OMAHA (DTN) -- The Trump administration earlier this year refused to accept the nomination of five farmers to the United Soybean Board -- including four women farmers -- despite their extensive work on behalf of the soybean industry.

While the Trump administration has ended various board appointments across the federal government, the decision by the White House to reject the nominations of five farmers to a USDA checkoff board left those farmers with unanswered questions. In the past it was considered rare that USDA would reject checkoff board candidates chosen by their farmer peers.

Reuters first reported this week that the Trump administration rejected at least five farmers for United Soybean Board (USB).

Each of the farmers who lost their seats on the USB are not only active farmers but also have a long history of volunteer work for state and national soybean boards, as well as other farm organizations. Each of the farmers had done significant education efforts and interviews with farm broadcasters about USB's work in recent years.

With no explanation about why the farmers were rejected, the situation has led to questions about what exactly happens when a checkoff group sends its slate of board members to USDA. None of the farmers who spoke to DTN said anyone from USDA had reached out to them before or after their nominations were rejected to explain why.

Yet, in this case, it appears the White House rejected the farmer nominees. DTN asked if USDA is now required to submit all checkoff and board appointments to the White House, but USDA did not respond to the question.

"The process for each commodity board is slightly different depending on the statutory requirements, but in the case of the United Soybean Board, the Secretary selects board members from a slate of candidates put forward by state commodity marketing associations," a USDA spokesperson said.

The farmers were informed in February that the White House had rejected their USB nominations. That was nearly three months after USB had finalized its new member slate.

Virginia farmer Susan Watkins said she was finalizing a presentation for a USB meeting in Mississippi when the chairperson called and told her she hadn't been reappointed by USDA.

"That's when we found out there were four women up for reappointment and none of us made it," Watkins said.

A seventh-generation farmer whose family farm goes back to a deed from the 1700s, Watkins had been initially appointed to USB in the first Trump administration. Assuming her reappointment was assured, she had been named USB treasurer back in December, putting Watkins in line to eventually become USB chairperson.

"Nobody expected this. If I would have thought I wasn't going to make it, I wouldn't have put my hat in the ring to become treasurer," Watkins said.

Watkins farms about 3,500 acres with her son, raising soybeans, corn and wheat. Last August, Watkins hosted a group of Central American soybean farmers at her operation as part of a U.S. Soybean Export Council event. Watkins also chaired the USB's Demand Committee.

DON'T DIE ON THIS SWORD

Watkins said she understands USB leaders were told not to push back on the board rejections.

"Nobody will talk, but when USB asked about an appeal, they were told it was not a sword to die on. My response to that was, 'I don't have anything to lose. I can die on that sword.' I did try to get some answers because my seat is still open."

USDA actually named another Virginia farmer in Watkins' place who didn't want the board position.

Wisconsin farmer Sara Stelter said farmers had spoken to her at events such as Commodity Classic quietly disagreeing with the administration's decision.

"When you talk to even other commodity groups, they're aware that it happened and they didn't like that it happened, but it's kind of a weird situation because it seems like everybody in the checkoff realm is afraid of speaking up too much because there is a rule about lobbying; but there are also some perceived threats -- whether they are real or not -- about checkoffs," Stelter said.

USDA has statutory oversight for 22 checkoff boards and approves the boards' budgets and programs. USDA also chooses which checkoff groups receive funding under programs such as the Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program -- often called MAP and FMD.

Checkoff boards also have rules to avoid lobbying and politics because of the nature of their funding coming from all farmers producing a commodity. Instead, they rely on the commodity associations to accept those roles.

Stelter had been appointed to the USB board initially in 2022 and is still a board member for the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board. She also served as president of the Wisconsin Soybean Association in 2023 and 2024. Stelter said there is a tightrope to walk when wearing both checkoff and trade association hats over lobbying.

"If that's the way they had determined it, then so be it, but that's why it makes me think they didn't even look at the applications. It just doesn't make any sense to me at all," Stelter said.

OTHERS ALSO EARNED BACKING OF FELLOW FARMERS

Carla Schultz of Michigan had been on the USB since 2022 and was named to USB's executive committee in 2024 and was slated to again serve on the executive committee. Schultz also chaired USB's communications and education committee. Schultz and her family raise soybeans, corn, pigs, beef cattle, alfalfa, black and navy beans, and wheat.

"The farmers that are there representing the United Soybean Board, No. 1, we're all volunteers, No. 2, we all have a passion for it, and No. 3, it's a really great organization that does great things with checkoff funds," Schultz said. "That's why we're there."

Schultz added, "So it saddens me because we were voted in by our fellow farmers."

Dawn Scheier, a fourth-generation U.S. soybean farmer in South Dakota, had served as a director on the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council since 2016 and also served on the checkoff-funded World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) program. Scheier also had served on the executive committee of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). Two years ago, Scheier also hosted a delegation from the Chinese embassy at her farm.

Scheier did not respond to a text message seeking an interview.

One male farmer's appointment to USB also was rejected by the White House. DTN reached out but was not able to confirm the identity of that producer.

MERIT, GENDER AND VOLUNTEER DEMANDS

Stelter said she questions why it seems the women farmers were targeted.

"It totally ignores the fact that I run my own operation," Stelter said. "I obviously have some great help, but I have the same sorts of skills the men do that I can continue to farm and I'm able to speak about farm living and so forth. So, it totally disavows that I have any valuable contribution to the organization."

Watkins said she is a supporter of President Donald Trump, and she doesn't think political leaders were even involved in the decision. "I'm not going to back away from that. I did vote for Trump. I came on as a board member under the Trump administration when Sonny Perdue was in office. So, I'm getting feedback on comments that you get what you vote for and you deserve it; but the Trump administration brought me in, and the Trump administration also took me out."

Watkins said she got involved in the checkoff programs largely because the state group in Virginia was having a hard time recruiting volunteers.

Stelter noted checkoff boards and commodity associations are volunteer positions that require a lot of homework, phone calls and meetings to be prepared. "I feel like the group of women who were eliminated were always very good advocates for their state farmers and that's our purpose for being there is to make sure those checkoff dollars are being used wisely. And we all took our jobs very, very seriously."

The removal of the four women farmers also dramatically cut gender diversity on the 77-person USB. Stelter and Watkins also each noted 2026 happens to be the United Nations' International Year of the Woman Farmer.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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