till environment. He also owns and operates a Pioneer Seed agency and agronomy consulting business. He married his wife, Brittany, in 2023.   

Established in 1920, ASA advocates on behalf of the nation’s nearly 500,000 soybean producers. George M. Briggs of Madison is the only Wisconsin farmer to have served as ASA president (1922-1923). Before he considers the possibility of becoming the second Wisconsin farmer to lead ASA, Johnson said he’s focused on the policy dynamics in 2025.  

“It’s time to get to work!” he said.   

Johnson and WSA’s board will gather in February during the 2025 Wisconsin Corn·Soy Expo. The following month, Johnson will join ASA and WSA colleagues for ASA’s D.C. Hill Visits and board meetings.