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ZFS championed as ag exporter of the year

The state of Michigan has named Zeeland Farm Services the Ag Exporter of the Year.

Chairman of the board Cliff Meeuwsen started the company’s export program nearly 25 years ago.

“The soy protein from the plant here in Zeeland and the soybeans that our suppliers produce for us go all over the world,” he shares.

The company’s food-grade soybean protein is mainly used for soy sauce, but also processed into soy flavoring, pharmaceuticals, and soy milk.

Meeuwsen tells Brownfield premiums for farmers have followed the company’s export growth.

“I remember starting at $0.30 and now it’s over $2.00, that continues to kind of come up a little bit each year,” he shares.

ZFS is the first two-time winner of the award, first receiving the honors in 2009.  Meeuwsen says growth since then has expanded from exporting 1,800 shipping containers of product each year to more than 3,000.

Their export markets include Southeast Asia, Canada, Europe, Central America, and South America.

Photo courtesy of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.